American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control

It is also important to remember that most of the products used for parasite control in goats are not labeled for use in goats. Thus, only a practicing veterinarian with a valid veterinarian-client relationship with you can make recommendations for extra-label use of any product. 

 

First, we should all know that targeted selective treatment is the recommended method to preserve the effectiveness of available products and the health of the herd. This method also allows you to keep records on what animals are most susceptible to parasites and cull those from your herd. 

The FAMACHA© system is simple to conduct chute-side and has been proven to be effective when done properly.  You need to attend a training to know how to conduct this process correctly. Contact your local extension office to find out who can do these training courses in your area, consult with your veterinarian, or alternatively consult our web site  for online FAMACHA© certification training. Only trained producers can receive or buy a FAMACHA© card.
 

You also need to learn about the resistance status of the parasites in your herd.  This can be different in each herd so test your animal rather than relying on what someone else tells you.  The simplest way to check for resistance is to conduct a Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT).   You should consider changing  dewormers, if the one you are using is not effective. It is now recommended that clinically-parasitized animals be given combination treatments (dewormers from different classes at the same time).
 

If you are using alternative dewormers you also should check the effectiveness of these products.  Results on many of these products have varied between locations and there are some that are advertised that have been shown to not work under production conditions.  I recommend that any time you start using any new product or method of control, you check to make sure it is effective in your herd before depending totally on that product or practice.

 

While late summer is past planting and establishment time for warm season forages, there are some forage management practices that can be beneficial. Browsing can reduce exposure to parasites while giving your pastures some rest.  Another practice is keeping the forage height up and rotating 
 

pastures.  Rapid rotations with long rest periods tend to help reduce exposure, but these must be managed correctly.

It takes about 14 to 21 days under most conditions for the parasite eggs to hatch on a pasture and the larvae to reach the necessary stage of maturity to be a problem.  Some rotation systems place animals back on a pasture about at this time.  This can be a disaster for the animals as they are going back at the peak time for re-infection.  However, it can take up to 90 days (or more) to see reductions in the number of larvae on pasture so it is often not practical to hold them off until the pasture is “clean," due to a decrease  in nutritive value, forage  intake and performance. 

Making rotations that allow 30 to 45 days of rest, depending on moisture conditions, can allow the forage to grow enough to reduce exposure by allowing the goats to graze above 8 inches.  This often reduces exposure as the parasites tend to be concentrated in the lower 4 to 6 inches of the plants.  However, this practice can result in lower forage nutritive value. In addition, goats tend to graze desirable plants and in specific areas lower than the average so some exposure will still occur.

Grazing pastures with cattle or horses after a 14 to 21 day rest from goats can reduce parasite loads as these animals are not impacted by the barber pole worm, the most important parasite in warm, moist climates.  This type of leader/follower co-grazing system can be effective, but there must be enough rest and forage available for both groups of animals.  Cattle can graze the pasture lower than the goats without problems but allow the grass to fully recover before putting the goats back on the pasture. Another option would be to alternate grazing with making hay.

 

Late summer is a good time to start preparing for cool season annual forage plantings and still considering establishing warm season alternative forages.  In many areas, late summer and early fall is a good time to plant cool season annuals for grazing in the fall and winter.  It can also be time to prepare a field to plant other warm season alternative forages.  These forages have shown to be effective in reducing parasite loads while providing better quality forage for your animals.
 

One final thing, there is no silver bullet out there for parasites.  We will always have some parasite challenge on our animals.  The more research that is conducted the more we learn that we need to select for genetic resistance in our herds to parasites.  We also need to manage using good grazing practices and not overgraze an area.  Proper protein, energy, mineral, and vitamin  supplementation of the goats can help reduce problems  in critical times.  
 

Goats like a variety of plants to graze/browse; we need to give them an opportunity to graze a variety of plant types to keep them healthy.  Keep records and cull animals that require excessive care as well as those that do not perform in other ways.