# Goats Eating Horse Tails!



## JessB (Dec 9, 2010)

I have had goats for about 10 years. I had re-homed my goats and moved to to another state a couple years ago. 6 months ago I got back into the goat world. I bought 2 young LaMancha wethers. This is a first for me - they are eating off the tails of my horses! My horses have almost no tail left! My previous goats *never* did this! 
The goats are in their own pen with cattle/ranch panel fencing. The horses will butt up against the fence so the goats can chew on their tails. The horses are getting some kind of enjoyment out of this and the goat are liking the hair.

I am so mad I could cry! I am ready to stop having goats all together now! I never had this problem before! Aside from making the goat pen "Fort Knox" and taking the fun out of having them, what can I do?? 

Has anyone had this problem? Any ideas?? 
I may have 2 goats up for adoption soon!

Thank you!
Jess


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## Jay27 (Jan 11, 2010)

The goats are probably deficient in something... what are you feeding?


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## JessB (Dec 9, 2010)

The goats apparently ate the horse's tail off where they were born - they learned it from the other goats there. 

I am feeding Purina Noble Goat Grower and grass 90%/alfalfa 10% mix hay. It's very high quality hay. They also get grass and weeds in the summer. These goats are 8 months old. Twin boys, they are somewhat small for LaManchas <--- I think.

I'm at a loss


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## gracie88 (May 29, 2007)

Sometimes, itchy tails can be a parasite problem. Or, maybe you could wrap their tails and then spray the wrap with something nasty-tasting. I feel your pain, I had one that let the goats chew his tail and mane, both. My current horse is less tolerant, thank goodness.


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## Karenrbw (Aug 17, 2004)

Our wether ate the mare's tail around here a couple of years ago. It still hasn't grown back in all the way. He was just doing it out of boredom. We had the wether and the billy in with the horse when we weren't breeding. It just kills me that she stands there and lets him do it.


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## farmerjohn (Jun 11, 2010)

Could you coat the tail with something nasty tasting? Like iodine or hairspray or soap? Our goats never did that to our horses. The horses did it to each other. Fly and Mane spray did not stop it so I used Palmolive soap. That stopped it and they KNEW the bottle on sight.


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## JessB (Dec 9, 2010)

Thanks for your sympathies! I have been putting Tabasco sauce and Bitter Apple No Chew (for dogs) spray on the tails. That helps for a day. Then my horse is right back at the fence waiting for the goats to start chewing. I'm so angry about this. I used to love having goats. Now, I am ready to say goodbye.

I might try to use soap. That can't taste good. 

Thank you for your help!


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## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

Wow ,I can't believe your horses let your goats do it ! My horses have super attitude with my goats and are always pinning their ears at them ,chasing them away . My goats fear them now .LOL


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

horsepoor21 said:


> Wow ,I can't believe your horses let your goats do it ! My horses have super attitude with my goats and are always pinning their ears at them ,chasing them away . My goats fear them now .LOL


Same here! My goats would never get that close to the horses. They are the only thing that Gretta is afraid of lol!!


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

Well the goats are not totally at fault, the horses are as well, so before you toss the goats out try the soap. Also mine tend to eat things when they are babies more so when they are grown. They would "graze" on my LGD, eat paper and etc, they grew out of it. 
Do you give them minerals? They need the copper and etc and it might help their craving for hair. Also can you stop the horses from going over there with a rope or something?


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## JessB (Dec 9, 2010)

I do have a goat mineral block out for them and they attack that like crazy! They are getting plenty of minerals with the feed and the block. 
I am thinking of adding barbed wire where the horse press against the fence. 
I just went out with a mix of iodine soap, habenero & tabasco sauce and water. I dunked the horses tails in it and got them soaked. I can smell those tails before I even get close to the horses! They smell HOT!  I am also considering making the pen for the goats smaller so i can double up fence - making it impossible for the goats to even reach the horses. But that would have to wait until spring. The ground is frozen and I can't move fence posts. We'll see what happens.


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

Deworm your horses!


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## JessB (Dec 9, 2010)

Alice, 
My horses and goats are properly dewormed and on a deworming schedule!

Thank you very much!


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

My horses will back up to fences when they have pinworms.


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## JessB (Dec 9, 2010)

my paint horse is also letting the goats groom - chew hair - on his face, legs and sides. I think he just enjoys it and the goats had already learned to eat hair before I got them


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Sounds like to me you need to get a donkey to put in with them (horses and goats). My goats would chew on anything until they got trained by the donkey to "stay away from other 4-legged creatures."!!!! 

Seriously, that's probably a habit like a cribbing horse. May not be able to break these goats from it once they're started. You might want to consider separating them from the horses if possible if they produce offspring to prevent the bad habits from being taught.


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## HappyFarmer (Jun 17, 2006)

JessB said:


> I do have a goat mineral block out for them and they attack that like crazy! They are getting plenty of minerals with the feed and the block.
> 
> I would add some loose minerals.
> The blocks are hard and difficult for goats to get enough, them attacking it like crazy tells me they are needing more. Even with the loose minerals they will consume them heavily until they have enough (week or two), then slow down a bit. We offer all three blocks, kelp, and meatmaker loose minerals, though we have a larger herd.
> ...


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## JessB (Dec 9, 2010)

I certainly think this is a hard habit to break or maybe even an impossible one! 

HappyFarmer - the mineral block I have is made by Purina and it just falls apart when you pick at it, it's flaky. It's not a hard pressed block like a salt black. I got these goats in July and we are on our 3rd block already! These are two ~60lb goats - should they be eating that much? I've had to put the block up on a spool so they have to work to get at it. They pick it apart like candy! I'm afraid they will eat too much at one time. Would they do that with loose minerals?
Thanks for you help!


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## HappyFarmer (Jun 17, 2006)

If they are deficient in something yes they will hit the minerals hard.

I don't know what kind of block you have, but molasses or salt blocks they just gobble them up for those ingredients. We put out a protein tub (GoatLyx) occasionally that is mostly molasses. They go quick, though I know they are going after the molasses, but I have it out for the extra protein so it works well for us.

I'd remove any salt or molasses blocks temporarily & offer a loose mineral (mine won't eat the black minerals, love the red ones, get a sample beforehand if you can). If they need them they will eat it hard until they've cleared up their deficiency-could take a while. I don't limit any minerals I put out, and yes the kelp goes fast too because of the salt. Free choice.

There are very few feeds/forages/grains (if any) that are completely balanced for all areas of the country, much less local areas.

HF


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## JessB (Dec 9, 2010)

Thank you for your help! I will get a loose mineral and start feeding that.
This is the block I have out now: http://goat.purinamills.com/OURPRODUCTS/PRODUCTS/GoatBlock/default.aspx

Is it doing any good?
I appreciate your help!


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

It is very low on copper. It looks like it is a supplement for goats on pasture and it has lots of things it in that you do not see in loose minerals like wheat and soybeans. 

Goat or cow loose minerals that I use have at least 1200 ppm, what you are using has only 50 ppm. Do not get the kind for sheep or sheep/goats. They are killed by copper and goats needs it. 

With only 2 of them a 50 lb bag will last you quite a while. Goats cannot get enough from the blocks due to the way they lick it and how little comes off of it. So maybe if you satify their mineral needs and keep the horses tails all goopy  this problem can be solved.


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## HappyFarmer (Jun 17, 2006)

Well, I am NOT a nutritionist, nor claim to be. Having said that I'll make a few comments but they are based on my experiences in my area with my herd; everyone's needs are different for different areas.

I'm not a fan of Purina; years ago tried it out for my dog who got wicked gas, never knowingly bought that brand again. I'm sure they've improved since then (25+ years ago).

The protein is a nice high level-for my herd, that I know is lacking protein in their normal diet. If I had 2 pet wethers I wouldn't be feeding them a protein block at 18%, I'd look at their other feeds to make sure they were at or below 11% or 12% and call it a day. Wethers really just need the minimal, decent hay and a decent loose mineral and they should be good to go. They are not pregnant, not nursing, not in rut for the fall, they don't have the stresses of intact working animals. 

Salt looks really high, but sometimes that's not a bad thing; for my area the selenium & copper look low, and I can't look at the label & my reply screen at the same time but it looks like some of the others are low, too. You can compare to Sweetlix meatmaker 16:8 what I use, and even that is not enough for here.

Where are you located? These pasture blocks are nice, they really are, but I wouldn't use them as the sole mineral for my herd. Like I said I use the protein tubs, same concept their developed as a pasture supplement, but who has the perfect pasture? I don't.

Noone can really can't say what is best for your goats, I can say that it took me about 4 years to come up with a decent solution to my mineral issues; I'd knock one out of whack then would have to fix it. The whole reason for my post was because your goats were eating the block like crazy. To me, that's a key indicator it's not enough minerals for their needs.

I do hope that helped in some way, proper nutrition is a journey we all must endure at some point, the problem is each journey is unique of it's own. IMO your wasting your money on the high protein blocks, there are better choices for your situation.

HF


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## HappyFarmer (Jun 17, 2006)

Here's the meat maker label. Note the copper level & I still have to bolus. I buy this at my coop, thankfully they carry it as shipping costs can get expensive.

HF

Meat MakerÂ® Products

16:8 Meat MakerÂ® - 987

16:8 Meat Maker

* Loose mineral product in 25 lb. bags
* 2:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio Provides 100% of daily recommended amounts of trace minerals including copper and selenium
* Fortified with vitamins A, D and E
* Designed to supplement forage/browse-based diets
* Highly concentrated formula ensures that goats get full amount of needed minerals and vitamins
* Very economical supplement for commercial goats



Guaranteed Analysis
Calcium (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.00%
Calcium (Max) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.80%
Phosphorus (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.00%
Salt (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.00%
Salt (Max) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.00%
Magnesium (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.50%
Potassium (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.50%
Sulfur (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.50%
Iron (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.25%
Manganese (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.25%
Zinc (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.25%
Cobalt (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 ppm
Copper (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,750 ppm
Copper (Max) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,810 ppm
Iodine (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 ppm
Selenium (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 ppm
Vitamin A (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300,000 IU/lb.
Vitamin D-3 (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000 IU/lb.
Vitamin E (Min) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 IU/lb.
Ingredients
Monocalcium Phosphate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Cane
Molasses, Soybean Hulls, Magnesium Oxide, Potassium Chloride, Copper Sulfate,
Yeast Culture, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide,
Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Molybdate, Iron Oxide (as a coloring agent), Sodium
Selenite, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement,
Vitamin E Supplement, Mineral Oil and Caramel Flavoring.
CAUTION: Contains added copper. DO NOT FEED TO SHEEP. Daily
consumption of selenium should not exceed 0.7 mg per head.
Mineral Program
SweetlixÂ® 16:8 Meat MakerÂ® is a 2:1 calcium to phosphorus mineral scientifically
formulated to be fed to goats on pasture on a free choice basis. SweetlixÂ® 16:8
Meat MakerÂ® helps goats attain maximum performance by providing a complete
vitamin and trace mineral supplement, which includes copper and selenium,
designed especially for the needs of meat goats. High quality ingredients are
selected to deliver optimal nutrition to your goats.
Feeding and Management
SweetlixÂ® 16:8 Meat MakerÂ® should be fed free choice continuously as the sole
FREE CHOICE source of salt and minerals at the rate of 0.3 to 0.5 oz. per head per
day. When consumed at this rate, SweetlixÂ® 16:8 Meat MakerÂ® will provide 0.4 to
0.7 mg selenium.
Provide at least 1 mineral feeder per 10 head of goats for access purposes. Locate
mineral feeders near a clean, fresh source of water. Mineral consumption levels will
vary depending upon the mineral status of the goats.
For additional information, please contact your SWEETLIXÂ® representative.
10/06
NET WEIGHT: 25 LBS. (11.3 KG)
16:8 Meat MakerÂ®
A Free Choice Mineral and Vitamin Supplement
for Meat Goats on Pasture
Manufactured By Sweetlix, PO Box 8500, Mankato, MN 56002
Contact us at: 1-87SWEETLIX â¢ www.sweetlix.com 987
L I V E S T O C K S U P P L E M E N T S Y S T E M


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## Jay27 (Jan 11, 2010)

Can you beef up the fence between the horses and goats so they can't get to the horses' tails? Maybe smaller square wire?


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

Or an electric wire on the horse side of the fence at the height of their hindquarters.


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

I use Manna Pro loose goat minerals with a nice high copper content and I still have to bolus as well.


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