# Doe eating dirt



## Sunny Daze (Jan 14, 2008)

I am pretty sure one of my does is eating dirt. I haven't actually seen her eat it but lately she has had a black "mustache". She is the only one I have noticed in a group of 14 in that field. They have access to a loose mineral free choice, she has been copper bolused, dewormed, they get alfalfa pellets, a grass hay and right now I am feeding Purina goat chow. She is not thin or underweight at all. I have seen dogs dig a small hole and eat the dirt, and always figured they were trying to get some sort of mineral. What would she be lacking to be doing this? Again, I haven't seen her actually eat it, only her "mustache" so I am assuming she is...


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2008)

I don't know if its a lack of anything or not but this is a good question. We have a wether that done this since he was able to figure out how to eat. He loves dirt. Give him a pile of different leaves or veges and he'll lick the dirt off and leave the plant.


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2008)

My girls commonly eat dirt, yes they are after minerals or salts from the earth, this doesn't mean they are deficient, before we domesticated animals, they ate dirt, bark, leaves, weeds etc.. this is where they got their minerals from.. Its natural and nothing to worry about.. 
Take a post hole digger and dig down deep and bring up some clean dirt, the goatees will love it.. Mine do, I give them some any time we are digging post holes for fencing.. or hubby is digging with the tractor, we just dump them some..


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## ellie (Nov 17, 2007)

Hi Sunny,

You said she had access to minerals, but does she get enough salt? That may be what she's looking for. My own feeling is that the dirt (where goats live) is probably high in goat berries which means she'd be likely to re-infest her self with worm larva...

Ellie


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## Sunny Daze (Jan 14, 2008)

I think she is getting the dirt from some fresh holes we dug to put in new posts. Come to think of it, that is when I first noticed her doing it so maybe she likes that deep, fresh, black dirt! Her loose mineral is Sweetlix meatmaker which I thought was sufficient. I guess I won't worry too much about it. It was just odd since I never noticed her doing this before so thought I would check. Thanks!


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## Kaye White (Oct 25, 2007)

:lol You don't have any chewed on pine trees in their area do you??
I've got one buck that devours pine tree bark...thus getting pine resin on his muzzle. It then turns dark. No one else seems to do this....well, until a day before a show. :mad

Just a thought,
Kaye


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## Sunny Daze (Jan 14, 2008)

actually, they have been working on a pine tree in the back corner...maybe thats what shes doing? It was so nice out I just sat in the preggo does pen for quite a while (trying to will them into labor with my eyes)  I can see the pasture the others are in, not once did I see her eat any dirt but she always has that black mustache! I never really thoroughly examined it because it just looks like black dirt...maybe I should see if it is real sticky..who knows!


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## Kaye White (Oct 25, 2007)

Best way to tell...try to wipe off that mustache...if it's stuck  chances are it's resin. :lol
Kaye


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## Sunny Daze (Jan 14, 2008)

tee hee hee, the mustache is stuck!! Guess that answers that question!!


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