Mange

Jack, one of our Pygora goats, came down with mange. This comes from mites, which may have been in a bale of hay we had. These goats are relatively easy keepers, but given the infestation, decided to strip out the goat shed completely to remove whatever may be left. We will be spraying the shed with Sevin, on a nice day, since we will need to shoo the goats outside for the day while the shed dries out. We stripped out 20 loads of hay and manure, which took two days to complete, given the cold windy snowy conditions, and my 53 year old energy level! Which, I do consider to be generally pretty high, but lots of heaving, and pushing the wheel barrow through the snow is definitely a good workout. Since mange is very much species specific, not all of the goats are bound to get mange from Jack, and although the sensitivity tends to run in bloodlines, his brother Mack may not get it. And the two Nigerians are showing no signs of it either. Our veterinarian gave Jack Ivermectin, subcutaneously, as well as vitamin D among other things. In addition, they all have lice, so we are treating them for that as well. The vet recommended Bug Block, a spray for horses, which we will be using on them as well. Jack is getting Frontline spray on his legs as well to aid in the arrest of the mites that are causing mange. The goat shed is cleaned out, and all interior surfaces have been swept down. We will attempt to spray the shed as soon as we have a warm enough day. I have decided to purchase 2 Amish made goat coats for Jack and Mack. Jacks fleece has been compromised, more so from the lice than mange. I cannot treat the lice effectively with the fleece on, so I will shear him when the coats arrive, and he will be warm until the weather is better, at least.