| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Tensing |
Worming GoatsHi all you goat owners. Can I ask whet worming products do you all use for your goats. I have two 6 month old pygmy goats. The breeder I got the last two goats off swore by Eprinex , but other people have told me that they use Ivomec Both are made by the same firm.So what would you all recommend, Thanks |
| RichardW |
Well it depends.
For milking goats you need to make sure its suitable so I use Eprinex as you can still milk whilst treating them. For non milkers / not in kid (as they will be milked soon) I use which ever one I have in for the non milking cattle. By non milking I mean that they wont be milked for a long period after the treatment as most have a 60 / 90 withhold. The other reasons to choose a brand are, 1, local avaliability 2, avaliability of small bottles (you might have to ask for a small one as they tend to only keep "farmer" sizes in stock) Justme PS you also want to rotate you wormer every now & then but not by brand but by type. say every 3 years use a different one. For you its not worth it but big breeders will only worm when they actualy need to by doing fecal egg counts. |
| Tensing |
Thanks for that, I should have said not milkers as they are both wethers.
I'll get some eprinex as it also seems easy to use. |
| hardworkinghippy |
Hi Tensing,
Can I ask how much land your boys (saw them in your blog - they're lovely!) have and whether or not it's divided into several different fields? If that's the case , then you have to work out a worming timetable to try to avoid them getting too many worms by stopping the lifecycle of the kind of worms they're likely to have. Your vet can do a test to find out what you should be worming for if you send him or her some droppings in a matchbox, it doesn't cost a lot. (Phone first to find out where your nearest laboratory is.) That's the best way to avoid worms and to avoid having to dose the goats continuously. If you don't have at least 4 different fields plus times when you keep them inside on hay, then you'll simply have to worm them regularly to keep them alive. They're not milkers, but if they're for meat just don't kill them for the number of days it says on the side of the package, plus a bit more for luck. If they're pets and neither of them can reproduce, then it won't harm them to get wormed regularly. As Justme says, you must change the wormer - not just the brand name but the family of drugs (that is the molecule and the different ways it reacts to the worms) used to kill the worms because the worms become resisitant if you use the same molecule over a period of time. Here's a link which shows you the different families of wormers: http://www.barnonemeatgoats.com/worms.html If you don't rotate them over "clean" fields (that means where they haven't shit for several months) then you should worm them at least every three months. Maybe you could find a goat farm near you, I'm sure they'd be happy to let you have two doses from time to time if you give them a small contribution towards costs, or maybe someone from Dowsizer or another forum could send you a few CCs every few weeks instead of having to buy the big bottles. Irene |
| Tensing |
Great Thanks for that, they are on the same land all the time at the moment, though more often than not they are on the patio.
Are there any wormwers that any of you have found are a definate no-no with goats? |
| RichardW |
If your vet is as good as ours they will supply two doses in a syringe that you can sqirt on to the goats.
Justme |
| Tensing |
Our vets practice are good specialise in farm animals and do cats and dogs etc on the side.
I'll give them a ring |