Can a sheep impregnate a goat?? or is it a nasty infection??

Hawkfamily · #1 05/11/06, 07:39 PM

One of our female goats appears to be either late in pregnancy or with an infection of some sort in the uterine region.
We don't have male goats - we do have a male sheep and he very likely did breed with our goat girls back in December when he broke through the fence on two occasions.
My vet says that it is not possible for impregnation to have occurred, although some research I have done says otherwise. I suppose, though, that some sort of freaky pregnancy occurred and that there is a nasty infection that has happened.
The other piece, that we thought was unrelated, is that she has been limping on her back leg for a month or two now, and doesn't seem to be responding to our foot care/treatment. So, I am thinking that all of it is related now.
Any thoughts on this or similar experience??
Thanks!!
jodi

Sweet Goats · #2 05/12/06, 08:56 AM

Jodi, I have heard that a goat and a sheep can not produce a ababy. They might breed but the doe will eithr not take or she will abort it. Have you checked her leg really good for any injury? I had a goat last year that would limp really bad, they when he stood he would hold it up and not put any pressure on it at all. We bought asprin (I believe for horses) and I gave that to him twice a day for about a week or two. He was just fine after that. If you give asprin you have to give like twice the amount then you think. God Luck

Freeholder · #3 05/12/06, 08:59 AM

A ram can breed a doe, and a buck can breed a ewe. They need to be kept well apart during breeding season. The fetus is not viable, and will spontaneously abort after a few weeks.

You should probably have a vet look at your doe.

Kathleen

Hawkfamily · #4 05/12/06, 10:52 AM

We are heading to the vet this morning with her, so hopefully we will have some inexpensive answers and solutions. I suppose the possibility exists that she was unable to spontaneously abort (or pass the fetus) earlier on and it is still in there, creating this problem. That seems to make sense to me.
She is such a hardy, sweet goat - has survived other flock illnesses where the others have not. I feel sooooo bad for having put her in this situation!
I hope the vet can help us.

Also, the foot thing you describe sounds like what our girl is doing. The vet will look at that too, obviously, but I will inquire about the aspirin.

Thanks for your responses!!
jodi

**mygoat** · #5 05/12/06, 02:29 PM

No, I belive there are cases of goat/sheep crosses, but it is very unlikely that they will be born or survive. Like said earlier, they are usually reabsorbed or aborted early in pregnancy. There was a picture of a hybrid in my biology book last year. Geeps and shoats!

Hawkfamily · #6 05/13/06, 07:19 PM

I thought that I would provide an update for those who posted....

The goat is not pregnant - the vet is 95% sure of this. Her milk, however, has come in. I had no idea that she could do this without being pregnant, but apparently goats are the only mammals who can. He said that because of her increase in good pasture grass recently, her milk has come in. I was so surprised!
And her foot just requires some penicillin to clear up a slight infection.
So, it was a great vet visit all around!
jodi

Freeholder · #7 05/13/06, 08:14 PM

I'm glad to hear that all is well! Some heavy milking strains of goats can come in milk without having been bred (handy if you don't want to keep a buck, LOL!) -- I've even heard of bucks who milked, from really heavy-milking strains!

Kathleen

**mygoat** · #8 05/13/06, 09:54 PM

I bet buck's milk is gross, lol...
I bet it's a psudopregnancy or whatever, where the doe's body believes it's pregnant but it really isn't. She may experience light labor with no results then go on like she always has. And no, all animals can have a false pregnancy. Goats, dogs, sheep, pigs, everything as far as I know.

Hawkfamily · #9 05/14/06, 12:00 AM

She is a Saanen, so I understand that she is a heavy milk producer...not that we plan on doing anything about this milk..... lol

jodi

dosthouhavemilk · #10 05/14/06, 08:27 AM

I hope the vet didn't say goats are the only mammals that can have their milk come in without a pregnancy.
I have two heifers out in the pasture that would prove him wrong. Self nursers, they stimulated lactations by being nursed. The one has never been bred and the other brought a quarter into production before she had ever been bred at as well (I'm hoping she is finally pregnant).
It might be most common in goats, but it isn't unheard of in other mammals.
For that matter if a "dry" human is stimulated enough by an infant nursing the body will begin lactating. It takes quite a bit of work but happens (according to my aunt who is a Lactation Consultant).

Glad to hear she is not pregnant and is not infected.