Herd Health
Cows & Buffaloes
Mange — The Itch That Spreads Through the Shed
Updated 26 Aug 2026 • By Falah Nutrition Desk, Animal Nutrition Advisor
An animal that rubs itself raw against every post, loses coat in patches and thickens its skin into grey wrinkles is usually hosting mange mites — invisible skin parasites that spread animal-to-animal and through rubbing posts, ropes and walls. Itching costs feeding time, milk and condition; the treatment is veterinary, and the shed treatment is yours.
Common Signs
- Persistent, intense rubbing, licking and scratching — beyond normal grooming
- Hair loss in patches: tail head, neck, around eyes, legs, udder area
- Skin thickening into grey, wrinkled, crusty patches as it advances
- Restlessness — an itching animal eats and rests poorly
- Spread: first one animal, then its neighbours at the tying line
Possible Causes
- Microscopic mites burrowing or biting in the skin
- Direct contact between animals, plus shared rubbing posts, ropes and grooming tools
- Crowded, damp, dark winter housing — mange's favourite season
- Under-condition and stress lowering skin defences
- Untreated carrier animals reseeding the shed after partial treatments
What the Farmer Should Check
- Pattern of itching: constant and worsening, or occasional grooming?
- Skin at the worst patches: thickened, crusted, wrinkled?
- How many animals show it — and which shared posts and ropes connect them
- Season and housing: crowded damp winter shed?
- Tick or lice presence too — several skin parasites can overlap
Feed Guidance
Confirming which parasite and prescribing the right medicine (sprays, pour-ons or injections) is the doctor's task — mange responds well to proper treatment, usually repeated to catch newly hatching mites, and all in-contact animals typically need treating together, or the cured ones simply reinfect from the missed one. Your parallel war is the environment: scrub and treat rubbing posts, change bedding, sun-dry ropes and grooming tools (or keep per-animal sets), and thin out crowding where possible. Feed rebuilds what the mites taxed: itchy animals under-eat, so once treatment starts, steady fodder plus measured compound feed and daily minerals — zinc-containing mineral support is particularly relevant to skin repair — restore coat and condition over the following weeks.
Relevant GOKA Products
Dairy Cows & Buffaloes
Under 15 liters/day
Best when green fodder is scarce
Dairy Cows & Buffaloes
10-15 liters/day
Maintains milk fat, prevents repeat breeding
When to Contact a Veterinary Doctor
Severe, spreading or crusted skin disease needs veterinary diagnosis — mange, lice, ringworm and allergies look alike but need different treatments, and dairy animals need medicines with proper milk-safety guidance.
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