Miscarriage/Abortion

thaiblue12 · #1 02/25/11, 12:15 PM

My 2 year old FF mini Nubian was due on April 6th, this morning at feeding time I found 2 doelings and a buckling, all preemies and dead

I have never had any go early. She appears healthy, has/had no issues, gets alfalfa pellets, COBB, grass hay and minerals. She is a good weight, no fish tail, no signs of anything amiss yesterday.
So I am not sure what caused this. My Jan surprise kids were all full term, but now I am worrying about what caused this one to go 5 weeks early. I had her mom who also threw triplets and never had any issues either. I am still in contact with her new owner and she is fine as well. This doe as a baby had frost bitten ears but never any other health issues.

I have all the fetuses should I send them in for testing/necropsy?
Or am I freaking out over something that sometimes happens?
What can cause this if it is not chlamidia (sp?) or the other things I just read about?

thaiblue12 · #2 02/25/11, 12:32 PM

I spoke to the vet tech who told me not to freak out, lol. She said if it happens again to freak. But since it is the first time in 4 years not to get so worried. Easy for her to say, lol. I am still worried.

The vet is out on calls but she is going to ask him about whether or not he wants to examine the babies. So I will keep them cool until he calls me back.

The doe seems fine, ate well, and now is stuffing her face in hay. I do not know if she passed placenta or not since my LGD might have cleaned it up, sigh.

CaliannG · #3 02/25/11, 12:41 PM

You can stop worrying, Thai. Miscarriages sometimes happen...even among humans that go instantly to the doctor at the least discomfort. It just one of those things.

Oat Bucket Farm · #4 02/25/11, 12:48 PM

I'm sorry she lost them (((hugs)))

yarrow · #5 02/25/11, 12:56 PM

First, let me say how sorry I am that you lost the babies... but seriously.. sometimes it just happens... My herd queen got into it with a 2nd freshener last week.. I saw a pretty good belly butt.. next morning.. bloody wet tail and a no longer pregnant 2nd freshener...

susie, mo ozarks

LaManchaPaul · #6 02/25/11, 01:46 PM

Ohh I'm so sorry. If you haven't wormed her, do a fecal and see if she was worm heavy. My farm management is to worm the day of freshen, you might just go ahead and dose her.
Paul

Otter · #7 02/25/11, 03:00 PM

Oh, I'm so sorry!
Is this the girl you showed me pics of? I know you were really looking forward to her babies. <<<hugs>>>

thaiblue12 · #8 02/25/11, 06:22 PM

Worms are not an issue here Paul, too arid for them. None of the fecals I have ever sent in ever show anything.

Otter idk, she is a black and white mini Nubian with weird ears due to frost bite.

I had plans to sell her after she kidded but now I have to keep her and breed her for next Spring, if she has kidding issues again she will go as a weed eating pet.

I should not have looked at the cool colored one again, turns out it was a doeling as well, triplet doelings all gone

:

I spoke to the vet who said let's do a necropsy, min charge $225!

I called CSU they charge $75 plus any cultures. So ( keeping my fingers crossed) that this was a one time incident so I am not going to do it.

I am not as worried as I was but I am still upset that she lost any kids at all but worse that they were all doelings

Minelson · #9 02/25/11, 07:05 PM

I'm so sorry

RedSonja · #10 02/25/11, 08:58 PM

So sorry.

-Sonja

Backfourty,MI. · #11 02/25/11, 10:50 PM

So Sorry Thai for the loss of the babies! Try not to worry, we had that happen here once in 6 years & mine was also a FF. I'm not sure if someone butted her hard in the side or with triplets & being a FF was just to much weight for her at the time, etc. She sounds like your girl though, fine health wise before & after the miscarrage.

Wags · #12 02/25/11, 11:28 PM

So sorry for your loss

wintrrwolf · #13 02/26/11, 03:04 AM

Oh thai am so sorry for this loss!
I am curious though its kind of an experiment I am thinking on but does / did the grass hay have any fescue hiding in it?

thaiblue12 · #14 02/26/11, 11:35 AM

Wintrrwolf I have no clue, I would not know fescue if it grew outside my door lol. When I buy hay I make sure it is not moldy, dirty or brown, I ask for grass hay. I know what it looks like but not what kind it is. Even if they told me I would be like ok

This year I have been buying it from my neighbor who boards horses. Costs me about $10 more per bale but I call, he puts in on his tractor and drives it over, quick and easy.

I did a search on Can Goats Eat Fescue Grass:

From Fiasco.....

*I have read that fescue can be poisonous to goats (due to endophytic fungus in the grass, which produces several types of alkaloids that are toxic to animals) but we have never seen any problems in our goats when fed fescue in moderation. Our goats graze "fresh" fescue and also eat fescue hay. If you do not want to use fescue, substitute rye grass.

But Tenn Meat Goats says......

The problem: Tall Fescue is toxic to goats, particularly pregnant goats, as well as sheep, cattle, and horses.

Tall Fescue, whether it is growing in the pasture or baled into hay, contains an alkaloid toxin that is trapped between the cells in the seeds of the plant. This endophytic (inside the plant) fungus is not detectable visually. Fungicides are not effective against it, and if Tall Fescue is baled into hay, the toxin remains active and dangerous. Endophyte-infected Tall Fescue hay will remain toxic for two years or more. If fertilized, the plant can accumulate nitrates, making nitrate poisoning an additional danger.

A few HT threads popped up as well about it but I did not read too much more. So I do not know what to think about fescue, tall or otherwise. I will ask my neighbor if he thinks there is any in the hay.

Cheribelle · #15 02/27/11, 04:40 AM

If they are feeding horses, I seriously doubt if there is fescue in their hay. It is known to cause problems in pregnant mares. Never hurts to ask tho. I would (based on exp. around here) suspect a head-butting from a pushier herd-mate. I sold my bully today.

wintrrwolf · #16 02/27/11, 09:19 AM

I asked because while in the process of moving my neighbors were watching my goats and horse until I could get them moved to new place. Pawnee was getting very close to her due date, well apparently I ran out of hay up there so my neighbor had a person he knew bring in a round of grass hay, Pawnee kidded the next day...I found that the round had fescue in it. BUT on the other hand Sugar is also pregnant but not due until march / april and she is still ok.
Like I said its just something I have been mulling around in my brain, I think we all have a tendency to do that when we have a loss, we just want to know why.

thaiblue12 · #17 02/27/11, 11:14 AM

I have been checking the others daily and wondering. Making myself kind of nutty, well nuttier as only goats can do to you

They are 3x3x8 bales, but they are not fed to any pregnant mares since it is horse boarding no breeding allowed over there. Funny about 75% of them are pasture pets, never ridden by the boarders. Expensive pets!

I missed it how many kids did Pawnee have? If mine have triplets or quads they tend to go a bit earlier, I figure due to lack of room, but no more then a week early.
I never mind questions that make me think, I will ask him about the fescue when he brings me over another bale tomorrow. They are going through 750 lbs a week now! I think it is in protest to be confined to 4 tiny acres since it is not that cold out right now!