# Sudden kid death



## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

I went out to the barn as usual this morning. After milking I went around to let the Nubian kids out. Lil'bit was just lying there dead. :tears: She was one of triplets, 2 months old and was about half the size of her siblings when born. She seemed just fine other that being small. There were no signs of trauma and an autopsy is not possible.
It is not a great loss as she was pretty worthless. I had planned to give her to a family that was going to buy her bother.
I am just so bothered that all nine of them were fine when they went to bed last night. Everybody eats the same thing. They were out in the pasture for a short time before bed but I am positive nothing poisonous grows out there.
Two weeks ago I was treating very sick kids and expecting them to die and they all pulled through. Then all of a sudden, WHAM!!!!
I will be watching everyone else closely. If nobody gets sick or dies I guess I will just chalk it up as *one of those things.* :scratch:


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## meluvgoats (Apr 19, 2012)

RIP. poor lil kid


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Sorry for your loss.... :hug:


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## Mandara Farm (Sep 12, 2010)

Poor baby...


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

SO sorry for your loss


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## Iwantgoats (Oct 3, 2008)

Sorry for your loss  I to am dealing with a triplet baby that is not very thrifty..every morning I go out and she is just laying there so I've been giving her lamb and kid paste and supplementing with a bottle as she is the smallest of the three babies. She does good during the day though.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

My daughter fell in love with a little nubian. She (the nubian, not my daughter) never did grow as she should have. She seemed healthy other than being insanely tiny for her age. Then, one day she got ill and died within hours. The breeder said that sometimes there is just an underlying condition that takes them down. Kinda of like nature's way of eliminating a kid that wouldn't make it long any way.

I'm so sorry you lost your kid. :-(


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## aussieheelr (Jul 29, 2011)

Bless her heart. I'm so sorry.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am very sorry for your loss...  :hug: 

There is a possibility... that she was laid on and suffocated....


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I am very sorry.  :hug:


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

First of all so very sorry you lost her. I had one that was kinda like that, was fine that night, in the morning dead. Last year the guy at the feed store was talking about how there were goat ranchers that was walking out in the morning and finding a few dead kids every now and then, no sign of any thing wrong with them, just dead. Nothing was ever found out what happened, it was just a few each rancher, but between them all was a lot of kids. I never found out what happened with my kid, it was just one, but still has me wondering.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Thank you all for the kind words.
I do not think she was suffocated due to where I found her. Out in the middle of the floor and not where they usually sleep. Still, I would rather it be that than some mystery disease that will pick my kids off one by one.

Sad note: I put her body in the dog kennel that the babies use; for my husband to take care of when he gets home. Either I accidentally left the door to that pen open or they opened it. Whatever happened, I went out to check on Star, her mommy, and she and her brother were lying down next to the kennel. I felt so sad but I hope now she realized what happened instead of thinking her baby just disappeared.


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## Goat Hollow (Apr 1, 2012)

Oh that is so sad  

Hopefully that can bring a little closer and some peace.


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## Goat Mom (May 1, 2012)

luvmyherd said:


> Sad note: I put her body in the dog kennel that the babies use; for my husband to take care of when he gets home. Either I accidentally left the door to that pen open or they opened it. Whatever happened, I went out to check on Star, her mommy, and she and her brother were lying down next to the kennel. I felt so sad but I hope now she realized what happened instead of thinking her baby just disappeared.


Aw. That's so sad and sweet at the same time.


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## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

I'm sorry to hear about that, there's nothing worse than thinking you're out of the woods and all of the sudden this happens. I work at a farm and garden store (Agway) and I had a customer come in and tell me that that exact thing happened to two of her goat kids. She never found out what happened, but she said that they were completely normal the day before. Hmmmm very interesting!


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## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

I'm so sorry for your loss.... :hug: 

If it was a Nubian though, could it possibly have been G6S? Just a thought...


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

I did a little reading on G6S but cannot really figure that out. The symptoms seem a bit vague. Tabatha is registered so I have her pedigree. She was bred to an unregistered buck that produced Star and Halo. Star was Lil'bit's mother and her father was a Nubian/Saanen mix. Not much chance of tracing blood lines there.
On my insistence we did a *backyard autopsy*. We butcher our own livestock so we know what healthy insides look like. She seemed just fine. Healthy heart, liver and lungs. Her rumen was full of normal looking roughage. BUT.....her intestines were empty. We searched but could not find any obstruction. We even checked her trachia for possible choking.
Just wondered if anyone knows what might cause this? I try to keep an eye on poops but they do not always go on que for me. I did not notice her looking bloaty but wonder if some mineral oil might have helped her?
Just tossing stuff out there for info and future reference.
Thank you all so much.


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