lice in 2 week old nigerian goats

[funnyfarm976]

Hi there - we're new to goats. Just picked up two tiny little nigerian dwarf boys yesterday. Today we put them outside to get some fresh air (they're staying in the basement until the shed is finished) and after being in the sun for a while we noticed some little lice on them. I'm very hesitant to do anything to chemically since they're so young and I'd prefer not to anyway. Our local tractor supply was useless. I picked up some food grade DE but the floor is concrete - will dusting them with it hurt them or even do anything for an existing infestation? They're pretty itchy. I was planning on offering them the dog crate with shavings to sleep in if they wanted to, but last night they slept on top of an old coffee table we used to make them a little den out of. They had outside time in the dog crate for sun and fresh air today - yesterday one got loose and catching it was tough. They have free range of the big room in the basement and are sharing it with 9 chicks that are secure in a large brooder box. Any advice is welcomed - we're so in love with them already! Thank you.

 

[Southern by choice]

You can use diamataceous Earth.
BUT if they are bad enough you can see them crawling all over them then you run the risk of them getting anemic quickly.

Are they from the chickens?

If not how old are the goats?

If they are that bad I would bathe them with a mix of soapy water and permethrins 10% concentrate. Mix concentrate according to label and than add to the soapy water. Bathe the goats let sit o them for a few minutes then rinse. Towel dry then blow dry.
Finish drying outside if nice and warm

On young animals lice and mites can feed heavily and can cause anemia quickly. Yes it is a chemical but at this point the issue is do you have time to waste.

Sprinkle the DE on the bedding to help prevent reinfestation. You will need to repeat in 10 days.

If you don't have a vet yet it might be a good time to introduce yourself to one. Get the kids exams and fecals done.
Baby goats (all goats for that matter) will generally have a parasitic or cocci bloom 4-7 days after being transported. Even though an animal may be happy and not appear stressed it is a physiological stress that you cannot see and most animals will experience this through their gut.
For young kids the greatest risk is cocci.

And WELCOME TO BYH!

 

[funnyfarm976]

Thank you - very helpful. I'm looking for a good vet. There are a few breeders near by that I can tap for help too. I was under the impression that chicken/goat lice are different and don't cross infest? One of the kids doesn't love the bottle and only takes about 4 oz's maz when fed. He'll pick it up after watching his brother do it first or if its first thing in the morning. They gulp it down and then stop after about 4 oz or so and seem full. Is the nipple too fast for them? Their belly's gurgle a bit while they eat and feel full and round when they're done and then snuggle up for a little nap. They are 2.5 and 3 weeks old I think. Because they aren't taking as much per feeding we've been offering them bottles more frequently - should I space them out more and see if they'll eat more or is more frequent smaller meals okay? My children love to feed them. I have noticed that the one who drinks less milk replacer seems a little more interested in the grain and hay we've left out, which is what the breeder did that we got them from. They are both being silly and playing around so I don't think they're dehydrated or starving.


Any advice/info is greatly welcomed!

 

[Southern by choice]

I'd forgo the replacer and just use whole milk from the grocery.
How many bottles, how far apart and how much?

 

[funnyfarm976]

Thanks. They both took about 10 oz after work today so stretching them seemed to help.

I picked up some zodiac flea and tick powder for puppies and kittens with .1% pyrethrins but it says do not use under 12 weeks. These goats are barely 3 weeks but the lice is worse today. I thought the bathing would be very stressful to them. Will the powder work? A local breeder said that's what she does.

 

[Southern by choice]

Personally I wouldn't use it.
Mainly because it is a powder will stay on them and if they chew at the lice they will ingest it.

The soapy water/permethrin is mild and you will be rinsing it.

Pyrethrins and permethrins are different products.
Pyrethrins are a class of organic compounds normally derived from Chrysanthemum plant.
Permethrins is a synthetic version.
Personally I feel the synthetic version to be milder with less residuals.
I used Pyrethrins many many moons ago before the Permethrins was even available... let me just say I suffered some serious health effects. Just because a product is "organic" does not always mean it is safer.

Permethrin should not be used on cats where Pyrethrin can.

Your vet may have other suggestions.

diatomaceous earth is great to put down in your buildings year round and whenever you change bedding... for goats and chickens.

Bathing is not stresful at all. Actually the warm water and massage mine all like.

All our adult goats are bathed after winter is over and they get their summer cuts. Never had one that fussed.
True goats don't like water but it seems more rain than water to me as we have never had an issue and every goat leaving our farm is bathed and dipped as a precaution before leaving.

Lice you can see but mites you cannot and an animal can have mites for a good while before you ever see evidence so it is just our practice for "just in case" as we would never want an animal to go to another farm with any creepy crawlies that we simply weren't seeing evidence of.