Hi all, I am new to the group and have read up on the shedding inquiries that have already been posted. I was hoping for an additional reassurance regarding the incredible shedding my 3 year old Nigerian Dwarf, Apollo is currently undergoing.
He grew the thickest winter coat I have ever seen on a goat this winter and is now losing all his underfluff cashmere AND his rough hairs (which is different from a previous poster) what's left besides a bit of the underfluff and rough hairs that have yet to drop is not bald skin underneath but a fine smooth but very light undercoat growing. I assume this will contiue to grow and become a nice summer coat.
Is this normal? I'm used to handfuls of cashmere coming out - but not all the rough hairs dropping too. He's chilly now because we live in Wisconsin and while it is currently raining and 45º it can still get down to single digits Fº at night. I put a calf blanket on him to keep him from shivering.
He is feeling fine otherwise... normal appetite, normal spunk and no fever. He eats good grass hay and has free choice purina goat minerals available. He gets a pinch of purina goat feed daily just to get him running when I call him to the goat shed at night. His FAMACHA is good and his skin is smooth and soft underneath.
I'll try to inclue photos. He looks like a ragamuffin. (I think his tail looks good and the pink you can see on his hind leg is where his calf blanket rubs a bit.)
Thanks for any input.
Replies
Hi and thanks for taking the time to respond. No alfalfa at all. Just nice grass horse hay. I just switched to purina goat mineral from manna pro. Otherwise they munch oak leaves and pine needles where they find them here in winter.
My other goat is a Nubian and is not shedding much yet but his cost is very different normally.
I'll look for lice tomorrow. His skin is very soft and I don't see any scabs or rough spots or flaking. His winter coat this year was amazingly thick and healthy looking. I'll take a look with a magnifier though.
other than the shedding he seems perfectly normal and happy.
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