!!! My goat's ears look TERRIBLE!!!

[kkm]

Coming out of the winter, my Boar and some of my Spanish goat's ears just look awful.

They are chapped and dry and look almost painful.

I put vasoline on one of the tame ones, but can't really tell if it is doing any good. Is it just the weather or somethihg else? Anyone else have this problem or have any suggestions?? I'm not sure what to do.

 

[bheila]

Could they have ear mites?

 

[SheriM]

Do you mean around the edges, or down inside. If it's along the edges, it's probably a touch of frostbite. The vaseline will help protect the ears, but it can be tough to make sure everyone's got a good coating all the time. The long eared breeds like the Boer and Nubians can also have a problem on the tips of their ears if they dip into the water when the animals drink. I'm not sure there's really much you can do, other than watch for severe cases and treat those. If anyone else has some suggestions, I'd love to hear them. My poor goaties have the same trouble every winter.