# Do goats get itchy when they shed from winter? UPDATE: LICE!



## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

My herd is full of itching scratchen, stompin fools right now! Look out the window and see one rubbing on the fence, one with its head back itching its back and another swishin its tail and stomping. 

The weather just turned warm this past week-in the 70's to 80's. I know the bugs have come out--there are lots of gnats floating around. I have been putting some skin so soft on them but today I mixed up some of the Mollys Herbals fly spray-so I will have that to use from now on. 

I hope they don't have lice or mites? I have looked through their fur and I can't see anything. The coats look good-shiny hair. There is no hair loss or thining? If it were lice or mites they would have poor looking coats-right?

Do they typically itch as they loose winter undercoats? Because that is def. happening right now. :scratch:


----------



## Skyz84 (Jul 25, 2011)

*Re: Do goats get itchy when they shed out from winter?*

All of mine are doing the same thing! Something is driving them mad.

I tried the python dust but it didn't seem to help. :scratch:

I wrote if off as shedding but now our new kids are doing it!!!

I just used Ivomec orally on all the adults to worm. I don't know if it will work on external mites/lice but once they are due for there 10 day re-treat I'm thinking I'm going to do the injection.


----------



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

*Re: Do goats get itchy when they shed out from winter?*

YES! Dry, itchy skin with hair falling out! Oh, Yeah. Itchy, scratchy goats. Even babies will have dry itchy skin now....and they are catching some of mama's loose hair too....that in itself just makes ME itch thinking about it.


----------



## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

*Re: Do goats get itchy when they shed out from winter?*

lol well then I am sorry they have itchy skin, but I am thankful that that is most likely all that it is (lice or mites would certainly be a pain in the butt-esp the mites)

I did some on-line research after posting yesterday and seems this IS a very common senario for this time of year and with them shedding out.

I read brushing out the undercoat can help, so I am going to try to do this today.

I think someone on this board suggested aloe vera juice for dry skin? I may get some of that for them. How do you get them to drink it? Do you add it to the water or drench them w/it? Also, we have run out of BOSS the past few weeks-more of that would help the skin too I would think.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

*Re: Do goats get itchy when they shed out from winter?*

Yes... they can get itchy ...that is why you see them rubbing on fences or whatever they can rub on...to get the loose old hair off of them while shedding out.... :wink:


----------



## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

*Re: Do goats get itchy when they shed out from winter?*

If you run out of BOSS just plain old veggie oil will help too. I feel sorry for them too. I have one that looks like she is a ratty old wool rug or something....it's horrible. I pour the aloe in the water tank or over the feed.


----------



## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

*Re: Do goats get itchy when they shed out from winter?*

UPDATE: we just got back from clipping the wether and they have LICE!!! We got 1 side of him clipped and I saw all of these little browish bugs-lighter than fleas but not white (like I pictured lice as being) and I was thinking "OMG I have just contaminated the FFA barn!" I ran and got the Ag teacher and said "um, I think we have a problem here" (as I was looking at Macho's hair strewn all over the floor) She came over looked and said "eh, he has lice--they all do", "no big deal use some 7 dust when you get home"

LOL! I was faint with relief!! I would have felt horrible if I had brought some bug into the barn w/all those other kids animals.

So...we came home filled a sock w/7 dust and everyone got powdered down. The teacher said we only needed 1 application? Is this right? Should I treat anywhere else? Should I repeat the process next week??? I want the lice GONE :laugh:


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

*Re: Do goats get itchy when they shed from winter? UPDATE: L*

Wow.... :shocked: they did have Lice after all.... glad they were treated ....yes... I would treat them again in a couple of weeks.... :wink:


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

*Re: Do goats get itchy when they shed from winter? UPDATE: L*

So sorry they have lice  This is definitely the time of year for them. In fact the breeder we went to see yesterday is treating all her goats with Cylence because she suspects lice since some are itchy.
Our buck can't seem to get rid of them! So we're treating everyone every 2 weeks with permectrin II spray. When we get ready to run out of Permectrin II we will most likely be switching to Cylence.


----------



## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

*Re: Do goats get itchy when they shed from winter? UPDATE: L*

I'm thinking I might have to do the same thing, my girls are itchy and scratching all the time. Going to have to run to Big R and see if they have some anti lice medicine.


----------



## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

*Re: Do goats get itchy when they shed from winter? UPDATE: L*

Luc lost some hair around his eyes and seemed itchy so i used Eprinex on him last week since it works on the chicken mites (just poured it down the middle of his back) and he seems less itchy, but now the girls are all itchy - i thought it was their winter coat b/c they were rubbing against the fence and barn, but I noticed 3 of them today scratching above their eyes with their foot, and scratching the backs of their front feet right above the hooves, (against the mineral feeder and the metal crate i use for hay). This is in addition to their itchy bodies. The two does that are with Luc are a little bit itchy, but not much, they may or may not be pregnant, if they are it is very early pregnancy.

Fiona (the one who just gave birth) seems good, the worst ones seem to be my three pregnant girls who are due to deliver soon. I managed to get Chara to stand still for a lice check but wasn't sure if it was lice or dandruff, she has alot of fine white flakes (eggs?) next to her skin. Mink has been rubbing her head on a corner and is now missing hair in a streak in the middle of her head, so something is going on, lice seems most likely this time of year.

Is there anything I can use on pregnant goats? Or since i have to treat everyone most likely, is anything safe for young babies - DE maybe?


----------

