NZW Bucks are turning brown

[P.O. in MO]

Are all bucks prone to getting terribly dirty along with their cages. I have urine guards 2 high on both of my bucks cages to keep them from spraying the walls. Most of my does keep themselves pretty white but the bucks must spray everywhere in their cages and then lay right down in it. I clean the cages when they need it but will the filth hurt the bucks. One of mine had been pulling at some matted hair around his rump and I got him out and trimmed off some of the big wads. While I was doing this I found a small inflamed area of skin. I doctored it and while I had him on the table I wiped him down with a damp cloth to get the worst of the brown off. Is this something that matters. I have another buck approaching breeding age and he's getting pretty tan colored on the bottom half of his body. And if they do need to be cleaned up once in a while what can you use as far as soap or something that works better than a damp cloth. Thanks PO

 

[VickieB]

 

[nawma]

Do they have runny stools? Once in a while one of my bucks looks a little tan on his back feet and legs but never had one get matted hair unless they had diarrhea.

 

[P.O. in MO]

No, everything else is fine. It's not just on his behind its pretty much the bottom part of his whole body, mostly what contacts the cage when he lays down. I know it's just urine and dust that is on the floor wire that they lay on. I just wondered if this is something I should be concerned about enough to clean them up once in a while. PO

 

[nawma]

Is the cage wire or wood?

 

[P.O. in MO]

All wire.

 

[Baymule]

Are the urine guards maybe getting peed on and the bucks rubbing up against them? The urine not only stains the fur, but can cause scalds on their skin too. I would ditch the urine guards if that is what is happening. You might have to put some space between the bucks and the does.

I had a very spoiled black Satin buck stationed by the door one time. If I didn't stop and pet him, he would whirl around and spray me. He got moved to the back of the barn.

 

[animalmom]

Here is another thought... do you have plastic resting mats in your cages? I've found that my bucks have both pee'd on the urine guards and then laid against them, like BayMule posted, and also pee'd on their mats, hopped off to do something else, and then came back and laid on the wet mat.

I change out any wet mats and give them a clean dry one as soon as I notice.

I don't have much of a problem with my bucks getting brown. During the summer they seem more prone to being discolored, but I've not had any problem with scald... could happen, just hasn't happened.

I've also noticed that if you keep up with the brushing, especially in the summer when they shed so much, that that helps with the colored fur, and helps you notice if he is matting up.

 

[alsea1]

might be the cage wire
they pee on it
the pee causes corrosion on the wire
the fur picks it up

 

[VickieB]

I saw a pic of a NZR (red) earlier today. It was really pretty. Could be a solution...