The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Greenmoth on January 05, 2011, 10:42:02 pm
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can anyone recomend a good wormer for my goats? as in the brand name of it, ive been advised an ivermectin based one, but which one do people use for goats?
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Have you had a "worm count" done?
this should indicate which wormer they will need. or is this where the ivermec advise is from?!
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If the goats are in milk you can only use Panacur (white drench) with a 7 day withdrawal period. All other wormers only if they are not in milk.
If you haven't yet, get a worm count (from individuals rather than a group sample), and also if possible look at wormers that you have used on your holding in the past, for example for sheep, if they are in the same pasture as the goats. In case of resistant worms on your holding
If your holding is clean and the gaots have just come on, get a worm count done, use panacur if worming is necessary, then get another count done about a week later. If still high - discuss with the vet as to which wormer to use.
Goats will need a 1.5 to 1.7 times the sheep dose of most wormers, I have used 1.7 x Panacur on mine.
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thanks fr the reply's, the pasture is clean, theres been nothing on it for 12 years. i was advised by the breeder to use an ivermectin based wormer for them, they are not in milk, but one is coughing so im guessing she needs a wormer.
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Better get a worm count done before (incl fluke), and then the vet should be able to advise. Panacur is a lot easier and cheaper. Why did the breeder say an ivermectin one?
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I would also ask your vet for his recommendation based on what problems etc other keepers have encountered recently with their livestock. He may also give you small supply of wormer so that you don't have wastage with buying large quantities and use by dates. My vets run such a scheme which I think is great customer service. If you have horses you get into the routine of changing the brand everytime you worm, you have such freedom too until you milk as Anke stated.
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how do u worm pregnant goats, iv got panacur and oramec - neither mentions goats or for that matter pregnancy - in their small print.
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We don't worm whilst pregnant- the pregnancy holds the worms at bay. BUT- you need to worm them by about 10 days after they kid, and then again after 3 weeks to catch everything. It's useful to get a worm count done.
Beth
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Princesspiggy - you can mix some garlic powder into the goat feed (well hidden if you use soaked sugarbeet - mine wouldn't eat it otherwise), and then worm as Beth has indicated after kidding.
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thanks, they are new but will be inside til after they have kidded so will just wait then. who does the goats worm count? i used to use a horse worm-count company. i dont know if they do other species aswell. or i could just ask the vet to do it.
:wave: :love: :wave: :goat:
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I deliver mine directly to the local SAC lab/station, but it is done through my vet. Some people use a company, but I have always found that I would like to involve my vet in this, I would need his recommendation anyway.
If your goats are inside and the droppings look fine you are probably ok until kidding, has the previous breeder/owner given you any details of their medical history? Like are they vaccinated? Otherwise you should probably start them off on a two dose (2ml 4 weeks apart) Lambivac course, but if they had that within the last 8 months already, they just need a booster 4 weeks before kidding, 2ml each. Protects the kids via colostrum as well for the first few weeks after birth.
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what is lambivac for? i presume they arent vaccinated.
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Lambivac is a sheep(lambs) vaccine that vaccinates against the clostridial diseases - tetanus, struck, pulpey kidney and lamb dysentry. (most sheep farmers now use Heptavac P+, which inlcudes a few more, but it is not recommended for goats as per the Goat Veterinary Society). if you google Lambivac there will be info on the web.
As a starter all goats should receive two 2ml doses, injected under the skin, 4 weeks apart. This gives initial immunity. For goats then a 6 monthly booster is recommended, 2ml in one dose under skin again. If this booster is given about 4 weeks before kidding some immunity is conferred to the kid via colostrum. This lasts a few weeks, then the kids should be started on the two doses as above.
there is some costs involved, especially if like me you only have a few goats - the smallest lambivac bottle you can buy is 50ml. And once opened the bottle cannot be stored, as it goes off/becomes inactive very quickly.... some people manage to get a few doses from the vet, or if you have other goatkeepers nearby. But it is difficult to schedule these things in line with other people. I just bite the bullet and get lambivac for the goats and Heptavac for the sheep....
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We use Heptavac- had no issues with it. Once had a kid that I was given by someone else and its mother had not been vaccinated... She got tetanus at 4 weeks old (before she was old enough to be vaccinated in her own right) and had to be rushed to the vets to be put down. I'm never going through that again, so I would always stress you must vaccinate.
Beth
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thanks, wev never vaccinated our sheep or goats before, but i think i will as they came from so far away and arent easy to replace. i presume you just buy it from agricultural store and do it yourself?
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Yes. They will have to take your address, as it is a veterinary medicine requirement, but that's all. Anke