Twitchy??

Today I noticed that one of my does was stamping her feet and twitching all over like she was plagued with flies, but there are no flies.  Could it be fleas or lice???  None of my other goats are acting the same, there are no other signs of itching, flaky, dry irritated skin or hair loss.   She finally decided to lay down and it was better, but she was still twitching and jerking her feet.  I have no idea what could be bothering her.  Any ideas??  Thanks!

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  • Thanks everyone!!  I'm actually in KY, so I don't think its fire ants... that's crazy though!  I've never heard of that problem before!!!

  • Mobile, AL?  I'd put my  money on the ants.

     

    You can find out for sure and spare yourself extra trouble if you can ever walk over when it is happening or just happened, you will see them on their legs and/or see the pile in a swarm because they stepped in it while grazing.  That's how I figured it out.  The ants around here (SW Florida) have just been ATROCIOUS.  Much worse than what I remember growing up as a kid in GA, but I read tthat they are hybridizing with other types of ants and building resistance to the poisons, so I guess that's why.

     

    The Amdro Firestrike formula is approved for use on pastures with no withdrawal (to be picky the exact Firestrike bag says not to use on pasture but the identical formula is the only one approved for pastures, so...)  I have used it and my less-than brilliant wether even ate some with no ill effect.  If your grass is thick it falls right through to the earth and they will never find it to eat it.  I can't afford to bait all my acreage but when it gets bad in small portions of the pastures I try to knock them back a bit.  It would be hundreds and hundreds of dollars to keep them off entirely.

     

    There is also an organic bait that is safer for the environment (though Amdro is the least of the evils for the chemical ones) but it doesn't work as well and is more expensive.  Green Light makes one.  Good luck

  • I am in Mobile and ants were my first thought also Juliana,  but I also felt Rachel could be on to something. I have only had one doe with lice. She had them when I bought her and I probably did the wrong thing from ignorance which was use Adams spray. It was almost 25 years ago and the first one I had bought so i didn't know any better.  had been raising dogs for years and Adams was like a miracle drug. So along these lines I have been wondering what to do this year about pest. I have been considering shaving, so I can learn to do show stuff since we hope to show later but I am concerned about mosquitos and things. I think it would keep them nice and cool and prevent fleas and ticks etc. but what would be safe to do about OUCH! See A Mosquito just bit ME! Seriously I am on my porch and it is beautiful out but how do I protect my babies from what is coming when we have had no winter to kill these darn varmints?

  • Are you in the south?  My goats do that when they get swarmed by fire ants.  What you described exactly.

  • Thanks!  I'll check for lice.  Ugh!  I hope she doesn't have them though!  She wasn't doing it in the afternoon, and I haven't seen her doing it again...  

  • I have one doeling that rolls her head and twitches really weird. She hadn't done it since last year, so I checked her fur, and she had lice, which are common this time of year here. I treated her, and she's not doing either any more. I think it was the feeling of the crawling bugs that were driving her nutso!

  • I have no idea! I see my goats do that sometimes but only in the summer, so I think it has to do with bugs or flies, even though I don't always see them.

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