Posted by GoatWorld on December 04, 2000 at 22:44:16:
In Reply to: wormer for small herd posted by Allison on December 04, 2000 at 17:38:31:
Hello Allison,
I have heard many people say that the colder the weather, the less problem you'll have with worms. I'm not sure how true this is exactly but it does make some sense. You did not say where you are from exactly but I think perhaps a good way to go about worming is perhaps talking to some other goat people in your area and find out what wormer they are using with the best results.
I've always been on the side of caution when bringing/taking on new goats. Since you really don't know the health history of your new goats other than what the seller has told you, treat the goats as such and worm them, vaccinate them, etc. and establish your new goats health history from the day you first received them.
You may be able to get by with a "white wormer" such as SafeGuard or Panacur. I know that lots of people swear by Ivomec or Cydectin. I think it really depends how bad (or good) the worm situation in your area is. Despite the worm count in your area, it is probably a good idea to still worm anyway just to be on the safe side.
As per frequency of worming, in our particular area of Missouri, I've been told that worming every three months is adequate. I've heard of some people worming every month. I've also heard that if it's your first time worming the goats in a new herd. Worm once during the first week, and then again in the second week. As a rule, I worm every couple of months and/or when I notice a few goats coughing a bit (lungworms).
Something to watch for is a wormer called Valbazen which is known to cause abortions in pregnant does during a certain stage in the fetus gestation period. So if your does are pregnant, use caution on the wormer(s) that you may choose.
Perhaps the best thing to do though is invest in a microscope for under $100 and learn to do your own fecals. It's really not that difficult and then you'll be able to truly tell how your worming program and worm situation is doing.
I'll let some others offer their expertise here as well.
Best regards,
Gary Pfalzbot