Govero Farms, are you thinking of sludge?

I am just sick thinking about this. :(

What about Nitrite poisoning? Especially with the dry year we had.

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/ass...-livestock.pdf

Yarrow, what kind of hay was it? Grass or alfalfa?

I am sorry she has lost goats, I hope she has saved the rest :(

It is a scary thought that you buy hay thinking it is good and then something like this happens.

I am thinking of you Emily and I hope that the rest are getting better.


SG I think I read it was organic alfalfa.

I was thinking Nitrite too.. I know it was supposedly organic alfalfa.. but the bale I was looking thru (smelling, staring at.. but too afraid to taste!) had A LOT of clover in it.. no sign of any mold ect..

symptom wise.. they were drooling, mouth/nose.. the ones that could still get to their feet were staggering.. just aimless wandering. (it wasn't just the staggers. .they were doing this weird stiff legged thing too) just peddling in the air when they fell... like they just HAD to keep moving.. they would bump into a fence or tree and fall down, only to stagger back up and try to stand again.. (then they would get really bad and just stay down).. I could see tremors in their muscles.. their pupils were tiny & tight (they didn't open up when I covered up their eyes and made it dark).. there was some bloating.. obvious pain (grinding teeth, calling out, head pressing)..

we finally got a bottle of Atropine..using Dex/Banamine & CMPK too (calcium gluconate is used in black widow spider bites for the spasms caused by the neurotoxin.. I remembered reading an article, so I used large doses of dex & CMPK to save my doe, Sunny when she went into serum sickness two years ago.. Sunny was having awful spasms and we were losing her... I knew black widow bites cause that sort of gut pain, so in desperation I started giving her CMPK along with the Dex, Banamine & Benedryl.. we saved her (she totally recovered.. didn't breed last year, but is pregnant & due on monday..) ..SO.. Emily is trying that too...

susie, mo ozarks

Oh my gosh. I am praying hard for her herd. I am so sorry.

I had no idea anything like this could happen. It never crossed my mind that you could get hay from someone that would kill your goats. Wow. That is just so scary.

I am thinking of her and praying for her goats.

Just a thought but could somone have been growing something illegal in the field that did not get found before it was baled with the hay. Sounds like some kinds of drugs.

That is so awful. I can't imagine how terrible it must be to see your goats like that.

This is awful. Sometimes farmers just have the worst of luck. She's definitely in our prayers, and we are poised to offer any assistance that is needed.

Clover can cause drooling and other problems but nothing as severe as what Yarrow is describing....ugh!!
What causes a horse to drool excessively? - engormix.com

I did not know that you could get bad (poisonous) hay. I am so sorry to hear about this & hope she can save the rest.

This is just horrid!

I know there was a posting on CL about bad alfalfa crops this year and not to buy it. It specified dangerous for horses / mares, think it was about the beetles causing poison reactions?

Praying and praying some more. There just aren't words. I wish there were.

Any news yet on this?
Nancy

Prayers for your farm Ozark Jewels, keep your head up and hang in there.

Our prayers are with you!

We have had 2 cases of something like this this week. (no new hay here, same as all winter) 2 of the 3 were just freshened so we weren't sure at first if it was hypocalicemia, poisoning, or mold. So we dosed each one with 1-2 doses of 30 cc CMPK, 1 tsp per 100# of brewer's yeast- drenched, 1 tsp cayenne drench with water - due to low body temperature, and repeated all again 20 minutes later. Drenched 1 dose of 1 tsp baking soda. Offered molasses water along with apple juice flavored water, oat straw, grass, alfalfa pellets, and new hay. Thankfully, they both have recovered. It sure was scary for a while!!!

Lots of prayers sent!

Val

Yarrow,
Big bale of hay on the way...I pray things look better. Emily has done so much for so many. She has "cast her bread on the water" many times and I pray it comes back to her many-fold in this crisis situation. I hope she is overwhelmed by the responses to help.

Im going through the goat medicine book but this just slapped me, organic hay is grown with organic fertilizer which means chicken poo which = urea so maybe urea poisoning.. going back to the books now.

I find myself haunting this thread, hoping for news of recovering goats and dreading news of more losses...

The symptoms seem a lot a like.

Symptoms
Effects of urea poisoning appear 30 to 90 minutes from the time of urea ingestion. One early sign of urea poisoning is muscle tremors, especially on the face and ears. Others include frothy salivation, abdominal pain, tooth grinding, trouble breathing and excessive urination. As poisoning progresses, the tremors increase and walking becomes impossible. Death occurs two to four hours after urea ingestion



Read more: Urea Poisoning in Goats | eHow.com Urea Poisoning in Goats | eHow.com

Okay, my husband and daughter just left Emily's place. The losses are at 3 and the rest are on the mend. They were vomiting foam yesterday and today they have the runs. Even though it is "only 3" Emily is deeply saddened by the losses. She was going to work for the first time in "days". My daughter said she was remarkably well...considering. She said yesterday was a terrible day...

I just wanted to fill in a little of the gap and let you know that it has at least slowed down and that she didn't lose anymore overnight.

Good news in a bad situation. I'm praying they continue to improve.

I'm am so sorry for their loss. I will be praying for Emily and her family! :(

Sounds like some good news finally. Sure hope she doesn't lose any more. The loss of three is tragic already.

Thank you all for the updates. It will be interesting to find what's at the bottom of this. I can understand the devastation from losing only a few goats. They're very endearing, one and all. Continuing to send good thoughts from the PacNW.

Thank you so much for the update JbarG!! It's horrible to have a number of deaths, and 3 is just devastating....but my imagination was taking me to 20 so this is good to know just so my imagination doesn't take me "there" anymore.
Still sending big (((hugs))) and so many prayers to Emily. I think all the positive energy and love vibes is helping :)

Sorry I didn't switch over when you called.. Joan had just called me, seconds before (she just now hung up.. we are talkers LOL)... From what Joan was telling me, I'm still not sure that the rest are out of the woods.. esp the two remaining bucks... it's still very touch & go with them.

I'm going to call Emily this evening... will fill you all in on the recovery as we know more... Thank you guys so much for taking the hay over to her.. Time will tell what the long term effects will be on the survivors.. keep those good thoughts heading Emily's way.

susie MO. Ozarks

I'm right there with you on it could have been 20!!! When I first spoke to Emily before we went yesterday.. she was afraid she was losing all four bucks, at least three milkers and all of her yearlings.. It looked like a war zone when we arrived.. sick goats everywhere.. you just didn't know where to look. At this point it's her two Sr. Bucks and one of the lamancha milkers that are gone.. (those deaths happened yesterday afternoon)...I am happy to hear that she hasn't lost any more!!! She still has a couple of bred yearlings that can really use some healing energy.. not sure what effect this will have on the babies.. this ordeal I'm afraid.. is a long ways from over for our dear Emily.

susie, mo ozarks

Yes, Susie, she said that the Camaro son wasn't good. I, too, think there is a lot of healing and subsequent issues to deal with.

She wants to test the remaining hay and doesn't know where. If anyone in her immediate area knows where to take it, please, tell her. This needs to be done. All updates are appreciated. I, too, had LARGE numbers in my head. However, the ones she has lost have been heart-rending for her.

Thanks for the update as bad as it is glad it isn't any worse.

I'm so glad that the news is better than it could have been. Three is three too many, though. I've been letting my goat friends know about what happened so that they can post a warning on other forums as well.

Emily, I really don't know what to say. Just know that a lot of people are pulling for you.

I would get a hold of the local University Extension office on Monday and have them direct her to who can do the necessary testing.
Emily, we are all pulling for you and your goats. Lots of prayers coming from here.

I too, was thinking the worst. Seeing dead goats everywhere.
Emily, hope the others pull through.
You have been in our thoughts every moment over these last several hours.

Hank
www.doublemfarmandchuckwagon.webs.com

I am glad its only three at this point. What a sad day for her. Unfortunately I know how she feels. After the flooding of 2010, due to ag run-off in the water (we think) I lost 13 babies and 4 adults that year, including my two best bucks.
The buckling I just got from her is a replacement.

Most feed mills also do hay testing and it isn't that expensive. Maybe 20 bucks. Call the local feed mill and alot of times their nutritionist will come to your farm and pick it up.

I too was thinking the worse. What she lost is bad enough, I'm glad she didn't loose more. Lots of healing thoughts headed to the goats that are still on the mend or shaky ground. Thank you for the updates.

Okay.. I've been on the phone with Emily.. .the atropine seems to have done it's job (I don't know what would have happened if we hadn't have finally, found one old expired bottle of it. It was mine & Alice's local semi-retired cow vet who told me that's what I needed to find.. He spent almost a half hour on the phone with me -while I drove to Emily's- talking out possible causes for what was happening.. He actually called me back, while I was driving home.. to see if we found any atropine -he didn't have any- and to see how things were going!! Probably should bake him some cookies!!)..

Emily says she is actually able to breath again.. she is pretty sure that some of the yearlings are starting to feel a bit better.. Perian (nubian yearling) who was on death's door yesterday..answered her kid when he called to her!! .. she saw one yearling nibble a bit on some browse. They are also responding when they see Emily (yesterday they were all lost in their own worlds) So far no signs of the bred does losing their babies..(they are sisters.. I stood and cried yesterday, watching them trying to stand, just leaning on each other, so weak). She is still very concerned about the Lamancha yearling buck Dune (when we left, he was flat out..laying by the pond.. at bedtime he was still there.. they moved him to keep him from falling in & drowning).. The spotted Camero son is also still alive (he was heartbreaking to watch.. he was feeling so bad, he laid down and put his head on the dead body of his freind, Eclipse) While he is better he still is not eating or drinking... Spree is the milker she lost.. thankfully Shenanigan is doing better (she has a very strong will to live).. we were all sure she was a goner.... worst for Emily was the loss of Camero.. she fought so hard to save him... just nothing worked and the atropine got there too late. (I so wish we could have found some on the way).. No one is back to normal.. very far from it.. but there is good reason to hope.

Emily is going to try and get on here this evening...(she is very tired.. if she doesn't make it on this evening.. she'll get on tomorrow.. I was telling her about how wonderful you have all been, all the prayers and well wishes, the concerns.. how many of you didn't sleep well last night.. she was very touched..
Sue (Dreamgoat Annie) I think has someone who is willing to take the hay in for testing... it will get tested one way or another.. ((( it was advertised in the Horse Trader as Organic Alfalfa Clover mix.. The man assured Emily it did NOT have chicken manure on it.. testing will give us answers.. until then be very careful who/where you buy))) Until the hay is tested and results come back.. she really won't know if there is long term damage/problems with the goats that have made it...

susie, mo ozarks

just....:Bawling::Bawling::Bawling:

Praying for you, Emily!

I hope all the rest pull through. So sorry for the losses :(