How to Get Rid of Lice on Goats Naturally?

Where getting rid of lice with chemical products and insecticides causes troubles, these natural remedies are not harmful. You don’t need to stop collecting milk from your goat. Even, these natural remedies do not harm the baby and pregnant goats.

The problem regarding Lice is common in goat farming. Especially, in the winter, but not limit to this season. If lice have attacked your goat and you want a natural solution to get rid of the lice, you are in the right place.

So, why procrastination? Let’s check all the remedies and choose a suitable one. I can promise you will succeed.

The Natural Ways to Get Rid of Lice on Goats

Now, Some proven natural remedies work nearly 100% both on biting lice and sucking lice of goats. If you don’t know, from 5,000 species of lice only these two species choose goats as a host.

As a parasite of your goats, lice suck blood, bite and irritate them. That’s why the goats try to rub their body with hard elements, sometimes with the fence.

That can break your fence, cause wounds on the skin of the goat, fur or hair loss of the goats, and so on. Besides, blood-sucking causes anemia, weight loss, and decreased production of goats.

1. Shaving or Trimming the Hair of the Goats (Not for Winter)

If you have cashmere goats you may trim the hair of the goats to get far from them. This method is also useful to get rid of goat lice. You can use an electric trimmer to trim the hair of the goats. It is a very easy method and you will get 100% results.

But, it is not for the winter. The goat cannot tolerate cold. So many goats die in the winter because of collecting cashmere in winter. You need to be careful to protect them. If you trim them in winter make sure that you covered them with coats.

I do not like this process as that causes an ugly looking on my loving animals. But, some of my neighbors love this method as this is a proven method. I have some other methods that work. Go to the next.

2. Applying Essential Oil and Brushing

Brushing is a good practice. It not only removes the lice but also removes other parasites. If you brush goats regularly, they will look groomed and vivid. Dandruff and other things also will be removed.

While you apply essential oil on the body of the goat, the scent of the oil will irritate the lice. They will come out of the sticky position and will start to run. When you brush the lice, they will fall out of the body of the goats.

Several pieces of research have shown that the following natural oils work in different geographic locations from the USA to Egypt.

They are-

• Neem oil
• Tea tree oil
• Lavender oil
• Peppermint oil

They cannot kill the lice nor can prevent them from laying eggs. They just make the lice weak and when you brush they fall out of the body of the goats.

Consequently, you need to repeat this process again and again with an interval of two or three days for 7 to 10 days. That will make sure all the lice are killed and no eggs remain there.

3. Applying Sulphur Powder

Sulphur is a natural element. It is the only chemical that is allowed in organic farming. It is a little bit toxic but a small amount will not harm your loving goats or you. This method is very suitable in the time of winter.

So, how should you apply sulphur dust on goats? Well, you just need to take a handful of Yellow sulphur powder and rub them on the body of the goat. In this process, apply every external part of the body except the eye, mouth, and nasal area.

If goats eat sulphur a significant amount it can cause diarrhea, brain damage, even death. So, be careful so that the goat cannot eat sulphur powder when applying. You should use a mask while applying sulphur so that you do not have to inhale the sulphur dust.

Use  1-1.5 teaspoons of sulfur per day until lice are gone. However, this powers are not common in locality, you can buy it online.

4. Application of Diatomaceous Earth

This is the best solution I ever found. This method is even most perfect for child goats.

Diatomaceous earth is a natural element and it is not toxic. It is a special kind of sand that is extracted from the earth. This natural element consists of algae that are fossilized over millions of years.

Are you curious? How does it work?

The mechanism is very simple. Lice have a waxy outer coating that covers the exoskeleton of this insect. They can preserve and control the water of the body with this coating. Diatomaceous earth removes that outer coating. As a result, lice cannot retain water and dies because of dehydration.

There are mainly two types of diatomaceous earth. One is food grade and the other is filter grade.

All types of diatomaceous are not suitable for removing goat lice. So, which type is suitable?

Only food-grade diatomaceous earth is perfect. The difference between the two is at the existing level of crystalline silica. Food grade diatomaceous earth contains 0.05- 2% and filter grade contains more than 2% to 60% crystalline silica.

Filter grade is toxic to your goat and also you. But food grade is safe to use. Even your goat can eat that thing. Some farmers claim that it has health benefits to feed diatomaceous, prevent internal parasites. But, it is not medically proven. So, you must be careful to choose the perfect one.

So, how do you apply diatomaceous earth? The process is the same as that of applying sulphur. Just rub Diatomaceous earth powder on the whole body of the goats. Repeat these two or three times with two days intervals.

You should be careful so that you do not inhale the powder nor your goats. Though it is safe to eat, it is irritable while entering the lungs.

Here are some tips so that you get optimum output and can get rid of lice from your goats permanently for at least this season.

Tips to Attain The Optimum Result Quickly

Provide healthy diet:

When the goats are affected by the lice, they may not show interest in eating. In such a case, make sure that you are providing high-quality goat feed to them.

Choose a remote place for treatment:

The lice can survive one day without the host. When they fall from the body of hosts, they try to find a host. So, if you apply treatment in the pens, barns, or farmhouse, the fallen lice can climb up again. So, choose a distant place for treatment.

Treat every goat of the group:

You should treat every goat on your farm on the same day. If you do not treat the entire trip on the same day, the treated one will be contaminated by the affected one.

Replace the bedding & clean living area:

You must have to treat the living area and old beddings of the goats. That will ensure that lice have gone permanently from your farm for this season.

Also, provide best quality grass for goats.

Apply treatment several times:

Except for the shaving or trimming method, you have to apply the treatment several times. After the first application of sulphur, Diatomaceous earth, or essential oils with combing, you will find several eggs are on the body of the goat.

You can use a magnifying glass and it will be easy for you. Hatching these eggs, new lice will be born. So, apply the treatments two times per week over two weeks.

Ensure proper care:

Caring goats are routine process. So in order to keep them healthy, you need to ensure proper care for goats.

In general, this problem worse in winter. Therefore, you need to prepare before the winter. To learn more, read this guide on how to care for goats in winter.

Conclusion

To save your goats from lice in a natural way you can trim the hairs of the goats, apply essential oils and brush the body, apply natural sulphur on the body and apply Diatomaceous earth on the body.

Among all the methods applying food grade Diatomaceous earth is best for me. It can be applied to baby goats without any side effects. All these natural remedies will help you to protect nature, your health, pregnant and breastfeeding goats.

Besides, it will protect you from the contamination of chemicals on the milk of the goats. A combination of more than one method will give you an amazing result. So, apply the suitable natural solution in case lice attack your goats. I want to hear your result.