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Author Topic: worming goats  (Read 5628 times)

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
worming goats
« on: May 15, 2012, 12:55:48 pm »
I know that question again!
My goats kidded apr 1st + 3rd, each wormed the day after kidding. I used a sheep wormer (fasimec -0.1% Ivermectin/5% triclabendazole) 1.5 strength
Dropping have been a bit soft but I put that down to spring grass, but yesterday I noticed a tiny white worm in some fresh droppings.

Should they have worms again in 6 weeks? they were put in a field that hasn't been used since last autumn. Should I use the same wormer again? it was a different wormer (Rycoben) previously though I see it is the same family (ricobendazole).
I've also read somewhere that garlic powder helps keep parasites at bay, could anyone give me any advice on using it? and does itwork?
I don't like regular worming, I hoped by using fresh areas I could keep the things down.
I would appreciate your advice, thanks

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: worming goats
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2012, 01:46:45 pm »
Yea, they could need worming again in 6 weeks. Although the pasture hasn't been used since last autumn, and some of the dormant worm eggs will have hatched and died since then, not all of them will. And anyway, when you worm an animal you don't kill every worm, so they will have still been adding worms to the pasture.

Garlic - hmmm, somewhere between an old wives' tale and a country remedy I suspect, ie might help a bit, unlikely to do much harm, but probably not overly effective.

Apparently we should use one class of wormer til we see evidence of resistance, then change, swapping all the time will just mean you get resistance to all of them. Also the Moredun folk say worm and don't move immediately to clean pasture otherwise the only worms on the new pasture are by definition ones that were resistant to the wormer and then they have no competition - the field to themselves, so to speak  ;)

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: worming goats
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2012, 09:45:39 pm »
My goats love garlic, get a wee scoop full a couple of times a week. Doesn't come through in the milk, just in their breath and also at the other end... ::)

I am not sure how much garlic helps in fighting worms, but as they eat it I figure it is helpful in some way - at least no vampires here... :D

I think you would have to leave the pasture for more than a year free from goats and sheep to get it safely worm free. I have a problem in spring, and need to worm a few times, then they seem to be ok for the rest of the year...

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: worming goats
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2012, 12:21:30 am »
Thanks, the master plan was to have 6/7 paddocks and rotate round (when we get the fencing done, coming on slowly), sounds like that wouldn't work then?
Been told I should leave it for now and let them build their own resistance up, any thoughts?

How much garlic do you give Anke? As long as it doesn't do harm and I believe it's supposed to be good healthwise anyway (can't make it any worse than when they burp in my face ::) ) there again ??

wytsend

  • Joined Oct 2010
  • Okehampton
Re: worming goats
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2012, 05:42:44 am »
WEnt to a very interesting goaty conferenece where the Vet speaker did say whilst garlic may have some benefit to the gpoat, it was thought the greater benefit was to the peace of mind of the owner !!!!!

Ivermectin was considered to be the drug of choice in a wormer and up to twice the dose for sheep.

Sounds as if your girls were carrying a bigger worm load than anticipated.... I would worm again with Ivermectin at the end of a THREE week period on this occasion.    Worms live in a three week cycle so leaving it 6 weeks would give the worm population a amuch greater chance to build up to unacceptable levels again.   It won't hurt the goats but it will certainy HURT the worms.     Then leave worming agin until the Autumn when the girls will be spending more time indoors....... perhaps a week or so before mating.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: worming goats
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2012, 10:40:10 pm »


How much garlic do you give Anke? As long as it doesn't do harm and I believe it's supposed to be good healthwise anyway (can't make it any worse than when they burp in my face ::) ) there again ??

The garlic packet comes with a little scoop, so however much is in there I give per goat. I don't think garlic is a "natural" wormer, but it is a blood-cleansing agent, good for the heart and general health. That's why they get it.

 

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