Worming questions

[Concrete Cowboy]

I’d like to know some more about wormers and the schedules you folks use. How often do you worm and with what? What about pregnant does, are there wormers safe for them? Should I refrain from drinking the milk of a lactating doe for a time? What about butchering for meat? Also, living in N. Illinois, does the cold weather make it less of an issue?
I’m sure these are old questions but we are new. Anyone’s advice would be appreciated. I will add we’ve done research on herbal stuff and were hoping to hear from the folks who use chemical products. Thanks in advance.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Worm management is a concern for each farm. Of course if you have deep freezes in your pasture, and you understand that a worming before the does go into warm barns for the winter, so they are not carrying alot of arrested worms, your not over crowding your goats, you bring in new stock very carefully, your worm and cocci burdens should not be the problem they are down in the south.

Fecal sampling is not anything hard to learn. Even with just a few goats, worming by guessing is alot more expensive than purchasing a used microscope a mcMasters slide and running your own fecals. Knowing what worms you have or what you don't have will keep you from using wormers. saanendoah.com has excellent info on fecal sampling.

I know new folks want me to say...I worm the day a doe kids period, I worm 10 days later. I worm before a doe is bred and 100 days pregnant. But scheduled wormings are only targeting certain things, and scheduled wormings which include monthly or bi monthly or tri monthly isn't an answer, because nobody knows what worms or what cocci level you have on your place. We have bloodsucking worms during the late spring, summer and early fall...we rarely have cool weather worms during the winter, it's too warm here for them. Your problems will be just the opposite, you may find yourself needing to worm more often during the winter to keep your girls freshening in good flesh.

Just like nutrition, milking, feet trimming, it's management you have to set for yourself. One huge tip is to look at peoples goats before you take their advice. If you want your goats to look like theirs than follow their advice.

Have fun, purchase wisely, know about CAE and CL before you purchase and have testing be part of the purchase price. Or don't buy. Vicki

[BelleL]

I use wormer from the feed store.
I think the schedule for worming is Fall and Spring, before the goats are bred and after babies are born, but I am not for sure. I don't really know the schedule, but this year we wormed our buck and our does before breeding, in the fall. We wormed them while they weren't in milk production.
I am fairly new at this myself and still leaning new ways each day, so I hope I helped out.
God Bless,
Belle

[BethW]

My deworming schedule is dependent on a combination of fecal testing and FAMACHA. Which means, just like Vicki says, that there is no set schedule.

[Jcran]

Langston University has a great schedule for recommendations of shots and worming; I think Vicki's suggestion for fecals is most sound on worming schedule.