I have a doe who last year a few weeks after kidding developed a rough coat, dandruff, scaley skin, we weren't sure what it was so I treated it with DE, watched her for a while longer and she didn't improve, in fact she lost weight, hair and little tufts of cotton or spider web type stuff begun forming on her coat, dh got some pour on insecticide and used it on the whole herd, it worked like a charm. Now this year she is 3-4 weeks from kidding and she and her daughter have what just looks like dandruff now, lots of flaky stuff on top of her and down in her hair and skin, dh went ahead and treated her and daughter with the same stuff. My big Q is why is this doe suseptable to this type thing and now her daughter, we have 5 other does who've never shown this type of problem. I really think last year it was lice, even though I looked hard and never saw anything moving! I'd like a more natural treatment for this also, anyone got any suggestions? Has anyone ever had spider web or cotton looking tufts develop like this? Thanks Carol

-- Carol in Tx (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), March 11, 2001

Answers

I've never seen that before, but I have gotten a goat that had lice before. They rolled in my burn pile. It was all scrub oak tree ashes, wahlah! no more lice!! I noticed one of my pygmy goats is rubbing real hard on the fence, but she doesn't have any bugs..I will put her in the ashes anyway, it seems to help what ever ails the goat skin. Good luck!

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), March 11, 2001.

Sounds like the normal mohair that some bloodlines have, shedding out. Some of our black Nubians, when shaved for Feburary shows would look alomst like sheep with this wooly hair between each black hair, we had to use a dog sheder to brush this out, they also were horrible on the clipper blades. If you were to increase the fat in their diet, black oil sunflower seeds work great, you will notice the flaky dry skin going away. You would be able to see the lice, though you can not see mites. If the mites are under the skin burrowed, than the DE couldn't work. I know it is not "herbal" but Ivermectin 1% injected under the skin at 1cc per 110 pounds will kill mites. This could also be in your bedding, so you can treat it with the DE. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 12, 2001.

Vicki, I was going to ask the same thing. Do you need to shell the sunflower seeds? How much can you give? Will it help to put on some weight? Thanks

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), March 12, 2001.

Hi Dee, I was teasing someone the other day that the next time someone asked this question I was going to say "yes" shell each one and feed it. Problem is most of us are so goat obcessed that we would do this! Of course you don't shell them, the shell is great roughage for the rumen, the seed is high in protein and full of oil. You can feed the plain striped sunflowerseeds for birds, it just doesn't have the oil that the Black Oil Sunflowerseed does. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 12, 2001.

Vicki, Ha ha, I got you on this one, I know they sell it already shelled. I'll get some and mix it with the feed since they don't take any treats. Again, thank you for sharing your knowledge.

PS Two weeks left to go...

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), March 13, 2001.