# Very unhealthy looking coat, reasons why?



## phyllislady (Mar 23, 2013)

My goat looks really scraggly and kinda unkept. I want to know how to fix that, I m a beginner so don't know a lot about what I should and shouldn't be doing. I am giving her vitamins and minerals because when I looked it up sounded like it might be a vitamin it mineral deficiency, but I ve been giving then to her and still hasn't helped. She also gets grained twice a day when I milk her. She has just got wormed and is pretty much done shedding. doesanyone have any suggestions what might help?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Looks to me she needs copper...is that color fading I see or bad lighting?? you can copper bolus her...1 g per 22 # or 1cc per 60#...comes out about the same..
loose mineral for goats
quality feed 
good hay/alfalfa
have a fecal done to be sure she is not over loaded..some wormers are no longer effective on certain worms..so a fecal will let you know if your wormer is working
adding BOSS to her grain will add fats for a nice coat


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What minerals and vitamins are you giving her? Is it a goat loose mineral? I agree with HappyBleats about the copper too.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Yep what has already been said. Copper def is so common in goats I could scream. Commercial grain does not cut it for copper.
To add injury to insult so to speak, we use a loose mineral with high copper & the person I bought my buck from noticed his tail beginning to split. I got lax in offering to him; every few days instead of every day.


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## ita2464 (Mar 21, 2013)

I agree with happy bleats. The first thing I think when I see rough coat/flaky skin is parasites. I have noticed improvement in both horse and goat coats as soon as one day after worming. If there are no parasites, I would then make sure the goat is getting enough copper.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Oops Nancyd! I know how that can happen, and of course...it would have to be noticed!


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## MotleyBoerGoats (Mar 23, 2013)

yes i would say copper and also she might have mites we shaved our goats and there coats are growing back better and shiner and we also gave them copper bolus


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## phyllislady (Mar 23, 2013)

Hm, interesting, I am giving her minerals with copper in it, but maybe not enough....hm, I will try more of it because her coat is fading and if that's what fading is caused by maybe it is that. Interesting, thank you!


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I use cattle copper bolus and break them down to goat size..its not hard. This last time I used a trick I learned here on Goat spot...I cut the end of a syringe off...filled it with 1 cc per 60# copper rods ( the copper in the bolus looks like broken pencil leds, they are called rods) then top off the rods with a bit of probio paste to keep it in the syringe...I place tha as far back on the tongue as I can and push the plunger..I followed with a bit of water in a drench gun to help the goat swallow....quick..easy and done..: )


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