Doe dumping her coat

[jennigrey]

I have a Boer/Kiko doe - dry, not bred, 3y.o. - who is dumping her coat like mad! Down to bare skin! I've had her since she was 4 months and she has never shed like this before.

The exposed skin is healthy. She isn't rubbing or itching. Alpine wether she is stabled with still has all his winter poofiness. No feed, stabling or other changes to their keeping. They get pasture and grass hay. She is otherwise healthy and normal (normal for a goat, I mean).

Onset was about 4 days ago. Edited to add: And by "onset" I mean the bald patches started showing up about 4 days ago. She has been shedding wooly undercoat for the last week-and-a-half. But about 4 days ago all the stiff guard hairs started falling out too, leaving bare skin.

Now, one of my horses does this occasionally (maybe once every few years): drops her coat with a THUD and hasn't yet grown the new stuff in. She did it last fall, in fact. Ran around shivering with bare patches in the rain and needed blanketing for about a week.

Anyone else's goats do anything like this? I'm hoping the doe is just having a weird shed. I have scrutinized her for any signs of creepy-crawlies. I know there are a number of things that can cause hair loss in goats. But this fast?

[Goat Servant]

I dont have a clue if its not lice or mites but looking fwd to any possible solutions as my buck has bald patches he's been womred & topical treatments.

[jennigrey]

Ah! You are also near Seattle and have Boers! I found a few references on the net that suggest that this might be a "Boer thing". When did your buck's bald patches start showing up?

[pookshollow]

I've had pink Saanens in past years - the coat seems to come out all at once. It grows back in normally, so I just shrug and figure it's "goats!"

[Goat Servant]

Jennigrey Im sorry I didnt notice your location till you mentioned it! Whereabouts are you?
It started about a month ago. There arent any raised areas like ringworm. I checked him for lice/mites but Im not good at that...when you part the hair all the hay particles & dirt moves.
He got some ivermectin+ as injectable, been putting aloe vera on bald spots but Im gonna have to go with something stronger.
He's only been here about 9 mos & came from the dry side of the state.

[jennigrey]

Did you get him from Tricia, by chance?

I live in Monroe.

A month, huh? Hm, that's kind of a long time. And the bald patches don't have any peach fuzz yet?

[Goat Servant]

Shoot mgoot girl, we're in snohomish!
Theres that peach fuzz too but not aorund the baldness. Soon as I get a gun he's getting copper bolused.
He came from Yakima area.
Ive NEVER seen Kikos around here where are they hiding?

[jennigrey]

My doe actually came from down in Oregon but there's someone in Marysville and someone over on the Oly Pen (Discovery Bay) who has Kikos. I have been waffling on whether to sell this doe or have her bred. Our plan had always been to breed her, but there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to get everything done and the goats were something I was thinking on cutting back on, to try to get some breathing room.

Friend of mine had a nice Boer herd over in Odessa, but sold them last fall and moved to Woodinville. Thought maybe you'd gotten one of hers. It is a small world, after all!