The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: plumseverywhere on December 20, 2011, 08:17:41 am

Title: Drench guns
Post by: plumseverywhere on December 20, 2011, 08:17:41 am
Do you all drench with a specifically designed drench gun? am just thinking ahead to worming time and needing to invest in a 'gun' now I have a larger herd (or will have come March!)
I've found one on ebay that's a 20 ml dosing syringe (so its plastic on the syringe bit but still got the curved metal bit you pop in their mouth) would that be good enough or do I need to spend oodles more cash to be sure?  :)
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: Hermit on December 20, 2011, 08:48:21 am
We have a gun that attatches to the carton of wormer and automatically measures out the required dose to the dial you work on the side. We do use it for sheep as well and it is a lot easier to use when handling animals. You can get spare springs etc for them but we have had ours eight years now and no problems .Easy to clean as well.
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: humphreymctush on December 20, 2011, 09:02:30 am
I think a gun is a good investment. They last for years and you can get new rubber washers and things to keep the going. If you make the wormer bottle into a rucsac with some twine its very handy. I keep meaning to make a little holster for my drenching gun, so I can free up my hand when in between dosing but I never seem to get round to it.
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: Rosemary on December 20, 2011, 09:10:48 am
We use a dosing syringe - never seen any sheep spit anything out. It's the same shape as the horse wormers and they work fine.

We spent £50 on a fancy dosing gun thing that was just a damned footer, never worked properly and is in a box in the boot room.  ;D
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: robert waddell on December 20, 2011, 10:56:33 am
is that the one for £35         if you go to your nearest farm supply shop they will have a range of them for you to compare    or even ask sfs on here it should be impartial advice he gives :farmer:
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: plumseverywhere on December 20, 2011, 12:46:18 pm
Its a £12 one Robert, have ordered and will see how we go as its not for frequent use or for many animals it might hold out and be ok  :)  Our nearest farm shop started at £75  :o
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: robert waddell on December 20, 2011, 12:51:59 pm
with any drench gun it is vital to clean thouroughly and dry then lubricate with petroleum jelly :farmer:
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: plumseverywhere on December 20, 2011, 02:48:23 pm
with any drench gun it is vital to clean thouroughly and dry then lubricate with petroleum jelly :farmer:
Thank you - will make sure I do  :)
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: Rosemary on December 20, 2011, 04:32:53 pm
I stick my syringe in the dishwasher. Dan and I are fluke free  ;D
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: jaykay on December 20, 2011, 04:35:25 pm
Quote
Dan and I are fluke free
:D Good to hear  :D
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: plumseverywhere on December 20, 2011, 04:54:18 pm
I was going to ask if it could go in the dishwasher!! that's brilliant news  ;)

now trying to work out goat dose of panacur by measuring heart girth - aaaaaaaagh!! nothing is simple and believe me, I NEED simple!!
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: robert waddell on December 20, 2011, 05:19:57 pm
plums you need a weigh crate or at least the loan of one :farmer:
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: Anke on December 20, 2011, 09:09:58 pm
I am going to invest in a drenching gun for the goats specifically, for example if you have a goat with pregnancy toxeamia and have to drench several times a day.... I find goats are much more difficult to drench than sheep.... and are much more theatrical in showing their distaste of the whole process...

I was told to fill the gun in between uses with vegetable oil???

PLums - remember most wormers (not sure about ivermectin ones though, but definitely for Panacur/white or the yellow ones) need 1.5 to 1.7 times the sheep dose for worners.
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: Lesley Silvester on December 21, 2011, 12:47:47 am
I'm sooo glad I don't need to worm.  My girls are yarded.
Title: Re: Drench guns
Post by: plumseverywhere on December 21, 2011, 07:02:22 am
I am going to invest in a drenching gun for the goats specifically, for example if you have a goat with pregnancy toxeamia and have to drench several times a day.... I find goats are much more difficult to drench than sheep.... and are much more theatrical in showing their distaste of the whole process...

I was told to fill the gun in between uses with vegetable oil???

PLums - remember most wormers (not sure about ivermectin ones though, but definitely for Panacur/white or the yellow ones) need 1.5 to 1.7 times the sheep dose for worners.
yep, typical me after I bought a small one I realised the sheer quantity of each goat's worming drench needed a bigger one so I know have 2 on their way  ::) s'0k because the little one will be fine for the kids (hopefully) - caprine not human kids lol