So as not to appear ignorant...(which I kinda feel like asking this) how is Zinc deficiency determined? Are we talking bloodwork? I have just noticed a lot of discussion regarding this and would any info...Thanks guys...
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Thanks Patty! Helpful to hear others give BOSS to the bucks without problems. I think they do need it! I'll continue to go easy on it though. Thanks for your input!
Sorry Julia, that you haven't gotten a response from anyone about this yet. I have given my boys a couple tablespoons a day of BOSS when they've needed it, which seems to be in late winter/early spring for my goats. That's been fine for me. I think everyone's situation is a bit different (hay, wather, supplements), so it makes it hard to say. I feed meadow hay and Mana Pro Minerals and very occasional kelp granules. That's about it except the occasional apple slice or carrot stick or kale leaf. Hope that helps a bit. :)
Julia Stephens said:
Oh Judy, that's a great idea! I am very much a believer in kinesiology and didn't think of applying it to my goats! Great idea. I'd like to figure out how to do it myself though instead of bringing in my vet. All of my other goats are super soft and shiny and don't seem to be deficient in anything, but this one buck that I adore struggles a bit and I wish he could just tell me what he needs! I'm giving him some boss now and hoping he improves. The girls have gotten boss all along but as Deborah pointed out, sunflower seeds are GRAIN and that can cause problems for bucks. That's why I was hoping for some feedback about giving boss to the boys as well.
I had a vet come by today to just check my goats.
She said in HER mind - the biggest sign of zinc deficiency is loss of hair - around the eyes and elsewhere in the coat. She felt that dry skin and flakes of dandruff could also be a sign but that could be a few other things as well. Rough coat could also be sign of many issues - including merely shedding time.
I happen to believe in kinesiology - muscle testing - where an experienced vet or chiropractor "tests" your animal through a process of examining what makes the animal strong or weak. For instance - with my dog - I am a "rod" - I touch my dog - my dogs energy can connect with mine and she can test through me (think electricity - if you touch an outlet and get a shock - and I'm touching you - I'll feel the shock as well). If I ask her to test my dog for lamb - she asks first if the dog is allergic to lamb. If lamb is good for the immune system - the arm will stay strong, if it is bad for the immune system of THAT animal - nothing you can do will keep your arm strong when she pushes down on it. In this way- you can answer any question you have about the goat or what the goat is eating.
Since I noticed dry coat in one doe but nothing in other goats - I asked her to test my goats for nutrition. They all have a MINOR level of zinc and selenium deficiency - not enough to see big issues but since I'm anal about details - the little bit of dry skin I was seeing allowed me to pick this up before it got to be any sort of issue. I also use this kinesiologist to determine when I want to bolus with copper. And how much.
I asked the traditional vet that was here today about LEVELS of deficiency. Most traditional vets see animals that are at a level of illness or deficiency that is blaring/glaring to the eye. Loss of hair around the eye and patches of hair thinning is advanced stages. The deficiency has been building for a little bit or a long bit. The hard thing is to figure out what is going on before it gets bad enough to have a symptom like that. Like a dog that has kidney failure. By the time you see any signs - the kidneys are pretty much gone.
So - all the great information on this list and other lists I HOPE enable us to try to make sure we catch super early symptoms and use it to enable us to re-check our food choices, look at the water or other uptake factors, and maybe the genetics of that animal and weigh it.
To me - this is the most challenging part of animal ownership. Any type of animal because it is different per animal and sometimes different in the same animal at different times.
For me- my kinesiologist tested for my goats that the alfalfa amount in their diet was more valuable than the small amount of zinc deficiency and that I should add zinc through food stuffs and encouraging them to eat their minerals better. (that will be the hard part). She will test again regularly as I head toward kidding.
I've been adding sunflower seeds and I can already see a difference in the black goat.
A lot of chiropractors use kinesiology if you are tempted to learn more about this.
Judy
Does anyone see any problem with giving bucks BOSS as well? One of my bucks has a patchy rough coat, has had COWP regularly every three months (we have high iron in our water) and doesn't seem to have bugs but does have dry skin. I've been giving both my bucks about a small handful of boss every day but can this lead to UC? They have free choice Manna Pro which has ammonium chloride in it as well.
Thank you for the explanation. That's kinda what I thought...Just because I have been seeing the dry skin and had treated for lice (which I now see no sign of) I thought I would give the BOSS a try.
I don't know for sure, but I think most people are just going by the look of the skin and sometimes coat. The skin being really dry and flakey can mean zinc deficiency, and the coat can get rough and thin. I think it's important to determine that the problem isn't lice or mites too. However, giving some black oil sunflower seeds every day can help with zinc deficiency, and certainly can't hurt, so I think a lot of times people just give it a try for a while and see if it makes a difference.
This has been my experience anyway. Hope it helps a little. :)
Oops!!! Would like any info!!