To Deworm or NOT To Deworm???
Deworming your doe after or just before kidding-Should you or Shouldn't you? What about doing it every 60 days, when a kid turns a certain age, or even just at the start of worm season every year? The answer is actually NOT a simple YES or NO, especially if you are conscientious about the consequences of dewormer resistance on your farm.
Anyone who knows me personally, also knows that goat parasites became my passion for absorbing as much knowledge as I could last year after my very favorite buck, Romeo, died. We moved from a homestead with a heavily wooded browsing area to one with nearly 13 acres of pasture. I had never had a parasite problem- in fact, I had never had anything but a slight presence of the occasional parasite on any of the fecals run on my goats before we moved here. I was completely oblivious to the fact that moving them to pasture would have a profound impact on that standing- and my boy died.
Except for 2 of the first 3 kids that I got as a new goat owner (that is another story), I had never had a goat die on me in nearly 4 years of raising them. As soon as I discovered that he had a worm burden with egg counts in the 10Ks, I went on a mission to find as much information about goat parasites that I could-especially Barber Pole! Along the way, I learned about dewormer resistance and that struck a whole new line of fear into me. And it should do the same to anyone grazing goats on pasture in warm humid environments.
Today, I selectively deworm only when needed, I trend fecal egg counts and I always do fecal egg reduction counts when I use a dewormer to track how effective it is and if we are trending toward resistance to it. I have implemented Bioworma into the diet of all my goats, and I NEVER deworm anyone routinely- even freshened does and young kids! This year I have introduced high tannin content seeds to the paddocks and will soon be installing fences to assist with pasture rotations. I have also put those fecal egg count numbers to good use, and have started selectively breeding for parasite resistance and resilience. As of Spring 2021, I am starting a Copper Oxide Wire Particle Dewormer trial in our buck house, and I have high hopes for that!
Below are a few podcasts that Deborah Nieman has launched specifically related to parasites and parasite resistance in goats. You will learn about using dewormers responsibly and effectively, and ways to avoid having to deworm your entire herd, as well as useful tips on how to reduce egg loads on your pastures. I have followed Deborah since I started out with Nigerian Dwarfs, and am thrilled that she is doing all of these interviews with folks who have science to back up what they are telling us. It’s hard to find factual research on goats while just surfing around and even harder to get reliable information from just posting a question in a group. I hope you find them as helpful as I have; I sure wish I had had them in my pocket before I lost Romeo.
Episode 6 - Natural Parasite Control with Lespedeza
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/natural-parasite-control-wi…/
Episode 15 - Roundworms and Goats
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/roundworms-and-goats/
Episode 24 - Using Dewormers Correctly
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/using-dewormers-correctly/
Episode 30 - Copper Oxide as a Dewormer
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/copper-oxide-as-a-dewormer/
Episode 40 – Worms During Kidding Season
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/worms-during-kidding-season/
Anyone who knows me personally, also knows that goat parasites became my passion for absorbing as much knowledge as I could last year after my very favorite buck, Romeo, died. We moved from a homestead with a heavily wooded browsing area to one with nearly 13 acres of pasture. I had never had a parasite problem- in fact, I had never had anything but a slight presence of the occasional parasite on any of the fecals run on my goats before we moved here. I was completely oblivious to the fact that moving them to pasture would have a profound impact on that standing- and my boy died.
Except for 2 of the first 3 kids that I got as a new goat owner (that is another story), I had never had a goat die on me in nearly 4 years of raising them. As soon as I discovered that he had a worm burden with egg counts in the 10Ks, I went on a mission to find as much information about goat parasites that I could-especially Barber Pole! Along the way, I learned about dewormer resistance and that struck a whole new line of fear into me. And it should do the same to anyone grazing goats on pasture in warm humid environments.
Today, I selectively deworm only when needed, I trend fecal egg counts and I always do fecal egg reduction counts when I use a dewormer to track how effective it is and if we are trending toward resistance to it. I have implemented Bioworma into the diet of all my goats, and I NEVER deworm anyone routinely- even freshened does and young kids! This year I have introduced high tannin content seeds to the paddocks and will soon be installing fences to assist with pasture rotations. I have also put those fecal egg count numbers to good use, and have started selectively breeding for parasite resistance and resilience. As of Spring 2021, I am starting a Copper Oxide Wire Particle Dewormer trial in our buck house, and I have high hopes for that!
Below are a few podcasts that Deborah Nieman has launched specifically related to parasites and parasite resistance in goats. You will learn about using dewormers responsibly and effectively, and ways to avoid having to deworm your entire herd, as well as useful tips on how to reduce egg loads on your pastures. I have followed Deborah since I started out with Nigerian Dwarfs, and am thrilled that she is doing all of these interviews with folks who have science to back up what they are telling us. It’s hard to find factual research on goats while just surfing around and even harder to get reliable information from just posting a question in a group. I hope you find them as helpful as I have; I sure wish I had had them in my pocket before I lost Romeo.
Episode 6 - Natural Parasite Control with Lespedeza
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/natural-parasite-control-wi…/
Episode 15 - Roundworms and Goats
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/roundworms-and-goats/
Episode 24 - Using Dewormers Correctly
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/using-dewormers-correctly/
Episode 30 - Copper Oxide as a Dewormer
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/copper-oxide-as-a-dewormer/
Episode 40 – Worms During Kidding Season
https://thriftyhomesteader.com/worms-during-kidding-season/
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