The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Luce747 on April 15, 2012, 06:01:08 pm

Title: nanny overgrooming kid
Post by: Luce747 on April 15, 2012, 06:01:08 pm

We have noticed that Hermione keeps pulling her kid's fur and she has started to make bald patches...

Is there anything we can do to stop this?  ???

Title: Re: nanny overgrooming kid
Post by: jaykay on April 15, 2012, 06:25:34 pm

Silly girl!

Two things. Make sure H is getting a good mineral supplement and put something on the kid that's harmless with a strong taste. Lavender, citronella, tea trea. Got any natural midge spray? You don't want to overdo it so that she won't have anything to do with the kid. Just put it where she seems to pull.

Title: Re: nanny overgrooming kid
Post by: Luce747 on April 15, 2012, 07:05:17 pm

I am wondering if my stroking the kid has caused her to overgroom - is it worth not stroking him for a while to see if she stops pulling fur?

Maybe I should try both. I have some flea stuff that is just citronella and lavendar.

Title: Re: nanny overgrooming kid
Post by: jaykay on April 15, 2012, 08:23:24 pm

You might well be right about the stroking, certainly rabbits will do this with their babies if you touch them. I suppose we leave a scent on them that the mum recognises as foreign. Worth leaving him be for a while and see if it stops.

Incidentally, I saw a video of someone stroking a goat kid and the woman was saying 'see, the doe is fine with it' but it was clear from the video that in fact the doe was pretty stressed.

So stroking the kid quite a bit might be stressing his mum anyway.

Title: Re: nanny overgrooming kid
Post by: Luce747 on April 16, 2012, 10:29:17 am

She does bleet and show mild signs of stress but so long as she can see him and lick him, she seems to accept me touching him.

I don't want to underestimate how important scent is to sheep and goats with their young so going to stop touching him for a couple of days and monitor her grooming behaviours but also going to address diet by way of a mineral balancer on speaking to wytsend about a probable deficiency (thanks for the info  ;) )

Title: Re: nanny overgrooming kid
Post by: wytsend on April 16, 2012, 01:29:01 pm

spoken to a Vet professor on this one.... he is certain my advice was good,  she may also have a potassium deficiency as well as zinc/copper possibly.     So the mineral balancer is the right route to go.

Title: Re: nanny overgrooming kid
Post by: Luce747 on April 16, 2012, 02:20:07 pm

I try to provide bananas and skins to help toward potassium and selenium, but sadly this is not a cheap option!
Not to mention that I am not crazy about buying exotic fruit - much prefer to buy seasonal, local produce.

I am very pleased to be able to order this mineral balancer. Certainly a weight of my mind  :thumbsup: