My goat died.....

18 years ago

This morning was one of my bad mornings...I couldn't get up and walk because of the fibromyalgia so my hubby took care of our animals before he left for school. He left my goat in her pen. When he got home from school he went to check on the animals for me and my goat had died. Broke my heart...She had gotten where she followed me around like a puppy. She seemed to be doing great. Growing and looking healthy.

Yesterday, we cleaned out a veggie bed that had green beans in it. I took the bean vines and washed them good to get the dirt off them. Then I fed them to "Baby". They had never had any kind of poison put on them but that is the only thing different that she has eaten.

I don't know if I want to get another goat or not. It hurts so bad to see one of my animals die. I enjoyed having her follow me around and be my buddy that I kind of think it would be nice to have another pet like her but then if something happened to it I would be heartbroken again.

No question but anyone has a comment about what could have happened to her, I would appreciate it. (Be Kind, please) Thanks.

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Comments (11)

johanna_h
18 years ago
I don't know much about goats, but I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.

--Johanna
calliope
18 years ago
I am sorry as well. My daughter used to keep goats and they do become pets and always provided us with funny anectdotes.

I don't think it was the beans. I know soybeans were once a common fodder for goats. I don't have any ideas what happened. I'm just sorry for your loss.
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I was thinking a better comparison would be to give you lots of drinks, then refuse to allow use of the bathroom. How full do YOU feel? Does the feeling improve with time, like 24 hours? Not milking a goat who is used to being milked twice a day is cruel, and will damage the udder over time. Maybe a very short time. I don't think Bag Balm will fix mastitis. We always had to use real medicine, injected into the bad teat, on dairy cattle. That teat had to then be hand milked for the healing time, milk disposed up with medication in it. You can breed the goats to kid and plan your time to milk them. Plan your vacations, allow enough time to dry up the milkers, go on vacation, then have the new kids appear after you return. Do add extra time on expected delivery time, in case they kid early. Milk from goats does taste differently than cow's milk. Cow milk tastes different than mare's milk which is sweet but watery. Each animal produces milk to grow THEIR baby best, calves need lots of fat, so cow's milk is fat. That people can drink it too was not a consideration to Mother Nature. Good dairy goats need high quality feed, to produce quantity and quality in milk. Just like dairy cattle need rich feed for good milk. Trash feed, grazing, makes for poor milk in taste and quantity. Still goat milk flavor can be an acquired taste, like soy milk. You will need a plan, before getting into goats. The books recommended will give you good information. They do NEED to be followed to make good homes for the goats, with reasonable care and attention. Safe fencing, clean milking conditions and proper handling, along with vaccinations, hoof trimming, proper feed, are extremely important over the management of goats. What are the plans for resulting kid goats? Market, meat, pets, needs to be considered before breeding. You get no milk without having kids, yet keeping all will get the farm overrun with goats. You need to castrate any male kids born. You need to locate a Billy for breeding. They stink and can be difficult to handle, would not own one myself. I think it unreasonable to plan on owning any milking goat, then be gone over a couple days and ignore it. Plan breeding to kid and milk when you won't be gone. If you travel in summer, then leave the goats dry at that time, easy for neighbors to just feed. Breed for fall kids, so you will be home to milk DAILY over winter season. If you want a milking goat, YOU need to be available to care for it, not dumping on wife. I remember NOW! You are the one who posted about letting your goats free-range instead of fencing them in!! Also don't keep your dog at home because he likes to wander around. Sure glad NOT to live anywhere around you. You want to have stuff, pretend you are "rural or farmer", yet only do a half-a$$ job caring for them. On days it is CONVENIENT for you! Dang, I need to quit reading ANY of your posts, makes me too mad.
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ladybug1
18 years ago
I don't know anything about goats so I can't help you with that, but I sure am sorry about you losing your pet. That is a heart-breaker. I know your husband feels badly too.
Ninapearl
18 years ago
oh i'm sad for you. i lost a goat a few years ago but it was due to illness. he was the same way, like a big ole dog. so sorry for your loss.

without a necropsy, there's really no way to tell. i would think you would have noticed any signs of injury or predation by dogs or coyotes. barring something like that, it's just very hard to say. did she look like she had struggled? it could easily have been a quick, natural death and hopefully it was.

it's so tough to lose a pet, even something many would consider a farm animal. i have been watching stories of the pets left to fend for themselves after the hurricane. it's just plain heartbreaking.

again, sorry for your loss. nina
annschickenfarm
18 years ago
I'm also sorry you lost your pet.I wonder if you had any lightning that day? It's believed that the owner of the other pair of twin kids I have ( There were for of them ) had lost their kids to lightning.The kids had been snuggled up together up against the metal barn wall where it seems lightning must have hit and killed them.
I have 6 goats myself and understand that they are so unlike any other pet.Although they are almost like having dogs each with their own personalities.Again i'm sorry for your loss.
Ann.
kyme
18 years ago
How old was she? My pygmy goats have only lived to be 12-13 years old. Some have looked fine and then just passed on naturally without warning. I hate to lose them but I don't plan on getting any more since I am getting older and want to retire and travel in a few years.
Martha
Kristy_SC
18 years ago
Oh, I am so sorry to hear it. Our goats were like dogs too, they even had to go on walks with us and the dogs :) They have wonderful personalities. I don't think it was the vines, it is a common fodder. She may have something wrong with her that just didn't show. It can be very frustrating not knowing what happened. Do remember that she had a good life with y'all and enjoyed being your 'baby'.
marquis_ella
18 years ago
Goats can bloat. If it wasn't used to eating the bean plants and it ate a lot, it could have caused bloat, especially if the goat had always been fed hay & dry feed.

Its always a good idea to introduce new foods gradually to any ruminant so their stomachs have time to get accustomed to the different things.
southerngardengal
Original Author
18 years ago
She was only 7 months old....so she wasn't getting on up in age and she had been eating leaves on trees....and also had been given pea vines. She hadn't been struggling. DH said she was laying down like she always does. He thought she was just asleep. He came in to tell me and I could tell that something was wrong from the look on his face. He told me later that he hated so bad to have to tell me that she had died. I don't know what happened to her....Just hate it...

Thank you all for your comments.

Jan
Maggie_J
18 years ago
Jan, so sorry to hear of your pet goat's death. It is always hard to lose an animal you love and when you don't know what happened, it feels worse. Sometimes these things just happen and we have no idea why. Perhaps she had a congenital condition of some kind. I doubt if it was the bean vines, but you may want to do further research about them before trying again. Take comfort in the good life you gave her and the bond between you -- and when it feels right, get another goat. There is no reason to think such misfortune would happen again.
Organic_johnny
18 years ago
Probably not the beans, but what kind of trees was she grazing? Wilted cherry and apple leaves build up cyanide once they're off the tree...that's my biggest worry around here.

Sorry to hear you lost your sweetie.

My goat died.....

Comments (11)

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My goat died.....

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