EDITORIAL
by GINGER MERRITT
Just Kidding: DOE HEALTH AND ABORTION CAUSES aising goats is an exciting, fun and profitable practice that many enjoy around the country and world. Unfortunately, it does come with its own set of difficulties. Although not extremely common, does can abort the fetus at some point during the pregnancy, which can be both disheartening and bad for a farm’s bottom line.
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are not as common. Beyond diseases, many other factors can cause a doe to miscarry or abort.
“Sometimes, no matter how much care we give to a doe, she may miscarry or abort,” said Shellie Laflin, DVM and associate professor at Kansas State Veterinary College.
In addition to stress, moldy hay/feed, incorrect use of medications, malformed fetuses or even injury can cause a doe to abort. In order to prevent abortion in does, vets and seasoned producers recommend using best practices to keep the herd safe. Dr. Laflin said that a good biosecurity plan is essential.
Does can abort for many reasons, and vets have varying opinions on what is the most common. Dr. Lionel Dawson, B.V.SC, MS, DACT, said that he sees late-term abortions during the last month of pregnancy the most, and that the majority of them are infectious. Dawson is a professor at Oklahoma State University and is the veterinarian for Langston University’s 1600-head goat herd.
“Stress plays a big part,” Laflin said. “Even the stress from a snowstorm can cause a doe to abort as they depend entirely on their corpus luteum to maintain the pregnancy, and any stress can cause the corpus luteum to lyse or disappear.”
“Sometimes, no matter how much care we give to a doe, she may miscarry or abort.”
A large number of diseases can cause abortion, but Laflin, who specializes in small ruminants, said that Chlamydia and Campylobacter are the most prevalent.
Jack Mauldin, who runs a goat breeding operation in Ector, Texas, prevents an outbreak of disease on his farm by not allowing outside breeding. He and his wife, Anita, own all of their does and bucks and do not allow others to bring in their breeding animals. Mauldin said that once the disease is introduced into a herd, it can be devastating.
Dr. Shellie Laflin
“Those are the only two that we can vaccinate against, and they are ones that I see the most.” she said. Chlamydial abortion is one of the most common causes of infectious abortion in goats. Pigeons and sparrows may be the carrier of the organism that causes Chlamydia, and ticks or insects may play a role in the transmission. Non-pregnant does may become infected, but the organism can stay dormant creating little or no immune response. Other diseases that can cause abortion include Toxoplasmosis, Listeriosis, Q Fever and Salmonella, but they 16 | THE BOER GOAT
“When you purchase or receive new animals, keep them quarantined for 30 days,” she said. “If they are harboring any bacteria, you will know within that time period and will be able to take the proper action without endangering your herd.”
“If you start having disease go through your herd, you can lose a lot of your breeding stock very quickly,” he said. “We have always have ran our farm that way in order to prevent disease, and it has worked well so far.” Dawson, who is originally from Burma, also suggested a strict biosecurity program. “Producers should keep pregnant does separate from the herd, follow a good vaccination program and aim to decrease stress in the pregnant herd.”