Dying goats

4 posts
Sat, 12/30/2017 - 20:37 #1

Member for

6 years 10 months
hairy goat
Last seen: 11/07/2022 - 20:12
Joined: 12/30/2017 - 20:26

Dying goats

I have lost a couple of goats and am unsure what I am doing wrong. I originally started drenching the goats with Pancur 25 and found that the goats were getting scour and swelling under jaw. A local vet advised that this product does not work in outr area. I then tried Caprine with good results for 6 mths. I have now begun noticing goats with scour which we have been un able to save. It  is usually only one animal at a time and it is usually the young. (3-9mths). The remainder of the heard (12) all appear to be healthy and have no signs of disease. I just lost another goat today and I drenched with Caprimec 2 mths ago and Caprine 2 days ago when I noticed it was unwell. Any feedback would be apreciated.

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Sun, 12/31/2017 - 12:36 #2
barb
Last seen: 09/17/2019 - 18:07
Joined: 11/23/2011 - 09:38

Hi,

so sorry that you are losing your livestock. Can you please answer the following questions for me.Q. are you using particular supplements ie. copper or any naturapathic medicines, if so what? Q. Are you putting a piece of copper plate or pipe in their water trough (often done to try to prevent worm infection but it is very toxic)  Q. Are you giving them supplementary feeds, such as high protein grains like Soy Meal and if so how much? Q. Have you vaccinated for Chlostridial diseases such as: Entero toxaemia, wich can have these symptoms. Q. has your vet tested for coxxcidia? Q. Are you feeding them Molasses as a supplement and if so how much. Q. what plants and weeds are they eating in the paddock? Please get back to me with your answers, so that we can start to narrow down what the problem is. Your vet can can contact me through this website and I will be only too happy to talk to him. He can also contact me through messenger. Let's get this problem under control as soon as we can. By the way, your vet is quite correct Panacur (Fenbendazol) has not worked for years. As a general drench I use Albendazol. Cheaper than Caprimec. However having said that, Caprimec is very effective. Q. How much are you giving them. If you are underdosing them, then this means only the strong and resistant worms survive to begin breeding more resistant worms. Always drench to the heaviest in the age group i.e the next 10 kg up. In the case of very young kids the next 5 kg up. YOu need to have a general worm check done on the herd if the vet has not done so already. Remember, that sheep and goats share the same parasites, both internal and external

 

 

 kind Regards,

Barb Vincent

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Sun, 12/31/2017 - 15:06 #3
hairy goat
Last seen: 11/07/2022 - 20:12
Joined: 12/30/2017 - 20:26

Hi Barb,

Thanks for your time I will answer as much as I can. No copper in troughs. I feed with a general goat pellet, corn and high protein powder mixed together and a small amount of molases(about 1/2 cup per feed total not per animal). I do not feed them every day, only about once a week. No idea what weeds are in the paddock but they also get some mangoes at the moment and branch cuttings and weeds from the yard. I am care ful with what I feed them from the yard but they seem to do there own selecting, they don't eay the bottle brush even though from what I have read it should be okay for them. As I said they all look good and have not lost condition even though it is dry. I occasionally give then some rhodes hay when feed is low. I am wondering if even though they look good they need grain more regularly for the nutrients? I have also injected with Websters 5 in 1 with B12. I have not asked the vet to test for anything at this stage. The vet has not visited the property I have only spoken to them. We also have wild wallabies on the paddock but I don't think that effects anything?

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Tue, 01/02/2018 - 16:52 #4
barb
Last seen: 09/17/2019 - 18:07
Joined: 11/23/2011 - 09:38

Hi again,

5 in 1 is good. Do you wash the mangos, or are they certified organic? What things from the grden are you feeding the goats? Some things that you might think are o.k. are not really.  Onions, garlic, rattle pod, sally wattle, azalia and rohdedendron, Brunsfelsia, Tomato plants, Potatos or plants, avocado (any part , fruit bark, leaves) Apricot, peach or plum. Angels trumpet, poinsettia, rubarb leaves or stems, pig weed, St Johns Wort, Morning Glory, lantana. These are just a few of the things which can kill. Rhye grass or stressed sorghum.

 

I think you should take a faecal (dung) sample in to the vet. These symptoms sound like a parasite infection or possibly a type of poison.  Tell him I suspect coxcidia or possibly Black Scour worm And tell him who I am The faecal sample should be fresh and consist of about 6-8 larger pellets. Tell your vet that I am the author of Farming Meat Goats,: Breeding production and marketing for CSIRO. One last question, Have you checked the conjunctiva (lower eye lids and gums) . What colour are they? Whitish or yellowish? They should be a nice healthy pink colour. Please get back to me.

 

Cheers,

Barb

 

 

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