Hello Everyone - It appears that my buck has scratched or rubbed off the hair on the back of both of his front legs. It is showing pink skin, a big piece too. I assume he did it from climbing on the fence, etc. Is this a pretty normal thing for bucks in rut? None of my other bucks have ever done this. Someone mentioned it might be urine scald. I guess this is okay? Should I do anything for it or just wait and see if it goes away after rut is over? It looks like it hurts. I was just going to wait and see if it cleared up but I figured I might as well ask. Thanks! Kristin
It's urine scald. I just today washed the front legs on a young Togg buck and shaved them so I could put some powder (Ammen powder) on them. active ingredient is zinc oxide. He's scalded enough that I'm concerned and that don't happen too often. Whole time I was dr.'ing he was spraying...stupid hormonal driven male. :sigh The other two bucks are not as bad as him...I'm not doing anything for them! One stinking, rutty buckling to deal with is enough! Kaye
So Kaye its not uncommon for them to scald anywhere like on the muzzle too? Saw one like that recently. Tammy
Well, I guess it is the urine scald. Would you suggest any kind of gauge of if I should treat it? Or just watch and see if it gets worse? Thanks for the help. Kristin
If it looks really bad why don't you treat his front legs like Kaye described she did to her buckling. Don't cover it with anything like gauze or bandage and don't put anything moist on it. Think drying. These young boys' hormones just go overboard sometimes. My buck has literally made himself sick over it. I have a boer buck whose front legs and face are yellow and stink.... whew....
Get them off protein. I don't feed any veggy protein right now they get only alfalfa pellets and hay, once they are done for the year they will go back on the meat goat pellets to get back into shape to be appraised this spring then off again. Protien is peed out in excess. This protein and the urine makes uric acid which not only is robbing the bucks body of much needed calcium to wrap this acid as it comes through the urethra, it also burns the skin and hair off all parts of the body he whizzes on. Protein from alfalfa simply doesn't do this. I have urine scald each year in young bucks breeding their first does because they live in the doeling pen and eat meat goat pellets free choice...I think it's the protein from the soy. I also had this problem when my pellets were made with cottonseed. Vicki
My bucks get alfalfa hay only, and the yearling buck has scalded the hair off the entire side of his muzzle. It's getting into the 20's here at night -- I'm not washing them or shaving. I've had bucks do worse, and it grows back in the winter. Baxter had an entirely bald face and bald front legs one year. Ugly, but didn't seem to do any harm. I guess if they actually got infected it would be a different story. Tracy
