Give Me the Truth: Goats and Herbal Wormers

[DellaMyDarling]

I'm still reading my goat book.Without the personal reasons driving my inquiry, I need to know:

Do herbal wormers work?
At all?
Some?
If used weekly, for example, and in conjunction with other chemical type wormers multiple times per year?


What do YOU THINK a good worming routine is?
I realize this depends a lot on climate and other factors.

How about pregnant does?
Nursing or milking does?
Kids?

Strange side question.
Any goat parasites that cause chronic coughing?

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Chronic coughing in goats is associated with TB and it is contagious!!!!! Take your goat to the vet immediately if you have this. Your family should be tested as well if shes positive

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

We use herbal Verm X treatment for our chickens/ducks as our ducks had worms a while back. Since we started using that in their feed they've cleared up. Luckily I don't think we had a bad case.

However, we keep our goats on the same fenced area as our chickens and ducks. If you owns goats, you probably know that they will eat anything.

I don't know everything about goats but I know coughing constantly isn't good but it could be caused by something very serious or something very simple. Dusty bedding can irritate their throat and lungs which could be a possibility

I suggest getting it checked over though!

As for worming, since our goats will eat anything including a leaf with chicken poo on we've always used the same type of wormers that our local livestock farmers use. We only require a small amount since we only have 2 goats. At least with them we know they've been tested and work to a good standard. I only have male goats so I don't know how it'd effect females etc.

I can't give much help on herbal treatments for goats as i havent tried it. It did for our chickens but maybe goats require something stronger?

It would also depend on how your goats are housed. Are they with poultry etc or just penned alone.​

 

[DellaMyDarling]

These does will be housed overnight in the same barn as chickens, but separate enclosed areas. It isn't impossible to find chicken poo on the goat side, but it isn't going to be an every day thing. I'd even say a rare thing?

Daily, goats have one finished pasture to spend time in. Eventually there will be a second to rotate and even forage seed out, which I understand is part of good management too. Chickens in pasture aren't impossible, but typically the 4' tall fence deters them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Coughing in goats can mean lung worms. Ivomec plus for cattle should take care of them. You can inject or give it orally. 1cc per 30-50 pounds.

Don't worm on a schedule, worm as necessary by checking the eyelid color, famacha, or doing a fecal. Worms will become resistant quickly to wormers if used too frequently. You cannot eradicate all worms. Your best bet is to manage and rotate pastures or keep them on a dry lot to keep reinfestation low.

Worm resistance can be hereditary, so breeding towards that is always a good idea.

I personally would skip the herbal stuff and use real medication as necessary.

 

[cassie]

Chronic coughing in goats is associated with TB and it is contagious!!!!! Take your goat to the vet immediately if you have this. Your family should be tested as well if shes positive

Coughing is far more likely to be lungworms or other parasites than TB. TB in dairy goats is very very rare. It isn't difficult to check for TB but while the vet is at it, the goat needs to be checked for internal parasites.

 

[cassie]

I'm still reading my goat book.Without the personal reasons driving my inquiry, I need to know:

Do herbal wormers work?
At all?
Some?
If used weekly, for example, and in conjunction with other chemical type wormers multiple times per year?


What do YOU THINK a good worming routine is?
I realize this depends a lot on climate and other factors.

How about pregnant does?
Nursing or milking does?
Kids?

Strange side question.
Any goat parasites that cause chronic coughing?

If I were you I would skip the herbal and get something that is proven to work. Just because something is natural, it doesn't mean that it is either safe or effective.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Coughing is far more likely to be lungworms or other parasites than TB. TB in dairy goats is very very rare. It isn't difficult to check for TB but while the vet is at it, the goat needs to be checked for internal parasites.

I would still go on the side of caution. I'm glad its rare. I don't raise goats myself but I've read quite a bit about them as that's something for us in the future and when I read that it frightened me quite a bit! Can it be spread from human to goat or just from goat to human?

 

[DellaMyDarling]

Good question on the TB.

In a particular herd of 3 goats...
2 have coughing and sinus discharges, but I'dsay it is improving. To my knowledge, two months ago they were "diagnosed" with colds. I simply don't have a ton of details, sorry. I know they are bothered by particular hays and feeds, which current owner aims to avoid but we had a major hay shortage up here for a while. My understanding is both these things can cause or contribute.
Goat 3 got over this cold faster, but she's got symptoms indicative to my knowledge of worm overload. Why? Losing weight, one week fine next week thin. Clumpy poos. Very pale famaches. Other two goats are slightly pale. Goat 3 has two kids still nursing, but they're leaving farm soon, they're past weaning age. This goat arrived at this farm being mineral deficient (Very small stature, hair and skin issues, etc) and was already bred. It's looking like she should not be bred again and needs close watching on mineral intakes.
These goats are actively treated and watched for any illnesses. The sudden downturn on goat 3, plus the lingering cough on 1 and 2 made me ponder the efficiency of herbal remedies being used. I'm all for natural, use natural remedies myself, but there are limitations to natural remedies. I need to have a firm understanding of these limitations before taking on any goats, ill or well.

 

[cassie]

I would still go on the side of caution. I'm glad its rare. I don't raise goats myself but I've read quite a bit about them as that's something for us in the future and when I read that it frightened me quite a bit! Can it be spread from human to goat or just from goat to human?

TB is far more common in cattle than it is in goats, and due to testing it is very rare in cattle too. It can be spread from goat to goat and from goat to human and from cow to goat. The last case I heard of where a goat tested positive to TB, was a goat who lived with cattle and the cattle were infected. Once I was offered some white deer. They were beautiful animals and I almost accepted them. I don't remember now why I didn't. I am glad I turned them down. They were later found to be infected with TB. If you decide to buy a goat and are concerned about it, TB tests are easy to administer and any vet can do it.