# Milking doe has rough coat



## Zelda

My milking doe has a rough coat and is a bit thinner than I'd prefer. Her hair feels rough and coarse. I dewormed her when she kidded in April. Would this be a feed deficiency of some sort or are their coats normally kind of rough? She is my first milk goat, so I don't know if this is normal.

She's on a choice alfalfa hay fed free choice plus approx. a pound of grain at each feeding (half Goat Chow, half COB because she loves it). I give her a mineral for goats. And she has salt and soda.

Today I picked up a goat Smartlick, I cannot yet figure out how to feed it and not have them jumping in it. It's a big gooey tub of stuff.


----------



## liz

All of my does, in milk or dry have very soft fur, I don't do anything "special" for them but I do know that Stacey has given hers Aloe Vera juice for dry skin and coat problems with great results. You may be able to try that, other that that with all that she is getting I wouldn't know what else that may help.


----------



## toth boer goats

Have you de-liced them for... both biting and sucking lice?

When you wormed her... what did you use ?
one type of wormer doesn't take care of tapes.... as the other takes care of a different variety.... :wink:


----------



## Zelda

I have not de-liced her specifically, but I did use Eprinex pour-on dewormer. I don't think it kills tape worms (Ivermectin class wormer). 

As far as lice go, she is not especially itchy - I brush her twice a day while she's on the stand. She appreciates it, but does not seem extra itchy. Would she act itchy if she had lice?

Now that I think about it, she did have a rough coat when I got her, which was a few months before she kidded.

I am going to add some BOSS to her ration as well. Could she need a little more fat than she is currently getting? Or vitamin E?

Or could she just have a rough coat? My doelings are much softer... But the two older ones are not bred the same as her so I don't know what to expect there either.

ETA: I emailed the breeder to see if Snickers always had a coat like this.


----------



## liz

Try the BOSS, it may do the trick and even have a fecal done to see if there are any "bugs" the wormer missed. And yes, if she had external bugs, she would itch like crazy.


----------



## toth boer goats

Is this what you are using ......how interesting ....it covers both lice species....I might have to use that instead of the ivomac injectable....so you have already treated them for lice...LOL :wink: 
http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/pro ... ept_id=412

Does she eat her loose salt and minerals?

I agree with Liz .....maybe get a fecal on her......


----------



## kelebek

So Cydectin pour on given orally kills both types of lice? Or would it have to be poured on as it is purple.


----------



## AlaskaBoers

as to the goat mineral tub--- 

tip it on its side near the corner of a fence and tie it to the corner with bungee cords. that way they cant step in it.


----------



## redneck_acres

Copper deficiency will also show up as a ruff looking coat of hair for goats.


----------



## Zelda

toth boer goats said:


> Is this what you are using ......how interesting ....it covers both lice species....I might have to use that instead of the ivomac injectable....so you have already treated them for lice...LOL :wink:
> http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/pro ... ept_id=412
> 
> Does she eat her loose salt and minerals?
> 
> I agree with Liz .....maybe get a fecal on her......


Yes, that's the product I use. I thought it treated for lice, but I couldn't remember... I liked it because there is no milk withdrawl and it's super easy to just drizzle it along her back.

She does like the salt and the minerals go in her grain. I forget the brand, but it's one that can be added to grain in the recommended amount.


----------



## Zelda

AlaskaBoers said:


> as to the goat mineral tub---
> 
> tip it on its side near the corner of a fence and tie it to the corner with bungee cords. that way they cant step in it.


Thanks!!! That helps alot!!


----------



## Zelda

redneck_acres said:


> Copper deficiency will also show up as a ruff looking coat of hair for goats.


I wondered about that. :?


----------



## Zelda

I double checked - the mineral I have been feeding is Manna Pro Goat Mineral, and it contains copper. The smartlick is goat specific and contains copper, too.

However, I read that if they are deficient, they won't likely become un-deficient by just feeding copper. It said I could safely drench her and see if there's improvement.

So that will be the next step, when I get to town for some copper crystals.


----------



## goathappy

What brand of mineral are you feeding? Is she eating it good?


----------



## Amy Goatress

We have given Clovite which is in the horse section of TSC but it can be used for all livestock and poultry plus dogs and cats for dry and itchy coats and their coats looked wonderful after we used the Clovite, nice and shiny coats.


----------



## redneck_acres

Yeah, sometimes the percentage of copper in the minerals can be low compared to what the goat really needs.


----------



## toth boer goats

> Yes, that's the product I use. I thought it treated for lice, but I couldn't remember... I liked it because there is no milk withdrawl and it's super easy to just drizzle it along her back.
> 
> She does like the salt and the minerals go in her grain. I forget the brand, but it's one that can be added to grain in the recommended amount.


That product is really neat.....I think I may try it.....does it tell you the dosage for goats?


----------



## Zelda

Eprinex is off label for goats. But quite a few people use it for goats and chickens.

I used this link to find the dosage:

http://www.goatworld.com/articles/health/goatmeds.shtml


----------



## toth boer goats

thanks ...Zelda....for the info.... :wink: :greengrin:


----------



## Amy Goatress

We used to use Eprinex on our goats, we got it from our vet but she recently gave us something else though.


----------



## sparks879

The thing about any pre mixed goat mineral is it is formulated for goats across the country. So they are under dosing for a lot of areas, especially copper. I feed my animals purina goat mineral they do really well on it but i still have to add copper and selinium to their diet. 
I got a seven year old alpine doe a few years ago. Ihad always admired the doe (she was the 01 junior all american kid) And a half sister to another doe i owned. i went to look at a buck and found chrome. When the lasy said she was for sale i had to have her. Chrome had been put on the back burner, her feet were overgrown her coat was like a brisal pad, her all american picture had shown her as a lavender, she was a straw color. The solution was minerals a few good wormings and definatly copper. 
beth


----------



## CapraKoza

Yes, I would say you could be deficient in copper, but also Zinc deficiency can cause scruffy hair/hair loss. But be VERY careful about feeding copper supplement, as too much can be toxic and it is very difficult to determine how much is too much, especially hard to know how much they are consuming. Most mineral mixes do not have enough copper though, I agree. I just recently found a mix developed by a UT large animal vet who (also breeds dairy goats) that is a special mix for goats. It has 3 times what my previous "goat" mineral mix had, as well as higher zinc and selenium. I get it at our co-op. Whole sunflower seeds are high in copper also. And there is always the Bo-Se bolus. I am not a fan of that type of method, as I believe the copper granules can mess up their gastrointestinal tract, but i know of breeders that swear by it, and at least then you know how much they are getting. I have sometimes given a daily capsule of zinc to those who get hair loss around their eyes( classic zinc problem). With all the draught many have suffered over the past few years, the soil, and subsequently the hay, has also suffered in the way of mineral deficeincies. hope this helps! :wink:


----------



## CapraKoza

Oh, and this UT vet also did recommend giving free-choice kelp, as it is loaded with minerals and vitamins as well. Of course this is in NE Tennessee, and like Beth stated, all areas are different, as to what is in your soil and hay.


----------



## Zelda

I gave my doe a partial bolus and now when I give them a fresh cup of minerals in the feeder, I add an 1/8th tsp of copper sulfate from the feed store. The doe's coat is starting to look good, right down to the tip of her tail. The Purina guy here is really into nutrition, and he said our area is definitely copper deficient so hopefully a little extra copper will do the trick long term.


----------



## toth boer goats

I am so glad ......she is improving.....congrats :thumbup:


----------

