Heidi kidded 8/29 - Important Update

Southern by choice

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Very sad day Friday.... 2nd kid (the real small one) died.:( I knew something was wrong after Heidi had her. Heidi did a good job cleaning her off but the little one just never had any strength. I brought her in and would try to feed her, even though she had good suck/swallow she would be exhausted afterwards. We would take her out with her mom and mom did accept her and let her nurse but then she started pushing her away and then it escalated to Heidi purposely trying to step on her. I pulled her out for good after that. She would stand and be okay but after just a few minutes she would be so weak she'd just lay back down, then she stopped eating. Fri morning her heart rate was very low and she died in my arms. So sad. I know kids die sometimes but this being my first kids I decided to have a necropsy done, I wanted to make sure it was not some kind of heredity disorder.
Fri eve we got the call back and the preliminary findings were that her kidneys were underdeveloped, they were very small and had stopped short just before the part in the kidneys that filtered the blood developed. That is why she was so small,and weak. Slides of the kidney tissue will be checked next week. The scale must not have been reset properly because she was not 3lbs 2 oz, she was about 2 lbs maybe 2 1/2 lbs max. On the up side, I'm glad I had the necropsy done because it is NOT a heredity/genetic issue. Just something that happens sometimes. Kid 1 is hopping all over the place and thriving! Sad she doesn't have a playmate though.
The girls were heading to Virginia to be a familys first goats, but now I only have the one so I might just keep her and the family will wait til the spring kids. Everyone says I should still sell kid 1 but I just don't know if I can. I just wish my goats could give me milk without the whole kidding thing. Life and death on a farm is just the way it is I know. The same day we had a death we also had discovered (in Callie's mouth btw) a brand new baby chick. So there was a new life! A little bittersweet.
Slaughtered a bunch of meat birds and turkeys Sat. Lot's of death this weekend. I just want to cuddle up with my couch guard dog and sleep! :)
 

marlowmanor

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Southern by choice said:
Very sad day Friday.... 2nd kid (the real small one) died.:( I knew something was wrong after Heidi had her. Heidi did a good job cleaning her off but the little one just never had any strength. I brought her in and would try to feed her, even though she had good suck/swallow she would be exhausted afterwards. We would take her out with her mom and mom did accept her and let her nurse but then she started pushing her away and then it escalated to Heidi purposely trying to step on her. I pulled her out for good after that. She would stand and be okay but after just a few minutes she would be so weak she'd just lay back down, then she stopped eating. Fri morning her heart rate was very low and she died in my arms. So sad. I know kids die sometimes but this being my first kids I decided to have a necropsy done, I wanted to make sure it was not some kind of heredity disorder.
Fri eve we got the call back and the preliminary findings were that her kidneys were underdeveloped, they were very small and had stopped short just before the part in the kidneys that filtered the blood developed. That is why she was so small,and weak. Slides of the kidney tissue will be checked next week. The scale must not have been reset properly because she was not 3lbs 2 oz, she was about 2 lbs maybe 2 1/2 lbs max. On the up side, I'm glad I had the necropsy done because it is NOT a heredity/genetic issue. Just something that happens sometimes. Kid 1 is hopping all over the place and thriving! Sad she doesn't have a playmate though.
The girls were heading to Virginia to be a familys first goats, but now I only have the one so I might just keep her and the family will wait til the spring kids. Everyone says I should still sell kid 1 but I just don't know if I can. I just wish my goats could give me milk without the whole kidding thing. Life and death on a farm is just the way it is I know. The same day we had a death we also had discovered (in Callie's mouth btw) a brand new baby chick. So there was a new life! A little bittersweet.
Slaughtered a bunch of meat birds and turkeys Sat. Lot's of death this weekend. I just want to cuddle up with my couch guard dog and sleep! :)
:hugs :hit I'm so sad to hear about the second baby. :hit :hugs I'm glad you did the necropsy though so you know what went wrong. Praying that Heidi and the first baby continue to do well. :fl
 

Alice Acres

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Regarding the birth weight - she likely was the 3 pounds you weighed. When they are born, they are heavier. They are wet and plumped up from soaking in the amniotic fluid. Then after a few hours, then over the day - they actually loose weight because they dry out and loose fluid weight.
Your baby with kidney failure was definitely not gaining, so my thought is all the weights you have are probably correct.

Interesting necropsy results - good to know. But not what you want to have happen - so sorry on the death of your goat baby :(
 

bonbean01

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Okay...yeah...I am a nut case...this precious little kid's death has me so sad...sent hugs to Southern, then thought of Straw when he posted that the little one was on his chest... sending hugs to him too :hugs

I don't have goats...but... :hit
 

Southern by choice

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I know this is a little old now but I get the final report on the 2nd doeling. The written results were sent but I was able to talk with the vet who did the necropsy (pathology was done by different vet). The official results were she died from a micomium birth. Which was not surprising, it was 30 minutes between 1st and 2nd birth, that's a long time and she was week. Vet said without the micomium (probably not spelling this right) issue she would have died from kidney failure anyway due to their underdevelopment. This is considered an "acceptable loss". Vet was very helpful, spent 45 minutes on the phone going over everything and giving me some really great advice for some other things I had asked. Good thing is kidney is just a freak thing, nothing in the line, etc.
We really have a great lab here in NC (Rollins-state lab). I am glad to have had the necropsy done. Sometimes the worst thing is not knowing, and I always want to know if something is hereditary.

Kid #1 is adorable! cute as can be.... I just wish she had a playmate! Still waiting to see if she will be polled or horned. 2 1/2 weeks now but I think I'm starting to feel little nubs under the skin. Hoping she is polled!

Heidi's sister was bred today!!! Katie is fat though so I am a little concerned... I think it would have been better if she was 5-10 lbs lighter. Katie is polled so hopefully her kids will be. :)
 

AnotherKim

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I'm so sorry for your loss. It's good to know it wasn't heriditary. Poor little sweetie. I'm glad the other baby is doing well.
 

Tmaxson

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Hi Southern, can we see an updated picture of the surviving doe?
 

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