Goat Miscarriage - Causes?

[greenfamilyfarms]

I had a 2-year-old doe miscarry a set of twin bucks today. She was breed mid-August and due around mid-Jan. I had been checking her progress and she was doing great. I could feel some movement when I palpated her abdomen just a few days ago. She's been eating well and in great condition. Her body scores and FAMACHA scores have been normal.

Today I came home and noticed that she had red mucus around her backside. I ran (literally) out into the pasture and found the two aborted fetuses - twin boys. I checked her well, and she is still expelling the placenta, but she is staying with the rest of the herd and is acting like her typical self. Even eating with the others. What could cause a spontaneous miscarriage?

ETA: A note on the babies - They were perfectly formed with no obvious physcial defects. Due to their gestational age, they did not have hair yet.

 

[Laney]

Selenium deficiency? Genetic problems with the twins. Has she successfully mated to this buck before? Any number of things could cause it. If her worm load is fine, and she's eating fine with no discharge, coughing etc...I'd suspect the selenium.

Do you offer them free choice minerals? Have you given her a BoSe recently? Is your area selenium deficient?

Laney

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Our area is pretty good in the selenium department, but I do give them a goat mineral block once a month to give them a boost. She has been bred before, but not to the same buck. Do you think it has to do with him?

 

[cmjust0]

Genetic issues, immune system issues, treatment with valbazen or dexamethasone, eating moldy hay, illnesses like campylobacter, chlamydia, toxoplasmosis, salmonellosis, aspergillosis, trichmoniasis, q-fever, brucellosis, leptospirosis, listeriosis, IBR/IPV, problems like mineral deficiencies, selenium poisoning.... There are lists upon lists upon lists of things that cause goats to abort.

Your best bet would be to take those fetuses to a vet and have them sent off for diagnostics. May be something against which you need to vaccinate the rest of the herd.

Sorry for the losses..

 

[citrusdreams]

I've had a few does rammed by their field-mates and lost their pregnancies. In addition to all the above reasons, getting rammed is a possibility too. I'd watch the herd dynamics and we all know they butt and ram each other, but if someone is being too rough, I'd move that one to another area while the others are pregnant.

 

[Laney]

On the Selenium, are you offering Block minerals or loose minerals? I ask because Goats don't really get what they need out of block minerals. They will lick it and chew on it, but they can't get enough out of it. Blocks were made for animals with really rough tongues and hard teeth. Goats just can't handle that. So they will get some minerals, they won't get enough.

I know I was putting out a block based on my inlaws past experience because the "goats always use it". But my black pygmies were turning brown from copper deficiency. Once I put loose minerals out they were scoffing them up as if they were regular feed for the first few weeks. Now they go and eat a bunch as needed or leave it alone.

If your area ok on Selenium then this probably isn't the problem and it could be any of the other problems mentioned. Unless you noticed she was being treated roughly by her herdmates I would consider necropsy to find the cause. It may lead to a diagnosis of a silent disease in your herd. You don't want to lose an entire seasons kids. If it's genetic, you'll know not to breed that doe to that buck again.

She has kidded successfully before? If you don't have a vet that will do a necropsy, or send it off, you can contact the extension office for the phone number of the state vet.

Laney

 

[BAYAREABIRDER]

Hey, I am soooo sorry for the loss. I have a pygmy girl that will be bred next nov,,, now, I feed my girls sweet cob, a scoop a day, they have browse and alfalfa, along with other greens, BUT I do not feed them minerals, our feed and tack does not have any! He only has salt and mineral blocks. I HAVE seen them eating soil, is there minerals in there???? Where can I get some??

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:
Thanks, Laney. She has kidded before with twins and raised them just fine. I'm thinking that it could be a case of aggression. She is the dominant doe, but today I noticed she was by herself and the others would not let her near. She may have gotten into a fight and lost the babies. I'm going to separate her and her doe kid today and allow her to recoperate. She is showing no signs of any illness or disease... just acts a little depressed.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

I found this article and it fits her behavior:

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/miscarriage.htm

 

[cassie]

Does the placenta and the discharges look normal? If they are a yucky color a little like strawberry yogurt, she may have chlamydia.