Missing goat

Kit_ranch

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I have a large mature Nubian doe in milk missing. She’s black with frosted ears. I don’t see how she could be gone without help, hopefully someone saw her out and thought they were doing a good thing picking her up. If anyone comes across a Nubian around Calhoun City MS, let me know.

There’s nothing dead around here, no vultures etc. I’ve walked everywhere in my pasture and around that I can. They stayed in the yard even before fencing, and now she’d have had to have left her herd, jumped the fence, and run off. Also run away from my bucks, which is where all the girls are running to now. No other goats that I know of for miles. By far the friendliest, only animal I had that would let a stranger come close enough to catch. Gone 9/5/19 since sometime between midnight and 1600.
 

frustratedearthmother

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I am so sorry that your goat has gone missing. Sure sounds like she might have had some human help.
 

Mini Horses

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Sorry to hear this. I agree with FEM, she didn't wander off alone. AND a goat in milk will be there for milking (& eating)!! So had she wandered, would be back to milk. PLUS goats don't wander in middle of the night. Heck, mine are all bedded down in the barn then.

I'd notify police -- here they are also in charge of animal control. Put up posters, ask neighbors.

Please update us. Hope she is found. :hugs
 

Ridgetop

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I agree with Mini Horses on all counts. You need to notify the police. Also notify the local auction yards? Was she tattooed so you could ID her? Also post pix of her. Hope you have some luck finding her safely.

Are you on a pubic road where someone could have seen her and picked her up? Do you have guardian dogs in the field with the goats?

A number of years ago in our neighborhood in areas where the houses backed up to public but little traveled streets we had a lot of pet goats and sheep go missing. They went missing during the day when people were at work, and at night when people were sleeping. We figured that people were identifying them and coming back when they knew no one would be around. No trace of them was ever found, and over a period of 2 years about 20 or so disappeared. Usually though, the ones that disappeared were not animals in milk, but nice fat wethers, younger 30-40 lb. kids and lambs, or large dry animals. Once a neighbor was on their way home and saw a couple young men leading an animal to their car where they stuffed it in the car and drove off. Since the neighbor had a lot of animals, at first she assumed they had sold one. The description of the car was circulated but no one was arrested and people started keeping their small livestock away from the street pastures. It is harder to grab a horse and stuff it in the back eat!

Our neighbors all decided that it was an enterprising pair of rustlers grabbing one at a time and selling the sheep and goats for BBQs. Stay at home residents starting watching and accosting strangers, and it stopped. Stealing an adult dairy doe in milk though is different unless they just planned to sell her.
 

Kit_ranch

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I’m hoping her being a her, in milk, and pretty will keep her from being eaten but there’s no telling. Mostly I’m hoping she either got out and someone thought they were rescuing her or that she got chased away by a dog and hasn’t made it home yet. There’s at least plenty of food and water and places to hide if she’s on her own.
She is registered and tattooed so maybe that will help. Talked to the sheriff, that went poorly but we’ll see. Gonna call the ADGA tomorrow and see if they have any advice. Also going to the FSA office tomorrow. Really heartbreaking to lose one unintentionally
 

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Ridgetop

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She is a very pretty doe. Where do you live? Do many people have dairy goats in your area? Do you live in an ag area? I am surprised the sheriff wasn't more interested in a livestock theft. I would post large pictures of her everywhere with your information. Without disclosing the tattoo #, post that she is registered and offer a reward. Make it large enough to be attractive and no questions asked. Hopefully, if she was stolen or lost this will be enough to encourage someone to look for her and return her. Too bad the kids are back in school, often they find lost animals since they are running everywhere in the summer.

If there is plenty of food and water available, goats tend to go feral rapidly. Once her full bag stops hurting (which should already have happened since she disappeared 4 days ago) she will just continue to graze and drink in the wild unless predators get her. If she is already bred (and survives) once she kids she will nurse her kids so no problem with bagging up since they will take care of that. If your bucks are near the fence line, she should turn up near there when she cycles if not already bred.

I would recommend that you check security in that pasture, sometimes fence panels are loose but not easily identified without pushing or pulling on them. Finally, if you don't already have guardian dogs, get at least one. They will deter wild predators, loose neighborhood dogs (the worst threat to any flock), and human predators looking for quick $$$ or family BBQ meat.

Hoping for the best.
 

Mini Horses

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Lovely doe!! I know it hurts to lose her. You are doing what you can under the circumstances and just continuing is about all you can do. I'd alert, send pics to all animal shelters in case someone turns one in or calls the pound to come get, etc.

I sure hope she is found and safe.
 

Kit_ranch

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So very bad news and slight consolation is about what I have to report. Not stolen, so nobody broke into my property.
Found her dead today. Near as I can tell she got bitten by a snake, found a cool hiding spot, layed down and died. Not much to do but grieve. She was peaceful when she went, saved me from the responsibility of putting her down if she couldn’t be saved, very thankful for that at least. Not sure that I wouldn’t rather her have been taken for the chance to get her back safe.
Thanks for the support
 

Baymule

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Oh I am so sorry. At least you know what happened to her and aren’t wondering. There is no way to prepare for that. Now you go from the heartbreak of missing to dead. Either way, she’s gone. :hit I am really sorry.
 

Mini Horses

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So sorry. At least you know. That helps. Such a shame but, we all know "things happen" It's better than the unknown. :hugs
 
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