Charlotte was barely two months old when she joined our enterprise. Goat Charlotte was named after Queen Charlotte, consort of king George III of the Great Britain and Ireland. The smallest of three kids born by her mother. Deemed undesirable, she was walking the pathway of African method of animal euthanasia, with her carcass thrown away... JAMB 2022 Expo Whatsapp Group link 

She was suffering from bovine dermatophilosis, intestinal worm infestation and acute malnutrition, which we guessed might be due to lack of stamina to compete for milk. Her access to colostrum at birth also became a point of debate.

I decided to buy her despising all forms of discouragement and warning.

The course of treatment began and in less than a few weeks, Charlotte had changed physically, more and shining fur coat. In terms of size, she doubled her siblings.

Her feeding regiments were carefully planned and her feed, well formulated.

Charlotte was so cool with human beings and everyone would say could a goat behave like a sheep? She became emotionally attached to me, would like to follow me almost everywhere, which she sometimes did. Anytime I was back from school and she heard my voice, she would jump up and run ,just the way goat kids jump. She wouldn't sleep in her pen until coerced, and would behave just like a pet dog would do.

Because of emotion, I would treat her differently from the rest. After sometime, her feeding style changed. She would prefer human food to goat formulated feed, and from that to cut forages. Due to pity, I would serve her, her preference when I was around,and instruct that her preference be given when I was away.

Knowing the dangers of suddenly changing bovines' diets (goats, sheep, cattle etc) to energy (carbohydrates ,protein and fats and oil) rich feedstuffs (concentrates and lusture forages), which Charlotte was consuming from her feed and human food, I knew I needed to be careful against bloating (forages prevented constipation, and silicotine was added to her feed) and vaccinate her against ENTEROTOXEAMIA.

I never did the vaccination probably due to my tight academic and business schedules.

I was off to school for some time, a day to my leaving, she was not behaving good and had a bad appetite but because of what I was going through, I posed little attention to it. The last time I was around, I saw a sharp, neat infected cut on her back, which must have been due to a sharp object inflicted injury, I probed and couldn't be given a clear explanation. I proceeded the treatment and the wound was already healing before I left for school. I gave instructions out not to allow any of my farm animals out of their pens.

I just received a call now that Charlotte passed away, lying down after returning to her pen after I gave instructions on their movements.

My guesses:

(1) Human inflicted poison

(2) Feeding on poisonous forage (Clover leaf et

al)

(3) ENTEROTOXEAMIA

What is Enterotoxemia?

It is blood poisoning as a result of toxins produced by harmful clostridium species (Clostridium puregens, I can't remember the spellings well), usually present in the gut of bovines in low amount but could multiply to reach a disease causing level if livestock is fed with energy rich diet.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms may be absent but there could be,

1. Loss of appetite

2. Kicking the stomach due to pains (may not always be present)

3. Bloody stained fecal droppings or diarrhoea (may not always be present too)

4. Sudden unexplainable death

5. Psychosis (only if toxins are present in the brain). This way, the animal dies with the forelimb and hindlimb stretched forward and head bent backwards)

What are treatments are available?

Antibiotics therapy, but not always successful and chance of survival slime as antibiotics can eradicate the toxins source and not the toxins themselves.

Are there vaccinations?

Yes, it is the best course of decision. This is usually given against the types C and D and tetani (which causes tetanus) species of the clostridium. Best given towards the last days of goat gestational period so that antibodies developed might be passed on, to kids through colostrum (first dirty milk at birth), booster dose also given once a year.

I would have loved to probe her death within the ' framework of autopsy ' and ascertain the cause of death and if it had been human intentional poisoning, I would investigate the person and made necessary arrest irrespective of the state's grazing law.

I know baba at the top and his entourage would have supported me, unfortunately the country is not smiling and my boys don roast the meat chop

Well, I learnt my lessons from all standing points (emotion in the way of process, procrastination in the way of progress) and I hope as a goat farmer or not reading this, you'll also get something.Goat Farmers: The Hard Lesson I Learnt Today