Mystery Goat Death

huntingnappanee · #1 05/30/06, 12:53 PM

We have (had) 4 goats. 1 LaMancha wether, 1 LaManch Doeling, 1 Togg Doe, and 1 Togg wether. They are in the pasture with 2 steers, but have their own area they can go into that the cows can't. Anyway, on Sunday we took a trip and did not get home until 10:30pm. When I went out to bring the goats back into the barn for the night, I found our Lamancha wether dead in the pasture (he was about 50lbs and born this February). He was my 10 year old daughters 4-H goat and we were going to keep it as a pet after the fair. The goat was very cold and stiff, the eyes were clouded over - it must have beed dead for quite awhile. It does not get dark until 9:30pm now so it must have died during the day (I would guess in the morning). He was fine when we left no signs of illness - he was up playing on the spool with the other 2 young ones. Now here is the wierd thing: His tag for 4-H that was in his tail web was ripped out and his plastic links collar was gone. He was not by the fence and there was no blood on him nor was he tore up at all. I walked the fence line and pasture 3 times looking for this tag and collar and they are not there. There is an 18 year boy old done the road that has been in trouble with the law (drugs and such) and just last week I called the cops at midnight because cars were going up and down are road very slowly (we live on a small gravel road in Amish country) and last winter our neighbors shed was vandelized and I heard it and went to investigate and comfronted some teenagers in a van . I called the cops then also and gave them the license plate of the van. My wife thinks the neighbor boy killed the goat. I don't want to belive this, but have no other explanation. Any ideas?
I am afraid to leave the goats out now when we are gone and the whole family is very upset.

LittleRedHen · #2 05/30/06, 01:00 PM

Can you walk towards the direction of that boys house? Maybe you will find the collar. Look along the road and such. If you find it, dont grab it with your hands but use gloves or something and maybe the police could finger print it so you could get the boy in trouble

It is possible the boy would do it out of revenge. I dont knwo what else would have just taken the collar and ripped out the tag. I would be scared of a boy like that

Dee · #3 05/30/06, 03:13 PM

A dog could have ripped out the tag and broke the collar "playing" with the goat. The stress could have killed him, especially if it was hot out. This happened to me with two kids, two different times. I was able to save the first one, because I chased the dog off, but not the other, because I wasn't there to stop it. The first one had alot of spit on it, no bite marks. Second one had a few punctures on the skin. When he came back the third time, I was able to follow him to his owners and they paid me for the dead goat and made sure it never came over again (they were building a new home and didn't realize the dog would disappear for short times)

I had a doe that lost her bright red collar and I looked for that thing for a long time.... found it a few years later, out in the pasture.

TexCountryWoman · #4 05/30/06, 03:44 PM

I would say chased by the boy or chased by a dog. We had a boy like that in our area and he did similar things. He was eventually sent to prison for a list of things he did to others as we could never prove the things he did here.

We also have had dogs chase goats til they went into shock and died without the dogs tearing the skin (pre-Pyrenees days) . However, it is very strange that a dog would remove the collar and tag.

Yes, i agree that if you find the collar or tag, pick it up in a way that you can get prints. Really.

I am so sorry this happened to you.

moonspinner · #5 05/30/06, 06:02 PM

That both the tag and the collar were missing, and if it were a dog that it would have just coincidentally gotten into the goats on the day you were gone - leads me to strongly suspect human foul play. I feel so bad for you - a perfectly well goat who was playing happily when you left. I would be outraged because it sure doesn't sound like an animal to me.

boermommy · #6 05/30/06, 06:14 PM

I'm so sorry.
I would seriously consider going to that house if it is close by to innocently ask if the family there had seen anything unusual during the day the goat died. Make sure you do it when the boy is home so you can read his expression. Then you'll know in your heart if nothing else.

Starting to like goats better than people.

huntingnappanee · #7 05/31/06, 12:03 PM

The dog theory is a possiblity, but I doubt it because we have a bunch of chickens and chicks running around and none of them were hurt. The pasture has 2 sides of woven wire fence with 1 stand of electric on the inside of that. The other 2 sides have 4 stands of high tensile elcetric wire. A dog would get shocked if it tried to go in, but it might have happened. I may go to the neighbors and tell them what happened an ask if the heared or saw anything but their son seems very adept at lying. I know I should not let this go, but I have no proof and maybe he did nothing. Of course maybe he is a budding psycho just getting warmed up. What to do????

lacesout · #8 05/31/06, 06:10 PM

This is what I would look into if I were you. A video camera. May sound like overkill, but I would keep my animals penned by my home when I was out and use a surveillance system. Yes, it can be expensive but it may be worth it for peace of mind. I'd make sure it was in a very obscure location and I would post signs. If it is your neighbor kid, he sounds dangerous to me. I have a teen-aged boy and he would NEVER hurt an animal. It is an aberration.

I don't let my animals in pasture when I am not home. I am worried about loose dogs so we call them in and place them in our 'secure pens' when I am going to be out for more than just a trip to the grocery. But them, I admit I am a little neurotic where my goats are concerned...

TexCountryWoman · #9 05/31/06, 06:20 PM

This is what I did with a similar situation. We had an evil boy near us. he was huge, about 6 ft 8 and scarey. he killed a few of my poultry behind my back by strangling them (no doubt in my mind it was him) and then my milkstand disappeared from the goat pen. Only a strong person could have lifted it over the fence. His momma swore her dear child never would have done a thing like that. Well, this demon-seed came over and I innocently asked him if he knew "which boys in the area stole my milkstand?". He said no, he didn't no who it was. I then told him that when i found out, I was going to take a 12G shot gun to their pick-up trucks and settle it once and for all! Boys around here LOVE THEIR TRUCKS! The very next day, my milkstand was back where it belonged. "Whoever" stole it had to hike through the woods to get it back where it belonged without being noticed.

Dee · #10 05/31/06, 10:39 PM

I also have woven wire with a strand of electric on the bottom. If the dog had tried to dig under, it would have been shocked by the electric fence. But it was a husky/shepard mixed and it just jumped the fence, electric and all. Again, if I hadn't been home and seen (and chased) the dog, I wouldn't have known or been able to save the first kid.

Did there look like there were spit marks on it? Mine had alot of spit on it.

I also had chickens but it went after the goats.

Jillis · #11 06/01/06, 01:56 AM

Oh my word! How high was the fence the dog jumped over, Dee?

Dee · #12 06/01/06, 10:21 PM

Four feet, woven ranch fencing. Bottom smaller, then getting bigger. I have my fencing connected to trees and running up hills and rocks so it could have been a bit lower in a couple of spots. But I did chase it and it didn't stop at the fence so....