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Zinc Questions

Posted by Naomi D'Andrea on January 11, 2016 at 9:57am in Health

If I suspect zinc deficiency in one goat (some hair loss around face, ears, and hind legs), should I suspect it in the other goat as well? Their diets are exactly alike.

Also, for those of you who think BOSS is a good dietary supplement for this, do you also give it in capsule/tablet form (and if so, at what dosage)? Does everyone think it's safe to give a wether BOSS every day, and if so, in what amounts?

Thanks for anything!

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Tags: BOSS, deficiency, dosage, hair, loss, wether, zinc
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Replies

  • Naomi D'Andrea January 14, 2016 at 4:43pm

    Thank you! Got some good grass today with NO alfalfa in it. Keeping my fingers crossed, as we are taking Mira to get bred today!

    Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:

    Each goat has slightly different needs. Whenever I had a deficiency problem in my bucks, they were all effected in slightly different ways or not at all -- at least not that we could see.
  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle January 14, 2016 at 2:53pm
    Each goat has slightly different needs. Whenever I had a deficiency problem in my bucks, they were all effected in slightly different ways or not at all -- at least not that we could see.
  • Naomi D'Andrea January 13, 2016 at 6:24pm

    Thank you, I'm sure that is the answer! I bought a 90/10 grass/alfalfa hay this summer, which has mostly been great--but the last two bales have had huge pockets of almost pure alfalfa! I'm going to pick up some orchard or brome grass hay tomorrow afternoon.

    Out of continued curiosity though, shouldn't his sister also be suffering with it, since she's not pregnant or lactating?

    Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:

    Wethers usually don't have any issues with vitamin deficiency because their nutritional needs are minimal since they are not producing milk, babies, or sperm. If he's the one you think is zinc deficient, it would probably be because he's getting too much calcium, such as alfalfa. So, if you make sure he gets only pasture, browse, and grass hay, the problem should go away on its own.

  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle January 12, 2016 at 1:33am

    Wethers usually don't have any issues with vitamin deficiency because their nutritional needs are minimal since they are not producing milk, babies, or sperm. If he's the one you think is zinc deficient, it would probably be because he's getting too much calcium, such as alfalfa. So, if you make sure he gets only pasture, browse, and grass hay, the problem should go away on its own.

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