What's wrong

[piglady]

We have a herd of about 50 something boer goats and have raised them for years now. This year we have a problem that we have never seen and it has us stumped. We had a few otherwise healthy goats begin to spit up green stuff (the forage they had been eating but all chewed up etc.) for a day or so and then goes down in pain and dies. We called the vet and he thought it was moldy hay. Only one has died so far but two came down with this. We have baking soda out free choice and we took they hay away so they are completely on forage at this point (grass and sprouting trees bushes etc. ). We have done nothing different this year so I don't understand. Today we noticed another one throwing up. She would eat as if nothing was wrong but then every 10 minutes or so she would throw up what she had just eaten. We never saw her poop so we think it's not going all the way through. We got the mineral oil out and filled her up. We did that before on the one that was doing this and she got better. I don't understand why one in the herd is doing it and not all of them. I don't understand why they are doing it this year but never before. they have not had hay for a week now so that's not it. We do have horrible ticks so was wondering if it could be tick fever. We have had an awful lot of rain so maybe the grass and bushes are just too wet or growing too fast. Gee, I don't know what to think. Has anyone ever seen this and what did you do about it. Thanks!

[BrahmaMama]

That's a horroble situation! I feel for you and wish I knew.

Is there any way you can do a "process of elimination" technique? Like maybe confine them out of the forage and just give them a very controled diet of good clean hay and pellets. If it continues maybe then you can seriously consider the ticks being the problem.

Other than that, I just don't know . Best of luck to you!

[deetu]

I know you said you haven't done anything different, but we are all going through weird weather lately. Is it possible that something different is growing in you fields? Or in your supplier's hay fields?

I, personally would give charcoal to any I notice vomiting until you can figure it out.

Hope you do soon and have no futher losses. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[moonspinner]

Is your hay moldy? This is easy to spot. If not, then if it were me I'd take them off pasture for awhile. Wet grass and browse could be the culprit and I have no idea what plant species you might have that could even be toxic. If you have clean hay I think you eliminate the problem. Not sure about the tick issue, as that's one thing I haven't had to deal with but can't see cause and effect on that.

[piglady]

the hay did have a very small bit of mold in it but they have been off hay now for a week. I'm tending to lean toward the wet weather causing very fast growth, maybe of something toxic but they were in this area last year without any problems. I still don't see how it's hitting a very very few. What makes this goat get it when the others don't? I take it this does not sound like typical bloat to anyone (we've never had bloat that I know of).

[Patty0315]

Are they current on there cd/t and wormings ? Getting hay from a new source ?

[fishhead]

I've read that the first pulse of growth caused by rainy weather following a dry spell can upset their rumens and lead to bloat.

Is there a way you can at least partially fill them with hay before you let them browse?

[piglady]

Don't know what it was but the mineral oil worked. She's back to acting normal and no more throwing up. I suspect it was the lush growth so I'll keep an eye on the herd. Thanks for your help.

[pookshollow]

Certain plants can be toxic when they have a sudden growth spurt, such as in the spring, or the first rainfall after a drought.

Lamb's quarters is one of them, and I think red-root pigweed (amaranth) is another.