It is with a heavy heart that I write this post but I feel it necessary to explain my silence. We have had our first bout of illness on the farm and the loss of one of our most prized animals–Wren Hill Farm Kojo. Yes one of the bottle baby goats we got this spring will no longer share the farm with us.
The incredibly wet weather turns out is not only hard on the plants but the animals. And I am now gathering information that this has been a hard year with parasites requiring extra vigilance and expertise in dealing with the almost constant problems facing our animals.
So when he started getting a bulging tummy I called an expert friend of mine. I had just de-wormed him and his coat seemed in good condition (a shaggy coat being a sign of worms) she said maybe tape worm and to do it again, only and intensive 3 day de-worming. But I was having difficulty managing the other animals, weeds, county fair prep and pregnancy issues, so I delayed. Then I noticed him loosing weight and began giving him molasses and the intensive treatment. It didn’t help, he became weaker and weaker and then the diarherra began. I moved him closer to me. I started giving him medicine for the new parasite I now suspected and electrolytes. But it was too late. After several days he passed away peacefully in his sleep.
This is different for me then the death of Tiger in that while Tiger’s death was an accident this death resulted from my inexperience and unfortunately business. Yes I was too busy to research and treat promptly and now he is dead. It’s a hard pill to swallow.
Our friend Connie at Our Little Acres told me, “I know, the learning curve sucks! and unfortunately if you keep livestock this won’t be your last. You can’t beat yourself up about it.”
That is easier said then done. Since his death my days had been filled with cleaning, disinfecting, treating the other goats and making plans for a healthier environment for them–and attempts to move on. It gets a little easier every day and at least now I can write about it.