Worming goats

[Justinian]

We have had goats for nearly 13 years and always used Ivomec as an injection and it kills external parasites as well as worms. We don't drink the milk for 4 days but of late we have become infused after reading articles and posts on the 'net, particularly from the American contributors.

It appears that they double the recommended dosage and administer it orally. They also advise that the milk is avoided for up to 60 days.

It would interesting to hear what ISH members do/advise?

[farmerdrea]

I think you do what works for you. Even if you've gotten a small dose of Ivomec periodically, has it done you any harm? Most vets I know who know anything about goats recommend drenching at a rate 1.5 times than the rate for sheep, and then drenching again 4 days later, because the digestive system of the goat quite a bit faster, and things stay in the rumen for less time, so aren't absorbed as well.

How often do you find you need to drench? We only do it on as as-needed basis with our goats, except for the annual post-kidding drench that the does get. And we are majorly overstocked, by NZ standards.

Even then, I will offer the goats anti-parasitic herbs before I drench if they are looking peaky (anemic or scouring). If that doesn't work in a day or so, then they get the chem drench (and we use a 3-way drench). We have to work with drench resistance in the majority of the parasite populations in NZ, but I also think it's becoming a worldwide problem.

What is your stocking rate, and how often do you drench? have you ever done a fecal exam to see what parasites you're dealing with, to make sure the ivermectin gets them all? There are 3 drench families, each of which targets different things, some overlapping, but they each won't get all, if I'm making any sense?

Cheers
Andrea
NZ

[mauzi]

Hi all, I am new here but we keep British Alpine Dairy goats and I only use herbs and natural handling to worm them. A bit of backround - I have worked with animals all my life (was also an equestrian coach for 25 years) and I havn't used a commercial wormer now for well over 20 years. Many years ago I did loads of testing to see what was really happening and how often an animal really needed worming - bearing in mind that some worms are a natural occurence. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I know look to management i.e., rotation of paddocks, resting paddocks for a minimum of 3 months, growing mustard during that time where possible, before returning the goats back to eat the mustard (natural vermifuge). I also worm by eye, i.e., when the goats need it other than the usual post kidding wormer. I feed home grown garlic (as most of the commercial ones have had all medicinal value destroyed) minced up with some mollases and water. I have one goat who just loves this (I feed it in a stuby beer bottle) and she grabs the bottle to be dosed. Looks really funny. I also put some dried wormwood (about a handfull - not while in kid though as this can cause problems) with molasses to hide the taste in feed. Some goats may not eat this though so the garlic may be better for those. We also have a big range of feeds in their paddocks and a lot of natural area (which also grows teetree) and it is really interesting to see what the goats choose to eat (I am guessing for worming/health purposes).

Hope this has helped a little and look forward to chatting some more.

[ina]

I know that my case is not "normal" - I have two goats, and I've always kept them in my garden, which hadn't had livestock in it since the house was built 15 years ago. The goats were "clean" when they came in (3.5 years ago), and they've never had worms since then.