Deworming cattle

Is there a preferred method or product recommended for deworming a pregnant cow. I have Ivomec cattle injection but have only use it orally on my goats. Is there a pour on that works well?

[rancher1913]

you can get ivomac in a pour on. I'd wait and deworm her in a little warmer time of the year unless she is so infected she can not keep weight on. you need to switch wormers every so often so that you don't get resistance problems.

[Tad]

We always use Cydectin, it is a pour on safe for milkers, pregnant cows, hiefers, the whole works just adjust it for body weight.

[rancher1913]

tad that was the other one that i could not remember. if you alternate every few years they do a much more through job.

[collegeboundgal]

rancher, why would you wait till warmer wheather? I have heard that if you can worm them and get about 3 days solid freezing (has ANYBODY had that this yr?) that the cold will help kill any/most warms excreated in the poop. I believe this was for goat worms so are cattle worms different?

[rancher1913]

I would wait because you don't want to pour them to much over the year and around here we get our heavy parisite loads in the late spring and early summer so a treatment around april or may lasts most of the year and in the colder months I don't really need to worry about it much.

[genebo]

Due to the worms developing resistance to the wormers so easily, it is best not to worm them unless they need it.

The first test is to look at the coat and general condition. Worms tend to cause a rough coat and can cause the animal to lose condition.

The second is to look at the conjuntive tissue of the eyes. Pull the lower lid down and check the color of the conjuntiva. It should be pink. If it's very pale, or white, that indicates anemia, which is a common result of a worm infestation.

A third method is to have a fecal float done. Collect some fresh manure and take it to a large animal vet for analysis.

A little used test is a blood test for anemia, but it is quite good at predicting when to worm.

All chemical wormers eventually lose their effectiveness, so other methods should be examined.

One method is to run goats and cattle together on the same pasture. Each species helps reduce the worm load on the pasture for the other species.

Diatomaceous earth is often used to reduce the worm load in cattle. Feed it as a dietary supplement.

Letting cattle browse on forbs, tree bark and pine needles adds a 'scratch factor' to their diet that is said to reduce a cow's worm load. Feeding whole kernel corn instead of flaked or cracked corn is supposed to help.

Rotational grazing, if timed right, can break the life cycle of the worms. If you can go 35 days before putting the cattle back onto the same pasture, you should be good.

Check with your local agricultural agent for recommendations about which chemical wormers will work best for you. Each area has it's own history of worm resistance, and our research colleges are constantly documenting this. They can tell you exactly which wormer will be most effective for you.

[haypoint]

Ivermec has shown to have very little developed resistance. It is available in a paste, injection and pour on.
If you wait until your cow is so loaded up with worms that it is anemic, you’ve waited too long and likely have other troubles caused by parasites.
Diatomaceous earth is often used to reduce the worm load in cattle and so is garlic and vinegar. I doubt these “home remedies” work. Likewise, forbs, tree bark, pine needles and whole kernel corn is not going to rid your cow of worms.
Parasites can exist in pastures for years. Rotations will not rid your animals of parasites.
Get a fecal test done, if you can afford it. By the time hair coat and overall condition has been effected by worms, it is likely that parasites have been nibbling on organs and arteries already.

[laughingllama75]

I use Ivomec (brand) EPRINEX. Safe for all stages of lactation and pregnant cows. I use it on mine. It is a pour on. hope this helps.