Worming goats......Freemotion? OhioFarmGirl? Ksalvagno?

[Blackbird]

I meant that it had no affect at all.

I get my herbals from Hoegger Supply, otherwise the gals take care of it themselves with what is growing wild.
I have a friend in IL that buys her from FirMeadows, they have at least 40+ does at all times, and are almost completely organic, half the herd being dairy goats and half Boer. So I know they are a good source.


http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/AAPS/FAMACHA/FAMACHA2.jpg

 

[freemotion]

Oh, shoot, I combined La Mancha with FAMACHA!!!

 

[Javamama]

FirMeadow has lots of herbals for all the different scary goat issues too. The website might be a little daunting if you aren't familiar with herbal speak. I got the DWormBWW, but there are formulations specifically for tapeworms and, uh I think liver flukes and barberpole if those happen to be the worm you have because DWormBWW doesn't work on those. Wish I could tell you how they work, but I don't have my goats yet I have a basic understanding of herbals though and I'm sure they will work.

I have heard Hoegger's are good too - I think that's what OFG uses.

Most herbals are a weekly dose in a small amount - like a teaspoon to a tablespoon per goat.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

famancha! ha ha ha ha ha

anyway

hey SD!

so i use the hoegger stuff too. BUT i usually use the chemical wormer once a year... after kidding or if they are poorly. of course i wait for the nursing kids to be a little older. and then we dont drink the milk for 30 days - but i pour it on the barnyard and the hens get a dose too.

i use the safe-guard for goats (suspension 10% 100 mgl/ml)

i dont like to worm them while they are preggers.. tho i know that some are supposed to be ok.

but then i use the Hoegger stuff for the rest of the time. i can tell when the wormload is bad when their coats get rough.. and frankly.. when the chickens start following them around and digging in the nanny berries.

interestingly..... i found out that the safe-guard is the same stuff they give dogs. so when our wormy dog starts looking bad i give it to him too

BUT

some dogs cant tolerate it and might flop over dead so you have to be really careful with this.

anywhooo.....

K is right - different properties have different worm loads which is why you might feel like you are getting conflicting advice. so really you have to do what works for you.

for instance my good neighbors goats look like crap...and we are basically on the same hillside. but our gals are doing great. i think its a combo of having the hens keep the parasites down (hens eat bugs/worms so goats dont reingest) and the herbal stuff which keeps a population from establishing and i think helps flush them out.

clear as mud?
;-)
ps i own you a return pm

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I use Molly's herbal formulas, but I don't dose them unless they start to look wormy. I did dose weekly in the beginning, but that was because they looked like they needed it. I check eyelids twice a day at milking time and always keep an eye on their coats, poop & general appearance. I haven't found a local vet to do fecals for a semi-reasonable rate, so until then, I'm sticking with my gut instinct. I did get one fecal done on each of them early on, but that was after not worming for 4 weeks. There was very little worm load and it was at the height of barberpole season. Dixie's eyelids tend to get a leeetle paler than the other two prior to worming, but we still have not had a bad episode.

I agree with OFG, I think the chickens help keep the parasites down a lot. I have to check for clumpy poo in the mornings, since the chickens demolish any and all berries or clumps before I can see them otherwise.

 

[freemotion]

I don't think the chickens are the best indicator of worm load....I've watched closely when they tear nanny berries apart and it looks to me like they are going after undigested grains. I feed whole grains, so if they swallow some whole and they don't come up for a second chewing with the cud, they are expelled intact.

 

[ksalvagno]

I personally wouldn't use the wormer pellets because I had tried them in the past on llamas/alpacas and it did nothing for them. Plus the fact that I couldn't get them to eat the full dose in one feeding. They didn't like the taste of those pellets. But really it is up to you if you want to try them or not since you bought them. Just make sure that the goats are not eating together and that they eat the entire amount of pellets. You really do have to find out for yourself what works for your herd.

 

[savingdogs]

My chickens to come under the fence into the goat yard (goats cannot make it into the chicken yard fortunately) so they do scratch around. I've never noticed particular interest in the goat raisins.

I think I'll leave this stuff on the shelf until such time that I feel like it has a better purpose. I think my goats don't have worms. I'd rather find some pumpkin seeds at this point for them to enjoy eating and possibly continue preventing many worms.

My goats do eat many wild plants and many kinds of berries and their foilage. But primarily they eat as much alder as they can, they love alder and of course blackberry. But we have a few other fruit like plants they love that grow here that I'm not familiar with, but I've tasted them myself and didn't find them so hot. But I wonder if they are already eating something that is a natural wormer.

I should bring a fecal sample in to work and ask to borrow the microscope at lunch, I think they would probably let me.I don't know why that didn't occur to me before!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

you are so lucky to work at that office! let us know how the microscope goes!

 

[savingdogs]

Is there somewhere I could order or print out charts showing typical goat parasites?

Since I lost my hearing and switched to this office, I have never used the microscope and they are unaware I even know how. So I'd want to go in informed and ready and ask for the minimum of instruction time (although I have a good friend who I think will help me use the equipment properly). I know they are extremely fussy about it and have it calibrated professionally and cleaned monthly. There are no goat parasite charts there however like we have for typical companion animal flora and faunas as the large animal vet goes out in the field and sends fecals to the lab. He is the gruff owner who I usually avoid as he HATES speaking up and his lips are impossible to read. Recently he is really liking me though because of something I did to protect his practice so timing is good.

I would like to find a way to show them my interest in the goats of the practice however, just so I could learn more about goats at work, so I just have to screw up the courage to ask and use my current smelling like a rose status. Just wish I didn't have my dang bill there because I hate even MENTIONING to them I bought goats when my office manager knows we are poor. She doesn't get the self-sufficient thing....but then, she is quite wealthy so TSHTF probably doesn't feel so close to her.
Sorry to ramble, but y'all are my friends now, I'm a huge talker who has gone deaf and can longer have "good" conversations any other way! This is part of why I appreciate all of you so very, very much.