Mehreen Alberts
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Common ectoparasitic bugs that attack goats are the lice. Goat lice tend to be host-specific and attack only goats, their closest relatives (e.g. Sheep) 🤓 Based on their feeding habits, there are five types of goat lice. Sucking lice feed by puncturing the skin using tiny, needle-like mouthparts that draw blood from the capillaries. To scrape or abrade the hair, chewing lice are also called biting lice. Skin and hair 😎 Chewing lice consume tiny bits of skin, skin secretions and hair for food 🙌 The feeding habits and activity of these insects result in discomfort and irritation To the animal. Infested animals are often a cause of structural damage to farm facilities by rubbing and scratching on fences and posts resulting in hair Parasites can cause skin and hair loss as well as wounds and secondary infection. Poor feed conversion and an appearance that is unthrifty are all signs of parasitic disease. Reduced weight Gains and milk production [1]
Contact is the most common way lice can be transmitted. Lice can be transmitted from one animal to another by contact. Lice cannot survive They should not be more than one week from each other. In favorable circumstances, eggs clinging to shed hairs may continue to hatch For 2 to 3 Weeks. Infested animals are the most common way lice can be introduced into herds. Lice populations vary throughout the year. The summer is when they are at their lowest and the spring and the early spring, when they are highest. When the population starts to increase, it is important that livestock be tested for lice in fall. This should be done if animals scratch or rub during the fall. Time of yearThey should be taken care of to stop severe infestations. [2]
Extension.okstate.edu Also, lice (Order : Phthiraptera), are permanent, wingless ectoparasites that can be found in both birds and mammals. Lice development is different from other parasites. The lice go through infected development. Nymphs are the larvae, which look very similar to adulthood (Figure 1). Over 3,000 parasites have been identified, most of them birds. The infestation of lice can affect a variety of domestic livestock including sheep, goats, cows and cattle. It causes chronic dermatitis or pedicillosis, which is characterized as constant itching, itching and rubbing of the scalp and fleece. Only goat lice can infest sheep and other close relatives, such as the goats. [3]
Ravallirepublic.com goes on to mention how lice are “species-specific,” meaning they can only complete their life cycle if they’re on the right host, so your dog isn’t going to get lice from your goats and neither are you. Conversely, goats can’t get lice from your horse or your cat but generally acquire the parasite from another goat. Adult lice—if disengaged from their host—won’t survive longer than a day or two in the environment; however, the eggs can exist in bedding and continue to hatch over two to three weeks, so controlling an infestation means not only treating your animals but keeping a clean barn. [4]
Article references
- https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/lice-what-they-are-and-how-to-control-them
- https://www.sweetlix.com/research-articles/goats/dealing-with-lice-on-goats/
- https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/external-parasites-of-goats.html
- https://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/with-spring-comes-lice-in-the-goat-barn/article_26fc4ed0-13ec-5350-a109-3538962c565a.html
