Unhappy goats!

Jen H · #1 03/07/05, 10:11 PM

If you want to see some of the most pathetic, unhappy critters ever, give a goat a bath! :haha:

With the strange weather this year here in Wa, lice have just had a field day. Usually I dust them in October and there's no problem. We were out of dust, but I looked at the active ingredient - pyrethrin. I looked at the dog's flea and tick shampoo - pyrethrin again. I looked it up in the vet book - yep, pyrethrin is listed for biting lice. So I grabbed a goat and a hose while hubby ran for his camera.

I don't think they have ever been so disgusted with me.

I'll post a link to the photos when hubby gets them processed.

Hank - Narita · #2 03/07/05, 10:33 PM

We live in AZ and our goats enjoy their bath in summertime. They look so pretty too.

mpillow · #3 03/08/05, 07:27 AM

We had a terrible wet summer with horrible downpours this summer so one very warm day I had a goat tied out in the field with an umbrella for shade. I came back after the rain had started and there was no getting the goat back to the barn. She was tied to a lawn tractor with her umbrella and she was safe and dry pretty much. Well I got to feeling bad for her so I put on my raincoat and rubber boots and went out....well she came out thinking I was going to take her in....but just then I decided since my boots were already full with water that I would bathe her.

I got some apple suave shampoo and soaped her up and rinsed her by taking off my boots and filling them up in the puddles and dumping on her.....my parents and my kids were watching and laughing hysterically. She was dry by milking time and smelled so good....I gave her extra grain to make-up for such trauma!

Its the lemons and lemonade thing.

Lt. Wombat · #4 03/08/05, 09:26 AM

You want to see funny wet goats: We use Atroban fly repellant and applyt it with soaked sponges. Between the tingling of the Atroban and the water on their skin, they drop their back legs and nearly drag their udders on the ground for about 5 minutes. The first time they did it I thought it was toxic shock. Goats are such pansie's some times :haha:

Croenan · #5 03/08/05, 10:46 AM

Do be careful when you give your goats a bath. Some really don't like it and it can stress them out. My little guy, who was already weak, but not showing any noticable signs, got a bath last summer and he was so stressed out from it, his coccidosis flared up and since we were newbies, he ended up almost dying.

Probably not a bad idea to give them some b1 and probios if the bath thing is new and of course a little treat.

NewlandNubians · #6 03/08/05, 10:57 AM

I always have used pour on cattle wormer for lice and it works great. Really knocks out the lice. I can't imagine having to wash all 15 of my goats with the weather we've been having. It's so much easier to use the pour on. I suggest y'all try that next time you have lice. You can buy a small bottle of eprinex (that's what I use) and split it with a friend or you can keep it for quite a while and it will still work. Much better than having to wash them IHMO.

tduerson · #7 03/08/05, 09:30 PM

I bath my goats all the time. I have a Bottle Baby in the house right now that gets bathed 1-2 times a week. I also use Puppy Flea Bath. I sometimes use regular Conditioner on him as well to to keep him from getting dried out and it smells really good to. He really doesn't mind it ot much. When I get him out of the tub I take him in the kitchen and use a Hair Drier ot Blow Dry his fur. he stands so still and "acts" like he loves evrey minute of it.

Tina

Shazza · #8 03/08/05, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewlandNubians

I always have used pour on cattle wormer for lice and it works great. Really knocks out the lice. I can't imagine having to wash all 15 of my goats with the weather we've been having. It's so much easier to use the pour on. I suggest y'all try that next time you have lice. You can buy a small bottle of eprinex (that's what I use) and split it with a friend or you can keep it for quite a while and it will still work. Much better than having to wash them IHMO.

I know I have mentioned this is another thread but couldn't resist, sorry.
Rather than pour a chemical over your goats give them a teaspoon of Sulphur powder (bright yellow powder) per day per goat until the lice are gone and then a teaspoon a week as a maintenance dose...just for the lice season.

Jen H · #9 03/08/05, 09:57 PM

Huh! I've never heard of using sulphur for lice control. I just might try that next year.

I almost never bathe my goats (besides washing udders when I was milking). I don't show them, and it just doesn't get that hot here. They are wonderfully soft and minty smelling now, I must say.