Misfitmorgan's - Babies 2020

[Goat Whisperer]

I’m still reading you post so may have missed something- but did you check the dam’s udder and teats? Did you squirt several streams of colostrum into your hand/bucket/something and check it?

Generally when I hear of this type of issue, it’s because the dam’s colostrum is to thick for the kid to get out. I have several friends who have lost kids to this, they kids looked like they were nursing but just couldn’t get the thick colostrum out. One farm I actually went over and milked the goat, “diluted” the colostrum and got the kids fed. They were really weak but both made it.

 

[misfitmorgan]

I’m still reading you post so may have missed something- but did you check the dam’s udder and teats? Did you squirt several streams of colostrum into your hand/bucket/something and check it?

Generally when I hear of this type of issue, it’s because the dam’s colostrum is to thick for the kid to get out. I have several friends who have lost kids to this, they kids looked like they were nursing but just couldn’t get the thick colostrum out. One farm I actually went over and milked the goat, “diluted” the colostrum and got the kids fed. They were really weak but both made it.

Thank you for your reply @Goat Whisperer. We did milk out into a bowl about 2 cups of colostrum, it was definitely thick but milked out fairly easy, i have no doubt the kids could have gotten it if they had latched on and sucked properly. Both kids got colostrum from us at approx 24hrs old.

 

[Bruce]

I have checked on necropsy before, the only reply back i got was that they do free necropsy for tb or scrapie only.

If they do it free for those 2 diseases, I ASSUME one already knows that is what they died from so why bother with a necropsy? Or do they not know prior to the necropsy and then charge you if they find out it isn't?

 

[misfitmorgan]

If they do it free for those 2 diseases, I ASSUME one already knows that is what they died from so why bother with a necropsy? Or do they not know prior to the necropsy and then charge you if they find out it isn't?

If they see likely signs, then they will necropsy. If they dont find it they ont charge you, you cant just sent a perfectly healthy looking dead thing to them though and be like oh I think it has.... just to get a free necropsy. I dunno how exactly the system works but it seems too.

On another note 308 had a ram lamb a few days ago. He is looking thin but energetic, of course now that i posted he will probly kick the bucket somehow.

One of the mutts also had a single black lamb, it was dead when i found it in the shed, i believe it was the little brown ones lamb. She is a first-timer and I don't think she knew what to do and stepped on/head butted the lamb a lot. Looked healthy but obviously some sort of trauma occurred.

That leaves white mutt and 294 if they are going to have lambs. 294 doesnt look very filled out so i doubt she is bred.

I also doubt Latte and Mocha are bred, there is no udder development and if they were going to kid it would have been by now unless big boy bred thru the fence. I am watching for them to come into heat.

 

[Bruce]

Sure wish you would stop having all these troubles! I can understand

He is looking thin but energetic, of course now that i posted he will probly kick the bucket somehow.

given all that has gone on but I hope he'll do well and start you back on the path of things working as they should.

 

[Baymule]

I hope he doesn't kick the bucket and grows up. You have had more than your share of bad luck.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Well he was still alive as of this last nights chores. He is pretty dang small and remains thin looking for some reason. I think half his problem is it is "warm" out so we have left him in the drylot with his mom, so i think him chasing after his mom all day is making his lose his calories before he can use them to fatten up. We need to pull the adult goats out of their barn pen, and put them back in the drylot. Then pull the adult sheep out of the barn pen and put them back in the drylot. Move the bottle lambs, Charlotte and the white lamb into one pen in the barn to wean completely(bottle lambs are weaned and huge). That will open up a barn pen for 308 and her ram lamb.

So only issue with the above plan is....where do i put Big Boy? DH says to put him in the drylot with the rams and the other little buck. My concern is that big boy has no horns, the little buck does and I have seen the rams get after the little buck. He is fast and just runs away until they get tired but I dont think Big Boy would run away.

Side note 294 definitely is not bred and is very thin, we got our hands on her last night. She is the same sheep who had issues last year and spend about 3 months in the barn because she was close to dead. It appears she may not have ever fully recovered. I'm hoping with warmer weather here it will help her put on some weight and fill out. We may have to separate her and feed her up on her own again, but i really dont want to do that. 294 was in a group of sheep we bought, the other two both died because of weight issues if i recall right. I don't know if they just have a really bad parasite tolerance or what, their eyes are always almost white even with iron supplements and regular worming.

 

[Mike CHS]

I hope your shuffling animals pays off for you.

 

[Baymule]

Maybe you need to take 294 to the sale barn and let her go.

 

[Mike CHS]

We are finding that our high dollar registered animals aren't performing nearly as well as our mutts so we are rethinking our long range plans.