Goats, Goiter and Gender Issues

[AndreaNZ]

Hi, all -- Several years ago, I read, somewhere (it's probably bookmarked somewhere in our old computer, now that I need to cite it!), that iodine deficiency in pregnant goats (or just prior to becoming pregnant) can cause not only the usual kidding difficulties associated with it (enlarged thyroid in kids, weak kids, failure-to-thrive kids), but that it can also play a part in gender of kids, and can result in far more male kids born. Has anyone else heard this? For some reason, I think I read a paper that had been published on either the OK State site or the Cornell Univ site, but can find neither again now that I want to.

Thanks for your help.
Andrea
NZ

[GoslingFever]

Whoa! I've never heard of this. I'll try Yahoo and see what I can find.

[AndreaNZ]

Thank you, GF - perhaps you can find something that I haven't been able to, by not coming up with the correct words or phrasing to get any hits.

Cheers
Andrea
NZ

[Sher]

Hi, I have a doe that gave birth last year to twins. They were weak, had the goiter, etc. They were both bucks.

On this place..I feel we have a deficiency in iron and in selenium. I can't stress minerals enough if you have this happen.

For whatever reason...this one particular doe seems very prone to being deficient in her minerals. So we try to keep her eating her supps.

Don't know if this helps..but thought I would throw it out there. Oh, with an iron shot .. quickly.. The kids can and do survive well and do go ahead and thrive.

[chris30523]

We had 20 kids born this year.Only two had goiter.They were both single kids one buck and one doe.When I read up on it selenium had more to do with weak kids,and the goiter seemed to show up in single kids getting lots of milk. they had not been able to prove it was and iodine deficency.(I looked up milk goiter.)Also acidity or lack of it was supposed to effect the gender of the kids.I did alot of reading and didn't find much on iodine deficency.

[Jillis]

It can be iodine deficiency. Pat Colby's book, "Natural Goat Care" states that when a doe is iodine deficient, even when she has no symptoms, she will often throw mostly bucks, and the does that are born can be hairless, weak, not thrive, die very young and of course, develop an enlarged goiter...she says this can be prevented by having kelp powder available free choice.

All my goats, and especially the pg ones, devour the kelp powder.

I don't know if the above statement about iodine is true, but the one doe I had give birth so far had beautiful, healthy triplet doelings with thick hair. They are thriving far better than any of my bottle babies did, too.

We live in a selenium deficient area. I give BoSe a few days before my goats give birth.

[AndreaNZ]

Thanks, everyone! Apparently, the info has been under my nose all this time, as I have Coleby's book, and went through it first, but must have looked at it and not seen it! NZ Is mostly terribly selenium deficient, and we're always having to compensate for it. My Togg does are most prone to Se and Co deficiencies, and I've got my first 2 who are halfway through their gestation who have that classic colbalt deficient coat developing. We have Boers, Saanens, Arapawas, Tuarts, Toggs and a Nubian, and the Toggs are the only ones who have probs with cobalt and copper deficiency. All 5 had pregnancy toxemia last year as well, and that's what I'm wanting to avoid again this.

Anyway, thanks again for the input.

Cheers
Andrea
NZ