# Pygmys



## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

HI can anyone with Pygmy's answer a question for me

Why would my 2 black Pygmy's one is around 6 or 7 yrs and the other is 3 yr old
have thinning hair, it is not coming out in patches just thinning all over. 

It is not happening to my brown one..

Thank you
Donna


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

May be shedding....

may be copper deficiency... do they have loose salt and minerals out for them free choice?

Do they have fishtail look on the tip of their tail?

How does their skin look in the areas... that are balding?

are they itching alot?


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Sounds like they're growing in their summer coats. Is the fur soft and shiny...healthy looking?


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## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

May be shedding....-

This is different them shedding- they had nice coats for the winter and then they shedding, now it is just getting real thin and breaking a lot.. in some spots along their spin there is none at all

may be copper deficiency... do they have loose salt and minerals out for them free choice? 

most of the time, it is hard to keep up with it, with 12 goats going through them like crazzy.. I am going to go to Family Farm and Home this weekend and see if they have any goat minerals in large bags then TSC.. because the little bags go way to fast.

Do they have fishtail look on the tip of their tail?

the older one's tail is bald and scaly.

How does their skin look in the areas... that are balding?

White and dry

are they itching alot?

yes: they seem to rub on the fence more then the rest.

they are mother and daughter and the youngest is preg and sometime this week..

I also have 10 other goats of which 4 (dairy breeds mixes) that their hair is just breaking not balding just breaking off in spots


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## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

Sounds like they're growing in their summer coats. Is the fur soft and shiny...healthy looking?


No it looks far from healthy


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

I had a doe whose hair was brittle and coming off in one spot on her back this spring, and a couple weeks after I started giving her a little grain with BOSS in it it got all better. Do they get sunflower seeds? I was really surprised how fast this disappeared.

Jan


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## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

> I had a doe whose hair was brittle and coming off in one spot on her back this spring, and a couple weeks after I started giving her a little grain with BOSS in it it got all better. Do they get sunflower seeds? I was really surprised how fast this disappeared.


I can try that.. I use to give them to them a lot and ran out and never got more..

thank you for the idea


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I would guess copper deficient and possible lice. 

Check with any local feed store and if they don't carry loose goat mineral ask them to order you some. The TSC Manna Pro my goats love but at that price for that small a bag. :shocked: I get 25 lb bags of either Sweetlix Meat Maker or before that Purinna goat mineral. 

I would also treat for lice with a topical or maybe ivermec inject orally if that would work. :shrug:


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

post some photos of them and of their tails. 
If they are severly deficient you may need to copper bolus them.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

could be one or more of the following:

Copper deficiency
sun allergy - weird yes I know
zinc deficiency
lice


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## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

freedomstarfarm said:


> post some photos of them and of their tails.
> If they are severly deficient you may need to copper bolus them.


I will thank you


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## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

StaceyRoop said:


> could be one or more of the following:
> 
> Copper deficiency
> sun allergy - weird yes I know
> ...


How would you treat for lice, I used the Ivmeco pour on yesterday- should that work?

I have some zinc from a few years ago when one of the other goats, had that problem but it looked different on her..


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## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

The above goats leg- was pink, bumpy, and sometime swallow.. 

going to get picture of what is happening now.


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## kritterkeeper (Nov 27, 2007)

These are pictures of some of them

There coat is either falling out and they have bald spots, or it is breaking off, it is dull and dry..


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

if it was lice you would see the lice so check you will see them crawling around

Im going to go with copper deficiency 

they could also be rubbing on something or biting at themselves causing the breakage


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

If it is lice the pour on should take care of that. 

I also think copper deficiency and loose minerals are necessary but wont help enough for quite some time if enough. I think you need to copper bolus.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

if it's lice, we buy the permectrin II, put it in a spray bottle and spray everyone that needs it. Seems to be the easiest way for us, and kills those suckers on the spot. Just make sure if you see any lice that you retreat in 10-14 days to catch any eggs that survive/hatch.
I check them every so often, and try to treat them every 3 months. In the winter I dust them with powder I get from the feed store, It has the permectrin in it but is some kind of powder you can use in your chicken pen? kinda like seven dust.


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

Hmmm... I have had the same problems with my Pygmies. Several goats started like that and completely lost their hair and it was diagnosed as mange/lice. If you use a comb and comb through their hair and look; if you see any white flakes that appear as dandruff, that would mean lice.


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