Molly's Herbals
Cheesemaking    
Goat Health & Husbandry
Contact Us
Search this Site
If you find this site useful, please donate to help support it.
 
goat health & husbandry information
Miscarriage & Aborting

Sometimes, no matter how much care we give to a doe, she may miscarry or abort.

I have heard it said that it is common for goats to miscarry.  This is not true.  There is always a reason that causes the doe to miscarry, or abort, and there is a lot we can do to prevent it; such as providing good holistic health care, proper feed and housing, and good prenatal care.  Though, sometimes abortions do happen and there may have been nothing you could have done to prevent it.   There is not always an obvious explanation for why a doe miscarries.

The following are some things that could cause a goat to miscarry or abort:

  • Injury- Getting rammed/slammed by another goat causes miscarriages much more often than people think.
  • Moldy Hay or Feed
  • Incorrect use of medications or herbs
  • Pregnancy Toxemia
  • Stress
  • Malformed fetus
  • Infections such as:
    • Chlamydia or "Pink eye" is a major cause of miscarriages. See here for more details.
    • Toxoplasma - a coccidia found in cat feces.
    • Salmonella
    • Mycoplasma
    • John's disease
    • Listeria

 

Symptoms of impending miscarriage depends on the cause.

Symptoms that the doe has aborted may be quite obvious, or not so obvious; again, it depends no the reason for the miscarriage. We had had miscarriages where all we ever saw was a bit of blood on the tail. The doe exhibited no other signs or symptoms of anything being wrong, and the doe never seemed to be in distress of any sort.  These abortions, we believe, were caused by the doe getting rammed by a herdmate.

If we have no idea why a doe aborted, we find that it's good practice to give her a course of Immune Support Tincture and keep a very close eye on her for at least a week. We have had only a few abortions here at Fias Co Farm.  One, we believe, was attributed to moldy hay.  The others, we are pretty sure, were caused by the doe getting rammed by another doe.

If the doe miscarries, she may or may not go back into heat that season. With the few miscarriages we have had, the doe did not go back into heat until the regular breeding season the following Fall.

When a doe does abort, be especially kind to her because she can get quite depressed (just like a human would if they lost their child).

You may find it comforting to know that does that abort can go on to have full term pregnancies the following years with no problems at all.

 

If you find this site useful, please donate to help support it.

ZZ
 

Please visit our Fias Co Farm's sister site:

Molly's Herbals
Natural health care for animals

Search this site:
 
 

Fias Co Farm Web Site designed, written and maintained by Molly Nolte

Copyright (c) 1997-2023 Molly Nolte. All rights reserved.
All text written by Molly Nolte unless otherwise noted.

All graphics, photos and text on these pages were created by, and are the sole property of, Molly Nolte.
Individuals are granted the right to download a single copy of this page for archival purposes on electronic media and/or conversion into a single printed copy for personal use.

All other use or reproduction of this material, such as in publications or use on other web sites is strictly prohibited.  It may not otherwise be reprinted or recopied, in whole or in part, in any form or medium, without expressed written permission.

This site may be used as a reference (but not copied and/or plagiarized) if proper credit is provided and a web link is given.

The information on this web site is provided as an examples of how we do things here at Fias Co Farm. It is supplied for general reference and educational purposes only. This information does not represent the management practices or thinking of other goat breeders and/or the veterinary community. We are not veterinarians or doctors, and the information on this site is not intended to replace professional veterinary and/or medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your vet and/or doctor. We present the information and products on this site without guarantees, and we disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this information and/or products. The extra-label use of any medicine in a food producing animal is illegal without a prescription from a veterinarian.

The statements presented on this site regarding the use of herbs, herbal supplements and formulas have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The use of herbs for the prevention or cure of disease has not been approved by the FDA or USDA. We therefore make no claims to this effect. We do not claim to diagnose or cure any disease. The products referred to and/or offered on this web site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information provided here is for educational purposes only. This does not constitute medical or professional advice. The information provided about herbs and the products on this site is not intended to promote any direct or implied health claims. Any person making the decision to act upon this information is responsible for investigating and understanding the effects of their own actions.