So our goat Lil died today.  Tom found her acting oddly and seeming stiff.  I went to try to medicate her like I did on Super Bowl Sunday, but she rapidly went into a prolonged seizure and died.  She was fine yesterday, ate and walked well.  Today she had good condition and color.  I did not have a chance to check her temperature.

Now I am starting to worry that something is going on other than having aged animals.  But Lil and Coco did not share the same quarters, the same minerals, the same water source nor the same grain.  The only thing in common is the hay, and it seems fine.  Their symptoms are suggestive of polioencephalomalacia, and new research suggests this could be related to excessive sulfur intake.  But the only common possible source is the hay, and this seems unlikely.  So I have decided to supplement the flock with B vitamins and hope this works.

Lil was about 11 years old.  We adopted her from New Moon Farm Goat Rescue & Sanctuary in 2011 to be a pack goat.  Above is a photo of her at New Moon, and below she is walking to her new home for the first time.

She did not succeed as a pack goat.  She was too smart.  She figured out how to turn around and head back home and to rub against trees to remove the packs.  Below is one of our attempt at pack training.

And she was not the most likable goat.  She did not get along with any of our other goats, and she was difficult to get to cooperate with anything.  But she was not mean or ornery, she just like things her way.  So she was a character, and she will be missed.