# Scruffy thin coat on a fat goat and a thin goat?



## allenslabs (Feb 6, 2005)

What would cause this? One doe has been milking and will allow anything to nurse so that explains the thinner part but not the terrible coat condition. I've got Kent goat minerals out and just recently mixed DE in with my minerals to see how that worked. Also wormed them with safeguard recently and was wondering what I'm missing? The gums are fine also. It's just that her hair (the thinner one) is dull, scruffy and thin. The fat goats hair is thick but dull and scruffy. They're not in with any chickens or anything and don't appear to have lice.

What would you do to improve their coats?


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## Feral Nature (Feb 21, 2007)

If they were mine, I would worm with Cydectin, safeguard is almost worthless in many areas. Also ask myself where the oil in theie diet is coming from. Perhaps adding BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) to their diet may provide the oil they need to slick up. I also find mine get shinier the more browse they eat. And regular brushing really helps remove loose hair.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> just recently mixed *DE in with my minerals *to see how that worked


That won't really do much of anything. 
DE is only PROVEN to be useful as an insecticide, and has to be DRY to work


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Is the copper in that mineral high enough? Are they eating enough mineral to have adequate copper?


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

allenslabs said:


> What would cause this? One doe has been milking and will allow anything to nurse so that explains the thinner part but not the terrible coat condition. I've got Kent goat minerals out and just recently mixed DE in with my minerals to see how that worked. Also wormed them with safeguard recently and was wondering what I'm missing? The gums are fine also. It's just that her hair (the thinner one) is dull, scruffy and thin. The fat goats hair is thick but dull and scruffy. They're not in with any chickens or anything and don't appear to have lice.
> 
> What would you do to improve their coats?


It could be the time of year. But it is getting late. Did they totally shead and grow new yet? Ours will look real scruffy just prior to the new hair push. In fact one we have looks almost silly now. Her new gaurd hairs have grown in but not the rest of her fur. So she looks like she has a Mohawk down the back with side flashing on her legs. Cute but funny.

So did they shed out last years coat? I wouldn't be too worried about lice or mites. If they had then you would know. The bare spots with the rash is very easy to spot. Another thing. Do you have a lot of flies? The black ones. They will try to rub them off at times if they are bad. Like rubbing against a post or tree. This can make them look bad too due to the muffed hair. Think "BED HEAD".


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## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

Here we've been having trouble when we bring in a goat with a high worm load it really helps to worm several times consecutively. We separate the wormings by a couple of weeks or so. That really seems to help them get in the sleek shiny coat and then we can help with the weight part, but it seems here at least, it takes a lot of wormer to really rid a goat that has a high worm count. We have found Safeguard to be almost worthless. Doesn't work very well. 

Also, we add BOSS to the feedings. That really helps put a shine to the coat.


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## allenslabs (Feb 6, 2005)

The fat goat had shed out fine but the thin one never really did shed out good. Could I be dealing with a zinc problem? I've been worming with safeguard so that could be part of the problem too.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I would suspect copper deficiency before zinc. Do they have a fishtail appearance to the tip of their tails? If the tip of the tail is bald, with longer hair around the end making it look like, well, a fish's tail, that is a sign that they are low in copper. I would run fecals to see what parasites they have and how heavy the load is, then ask what wormers are actually working in your area. Worm 10 days apart, 3 times, keeping the goats in a separate small pen for a couple days after worming each time (make sure they are eating out of clean feeders during this time so they are not reinfesting themselves with freshly shed worms/eggs). If they have the fishtail or you have high-iron water, get the copper boluses and small gelatine capsules and bolus them (iron binds copper and makes it unavailable to the goats). Add some veg oil to their grain - cheaper than BOSS, no chance of fungus on BOSS poisoning your goats. These 3 things should add some weight and a gloss to thoses scruffy coats. For the thin goat, upping the feed ration - a little more grain and all the hay she can eat, along with the veg oil, should help her gain.

Caveat: remember to make all feed changes slowly to avoid upsetting their rumens.


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## michael h (Sep 28, 2007)

We have 1 goat thats fairly fat and the coat was dull. Got some wormer at the vet (purple liquid in a oral syringe) didn't ask what it was. She has never looked so good. Shining black coat.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I agree with some of the other's here, Copper deficiency is most likely what is your problem. Safeguard only works for tapeworms and it's really not a good idea to just keep worming your goats with wormers to try & solve all there problems, all your doing is making the worms imune to the wormers. I would check the copper in your mineral? How much is in there? You might have to start doing the copper bolusing.
I have used extra BOSS in the grain if they have extra dry skin but usually brittle, dry, dull hair on the goats I would guess lack of copper.
Also if you have alot of iron in your water in your area that can also affect how the copper is absorbed in the goats.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

My vote is for copper deficiency. Back in Jan I had an FF kid out with triplets, and thought she looked terrible. But I based that on just having kidded, and having had an ordeal with it. 

In May I gave all my adults a copper bolus, and everyone is shining and blooming. The poor FF who looked awful after kidding is gorgeous now. I had thought she was a WHITE goat, and it's turned out she is a light tan and SHINY and blooming with health - and gives me about 3/4 gal of milk daily!

NeHi


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

stanb999 said:


> Another thing. Do you have a lot of flies? The black ones. They will try to rub them off at times if they are bad. Like rubbing against a post or tree. This can make them look bad too due to the muffed hair. Think "BED HEAD".


:rotfl: Thinking "BEAD HEAD" made me laugh!


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## allenslabs (Feb 6, 2005)

What's the best place to get copper boluses? I remember that there was a website that sold them fairly inexpensive but can't remember what it was. Valleyvet maybe? I can't remember. Anybody?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/product.asp?CID=2&pf_id=16535


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## Goatfan27 (Feb 19, 2016)

I have the same problem. I did just get the goat yesterday but her coat is dull and has patches on it. Though it could be that she is 6 years old and 3 months pregnant. I know that she has no lice or anything, no worms either. It almost hurts you to stroke her. Dose this BOSS also fatten her up? She is slightly underweight. Can I get it organic? Is BOSS at Tractor Supply or Southern States? Could it be the feed I give her? I only give her a cheap off-brand kind but I plan on switching it to a homemade mix of oats, barley,flaxseed, and adding a tablespoon of baking soda.

Thanks everybody


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

BOSS is Black oil sunflower seeds. You can add a handfull to her feed each day if you'd like but a scruffy caot most likely is copper deficiency. I would get a good loose mineral & put it in a small dish that can hang up out of the way of any poo getting in it.
You don't want a mineral for sheep, it has to be for goats or cattle, not a block or tub either.
Try Y get something with at least 2000 ppm's of copper in it.
Would help also if you copper bolused her. Check with folks here to see if they have an extra few boluses they can sell you if you only have a couple goats so you don;t have to buy a whole bottle.
I wouldn't worm her while pregnant but when she kids make sure you have Valbazen or Quest horse paste on hand to worm her the day she kids.

Pregnancy will not cause a scruffy coat usually.

To help her gain a little weight, good hay 24/7 & a good dairy pellet a couple times a day will help, add some alfalfa pellets too if you'd like or some rolled oats.


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## Goatfan27 (Feb 19, 2016)

Thanks! Will do! What if she is a picky eater? The only hay she eats is that little bit that falls through the rest of the bale. You know, the little seeds from the hay and the teeny tiny pieces? Even though I let her roam my 72 acre farm, she eats hardly anything. The only thing she EVER eats is my pine and spruce trees.:smack the grain is packed full of molasses and she still wont touch it. 

Thanks again,
Anna


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## Goatfan27 (Feb 19, 2016)

She does have 24/7 hay but like i said she wont touch it


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Hey Goatfan,

If you have a new question or concern beyond what info you can get from old threads (and these are OLD), please try posting a new thread or topic instead of dredging up old info. You'll likely get better quality responses on average if people aren't distracted by the original poster's information and several old responses before getting to your question.


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