# loosing hair on nose



## dk_40207 (Jun 23, 2005)

There seems to be a theme this winter...one by one, the does have started having a bare line on the bridge of the nose :shrug: I remember reading once that it could be a sign of copper problems. Any insight on this? They have access to free choice loose goat minerals...burkmans. Soooo, I'm not sure if there is a problem, or they are just rubbing on something?? Anyone else seeing this?


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## Patty0315 (Feb 1, 2004)

Lice or copper mineral deff. Are they rubbing on anything? You could give them copper boluses.

Patty


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## stacygoats (Nov 24, 2005)

When I was dealing with copper deficency the sign was loss of hair around the eyes. They had a raccoon look to them.
Sorry, no idea on the bare spot on the nose.
Have you checked them over real good for any other bald spots?
Good luck.


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## gryndlgoat (May 27, 2005)

My guess would be rubbing on something. Mine all have a bald line at the back of their necks from sticking their heads through the wire fence to graze.


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## computerchick (Jun 24, 2005)

Rubbing their noses, or on a really rutty buck possibly scald - but you'd know it and it would be sore!!! Does...back to rubbing lol.

bet it looks pretty silly!

Andrea


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## dbarjacres (Feb 2, 2004)

Think about your hay feeder. one of mine sticks her nose waaaay in there and the whole bridge is bald, but not crusty or anything, just rubbed off hair. That's a real good bet this time of year.


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## Terre d'Esprit (Aug 31, 2004)

I'm seeing the same thing in our Saanen doe. Not sure why, at first I noticed it when she was in with the buck being bred, and I thought it might have been competition for food or all of the "commotion" going on in there. : ) Anyway, it has not gone away, and I, too, remembered the copper discussion. She also has free choice access to Sweetlix Meatmaker minerals, so I am at a loss. Like you described, it's down the bridge of the nose, and I noticed it this morning on the edges of her ears. 

I'll keep an eye on this thread.

T


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## copperpennykids (Sep 6, 2004)

I had this earlier this winter with my Saanen doelings. 

The hair was rubbed off from the bridge of their nose and then progressed down the sides. The doelings that got moved to a different pen post-breeding improved first, then we moved the rest into a different pen as well. They too then improved.
The only difference? The hay feeder.

The original pen feeder has little metal squares. The doelings will push waaaay in to get that nice leafy alfalfa, and consequently rub the hair off of their noses.

If it was a copper deficiency, I don't think it would improve without copper bolusing them. 

You also might want to look at the overall coat quality. If it is still good, I would figure it was due to the feeders. Of course, if you are in a copper deficient area, it wouldn't hurt to bolus her anyway.


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## AllWolf (Dec 27, 2005)

It doesn't sound like copper problem to me it sounds more like the doe is rubbing her nose on something to make it be like that. I was reading and if a goat had copper problem it will be more signs of this: Insufficient weight gain, poor appetite, and weight loss are seen in copper-deficient goats of growing age. Adults display more subtle signs of copper deficiency. They are generally unthrifty, anemic, poor milk producers, and sometimes have diarrhea. But the most visible sign of copper deficiency in adults is loss of hair color. Copper is essential for melanin production that causes hair pigmentation. Hair decoloration occurs when the copper-containing enzyme is missing.


I right now have a doe that has some hair missing in back of her neck but it is due to her reaching through the fence to get browse on the other side. They think it is greener on the other side. LOL..

Good Luck with your goat.


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## dk_40207 (Jun 23, 2005)

Thanks for the input. They have two feeders one with the cow that i used a cattle panel and the other in their house is made with welded wire. It seems the does with bare spots usually go in and share with the cow. So i bet that is it. Since they are able to get there whole nose in the squares. Thanks everyone for the responses. 

DK


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

I was glad to see this question come up, as I have three goats with the same thing. The funny thing is, it's father and two of his three offspring, one buck kid who is in with dad, and daughter who is in the doe pen. None of my other goats are showing any sign of this. The father is pretty bad, and I've tried several things thinking it might be mites or fungal, but nothing has helped. (He's reg. Oberhasli, don't know if that makes any difference. And he's coming two.) His two kids just have a little bit on their noses. My does are fed through a keyhole feeder, nothing to rub noses on there. The bucks are fed outside of a cattle panel -- they have to stick their heads through. Still nothing to rub noses on, really, though Vic, the 2-y-o, has a bad rubbed spot at the line where his collar was, and the back of his head is also bare. No sign of lice, I checked for that, too. They get a goat mineral with copper in it -- but the two bucks coats are a little lighter than they should be, so I've wondered if there's enough copper in their mineral. The kids are all part Boer -- one buck kid is mostly white, and he's the only one of the triplets who isn't showing a bare spot. The other buck kid is Oberhasli colored, and the doe kid is red in front and white behind (actually she reminds me a bit of a red and white Holstein cow). These two colored kids are showing little bare spots -- which I hope won't get as bad as their dad's. It's too cold at this time of year to be sporting large patches of bare skin! Anyway, I'll see about getting copper boluses for these guys, and see if that helps.

Kathleen


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