baby goats losing hair

[Kathy Elskamp]

we are in the process of bottle feeding a BUNCH of babies... (my business partner found our billy out with the girls in wrong part of the season last year and we have a bunch of winter babies!!) -

anyway... I have about 6 bottle fed babies that are approx. 35 days old.

They get about 16 ounces of goat replacer with 4 ounces of water in the bottle twice a day, and are eating Dumor goat feed and alfalfa hay. They started to lose their hair in clumps (just one and now there are more) I was thinking it might be lice, so we rubbed DE on their coats (very carefully so there is no dust) and i'm wondering if I should try and give them ivermectin (and if I do that orally or via injection) I only have the oral stuff right now but I think I can get the injectable.. the rest of the bottle babies are okay just these 4 are having issues (others in their pen aren't losing hair either so i'm not sure if this is lice or something else I need to be considering..)

I'm horrible at estimating weights of babies but these I think are a bit smaller than the other babies. Any ideas? they do jump on each other on this same spot on their backs but I don't think they are rubbing each others hair off...

any help is appreciated!!
thx
kath

 

[elevan]

http://www.backyardherds.com/resources/dealing-with-lice-on-goats-sheep.6/

 

[Kathy Elskamp]

thank you it definitely sounds like lice and I did remove the bedding! -- and put new down.. sounds as though I need to get some python or seven dust!! - thank you!!

 

[elevan]

You're welcome. Just remember to retreat in a couple weeks!

 

[Kathy Elskamp]

yes and i'm going to put that on our family whiteboard we have in our kitchen!!

 

[goatboy1973]

You can also use Cydectin pour-on for cattle which we also coincidentally use orally as a dewormer. This stuff will take rust off a trailer hitch. LOL!!!

 

[Kathy Elskamp]

thanks for the cydectin -- can I do that right now - it's so cold!! - I would have to do that outside wouldn't I? .. also I would like to talk to you about your Spanish meat goats, we have savanna crosses and we are looking for more Spanish.

 

[babsbag]

Please be careful using cydectin on a baby goat. You have to be really accurate with the dosage and I can't give you any advice as I have never used it. Personally I would go with the dust and leave the drugs for when you need it to treat worms.

 

[goatboy1973]

thanks for the cydectin -- can I do that right now - it's so cold!! - I would have to do that outside wouldn't I? .. also I would like to talk to you about your Spanish meat goats, we have savanna crosses and we are looking for more Spanish.

We have used it before on kiddos we just use about 1 ml dispensed with a needleless syringe along the length of their spine like the Advantage flee/tick stuff for dogs and cats. The stuff is an oil based dewormer so it just soaks into their skin. I would go ahead and do whatever treatment you decide to go with because the lice sucking blood can eventually cause the little ones to be anemic. I have used the Cydectin with great success. The Seven dust works just as well in my opinion for lice if the infestation is not that severe and may be the safer choice.
As far as our Spanish goats go, I have anything from pure down to 50/ 50 (Spanish X Nube or Spanish X Kiko) and everything in between all sired by pure Sawyer Spanish or pure Koy Ranch Spanish. Feel free to call me @ 865-322-1627 or at home @ 865-992-8180. Thanks for your interest in our Spanish goats.

 

[babsbag]

I ML is certainly a tiny dose. I have never had lice *knock on wood* but I dust my does on occasion with poultry dust but really as a prevention.
I don't have many problems with worms either as the goats are on a dry lot. When I do worm it is with Ivermectin dosed orally.

So all of that being said, wormers are not on my list of regularly used meds. I was told by my vet that goats have thinner skin than cattle or sheep and that is why the dosage is so important; they will absorb it more readily; hence the reason for my words of caution.

Good to hear from someone that has used it on the kids.