To worm or not to worm

chayseb · #1 02/17/13, 12:33 AM

im trying to keep from using any medication if i can, but at the same time, i am not trying to put the pig or my family at risk... so my question is do you have to worm your pigs and what signs should i be looking for that mean that its completely necessary? My hogs weight gain is staying constant and the pigs seem to be healthy. any thoughts, tips, or info will be much appreciated.

gerold · #2 02/17/13, 05:44 AM

I worm every 6 mos. Why take the risk?

**highlands** · #3 02/17/13, 07:59 AM

We deworm very rarely with ivermec or fenbendazole - only if absolutely necessary. Managed rotational grazing, whey and garlic all work well as parasite management for us. We're not seeing worms in the intestines or liver on inspection so it is working. We have about 400 pigs on pasture. The other thing that makes a big difference is climate. My understanding is that in warm climates parasite loads are much more of a problem than here in our northern climate. Thus how you do it may well depend not just on management (pen vs managed rotational grazing) but also on climate.

mekasmom · #4 02/17/13, 08:23 AM

Having parasites will just slow growth and cause issues with the hogs themselves. Even if they are loaded with parasites when you butcher, they won't hurt you as long as the meat is cooked thoroughly.
Personally, I would worm them on a regular basis. A little ivermectin can help them grow out faster.

"SPIKE" · #5 02/17/13, 08:34 AM

1 Observe your pig's breathing. If it is wheezing or coughing, this could be a sign of internal parasites such as lungworms. Other species of parsites can cause wheezing and coughing in the larval stage.

2 Inspect the pig's fecal matter for signs of worm infestation. In some cases, worms can be seen directly in the feces. Worms diseases such as coccidiosis and trichuris can cause blood in the feces. Several species of worms such as roundworms cause diarrhea.

3 Inspect the pig's urine. Blood in the urine stream can indicate a kidney worm infestation.

4 Assess the overall body form of the pig. If it has lost a significant amount of weight, this may be a sign of worm infestation.

5 Inspect the pig's gums. If they are white and dry to the touch, as oppossed to pink and moist, this may be a sign of anemia which can be caused by worm infestation.

6 Observe the pig's behavior. If it changes suddenly, for example, the pig becomes sluggish and stops eating

, this could be a sign of worm infestation.

Read more: How to Tell If Your Pig Has Worms | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_8658332_tell...#ixzz2LAO7X2RI

Do a search on HT site and you will get a lot of info to read.
Highlands' site has good info to read.

My AGH breeders are now about 2 years old. I have never used a chemical wormer. I raise on pasture, feed DE, and used a regement of garlic on occassion.
They have had 2 litters here. I butchered 2 of their litter mates at 18 mo. I have not seen a problem with parasites from external or internal odservations.

Are you raising breeders or pigs for a few months to butcher?

SPIKE

toddc · #6 02/27/13, 10:08 AM

Do the pigs simply eat the garlic cloves? Or does it need to be ground into something? We get some cloves with our produce from the grocery store, but I was composting it, figuring like the onions, citrus, and peppers that they would not like it.

"SPIKE" · #7 02/27/13, 02:26 PM

Cheap garlic powder works best. IMO
I would have to check for amounts, but you can find it on Highlands' site.

I think I was giving my adult AGHs a heaping tablespoon each day for 5 days. Mixed in the feed and I never saw a sign that they did not like it.

SPIKE

**highlands** · #8 02/27/13, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddc

Do the pigs simply eat the garlic cloves? Or does it need to be ground into something? We get some cloves with our produce from the grocery store, but I was composting it, figuring like the onions, citrus, and peppers that they would not like it.

You may find this helpful:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2005/10/14/worms-au-natural/

haypoint · #9 02/27/13, 06:59 PM

I do not believe DE or Garlic in any form will rid a pig of parisites.
Ivermectin is effective and safe.

ani's ark · #10 02/27/13, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

I do not believe DE or Garlic in any form will rid a pig of parisites.
Ivermectin is effective and safe.

...until everyone overusing it, without actually knowing if the animals are heavily burdened with worms, breeds yet more anthelmintic resistant worms....and then scientists will have to come up with a new toxin to blast the next generation of superworms. Like antibiotic overuse has created resistant superbugs like MSRA. Just my tuppence worth :-)
I occasionally worm my animals if they need it, displaying the symptoms described in earlier post or after fecal egg counts, and rotate through wormers to ensure they dont get a chance to build resistance to one type. But I also feed willow as fodder, and throw garlic into my dog, cat, pig feed to help them maintain lower worm burdens. It doesnt hurt them and seems to help. If it aint broke, why try and fix it?

Lazy J · #11 02/27/13, 09:01 PM

[QUOTE=ani's ark;6473049chance to build resistance to one type. But I also feed willow as fodder, and throw garlic into my dog, cat, pig feed to help them maintain lower worm burdens. It doesnt hurt them and seems to help. If it aint broke, why try and fix it?[/QUOTE]

How long until you have parasites resistant to willow bark and garlic?

haypoint · #12 02/27/13, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazy J

How long until you have parasites resistant to willow bark and garlic?

Oh, my gosh, Henry, it has happened. Those screw worms and tape worms have developed a resistance to willow bark and garlic!

Well, I'll be, when did that happen?

Oh, about 50,000 years ago, I reckon.

To be fair, willow bark, steeped can cure a headache and garlic is good on toast.

"In contrast to sheep and goats, anthelmintic resistance by pig helminths is not widespread."

The occurrence of resistance to three different anthelmintics, piperazine, levamisole and ivermectin was studied in 4 pig farms in Thika District, Kenya, by means of the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) and a larval development assay (LDA). The FECRT showed that piperazine and levamisole were less than 95% effective (one farm each) against Oesophagostomum spp., and this was confirmed by LDA. An isolate of Trichuris suis resistant to levamisole was also detected in one farm. Although the Kenyan preparation of piperazine (Ascarex®, Cosmos Ltd, Kenya) was used by most farmers, samples of this drug tested by the FECRT showed that it was less effective than its Belgian counterpart (Piperazine citrate®, Kela Laboratoria N.V., Belgium).

mekasmom · #13 02/28/13, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

I do not believe DE or Garlic in any form will rid a pig of parisites.
Ivermectin is effective and safe.

I wish I could give you 10 "Likes" for this post.

chayseb · #14 03/02/13, 10:49 PM

well as long as the weight gain stays constant im not going to worry about it with this batch of pigs....

HardBall · #15 04/28/13, 11:34 PM

Ivermectin is not a medication, it is an anti-parasitic. I realize the want to raise hogs or any animal for that matter with no injections, but you are doing yourself ant the animal a severe disservice by not giving them appropriate treatments and preventatives...