Internal Parasites in Boer Goats and Meat Goats
Goats are more susceptible to internal parasite than other species of livestock. In order to raise meat goats successfully one must take every precaution to prevent and control losses from internal parasites. There are many things that a meat goat producer needs to know about internal parasites and how to control them. Good parasite control includes four basics: under stocking, good sanitation, adequate nutrition, and selecting animals with a genetic resistance to parasites. Internal parasites are a greater problem in warm, wet climates. If you wish to raise goats in such an area, we highly recommend you learn as much as possible about management practices for reducing internal parasite problems.
Four excellent publications available free of charge on the internet:
The first one is published by Langston University at http://www.luresext.edu/goats/training/parasites.html.
The second, by the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, is available at http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/parasitesheep.html.
The third, by Dr. Joan Burk, USDA Dale Bumpers Small Farm Research Center, Booneville, Arkansas, is available at http://www.attra.org/downloads/goat_barber_pole.pdf.
The fourth, by Ann Wells, DVM, Springpond Holistic Animal Health, is available at http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/livestockipm.html.
The second, by the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, is available at http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/parasitesheep.html.
The third, by Dr. Joan Burk, USDA Dale Bumpers Small Farm Research Center, Booneville, Arkansas, is available at http://www.attra.org/downloads/goat_barber_pole.pdf.
The fourth, by Ann Wells, DVM, Springpond Holistic Animal Health, is available at http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/livestockipm.html.
The information, we give here, is based on a few things we have learned from our 47 years of experience raising goats in northern Arkansas. It is not intended to be complete for your situation. That is why we strongly urge you to read and study the above four publications.
Forages that Help Control Internal Parasites in Goats
Research at Langston University in Oklahoma, at the Dale Bumpers USDA Research Station in Arkansas, and at Heifer Project international in Arkansas has shown that Serecia Lespedeza and Chicory help control Internal parasites in goats. Based on our experience, we believe that Hop Clover, Korean Lespedeza, Green Pine Needles, and Acorns also help to control worms in goats, but scientific data is not yet available on these plants. We are sure that there are many other plants out there, which we do not know about, that help with parasite control. Goats will eat these plants readily but only Hop Clover, and Acorns will survive in heavily stocked goat pastures. Since cattle do not eat many of these plants, running both cattle and goats together is a good way to insure their survival and to reduce parasite problems in both the cattle and the goats. Internal parasites that infect cattle will not infect goats, and those which infect goats will not infect cattle.
Research showing that sericea lespedeza hay is an effective wormer for goats has been done at Fort Valley State University in Texas, Louisiana State University, the Dale Bumpers USDA Research Station in Arkansas, and Auburn University. Back in the 1960’s, when we first moved to northern Arkansas, some of our neighbors who had milked goats in the 1940’s and 1950’s claimed that one could not keep goats healthy without sericea lespedeza hay. Back then little was known about internal parasites in goats, and no effective worm medications were available. In the late 1960’s we found that our dairy goats milked better on sericea lespedeza hay and hop clover hay than they did on alfalfa hay.
Common sericea lespedeza will not survive when grazed intensively. Auburn University and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station have released a new variety of sericea lespedeza called AU Grazer. AU Grazer can tolerate heavy grazing or frequent clipping and has thinner and more pliable stems. This variety provides more nutritious forage for goats, with less likelihood of losing the stand from over grazing. While we have a newly established stand of AU Grazer lespedeza, we have not had an opportunity to try grazing it yet. Sericea lespedeza has also been found to reduce methane emission in goats 30% to 57%, depending on how it is measured.
Research showing that sericea lespedeza hay is an effective wormer for goats has been done at Fort Valley State University in Texas, Louisiana State University, the Dale Bumpers USDA Research Station in Arkansas, and Auburn University. Back in the 1960’s, when we first moved to northern Arkansas, some of our neighbors who had milked goats in the 1940’s and 1950’s claimed that one could not keep goats healthy without sericea lespedeza hay. Back then little was known about internal parasites in goats, and no effective worm medications were available. In the late 1960’s we found that our dairy goats milked better on sericea lespedeza hay and hop clover hay than they did on alfalfa hay.
Common sericea lespedeza will not survive when grazed intensively. Auburn University and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station have released a new variety of sericea lespedeza called AU Grazer. AU Grazer can tolerate heavy grazing or frequent clipping and has thinner and more pliable stems. This variety provides more nutritious forage for goats, with less likelihood of losing the stand from over grazing. While we have a newly established stand of AU Grazer lespedeza, we have not had an opportunity to try grazing it yet. Sericea lespedeza has also been found to reduce methane emission in goats 30% to 57%, depending on how it is measured.
Worming Meat Goats
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It is recommended, by most parasitologists, to change wormers periodically to keep worms from building up a resistance to the medications. Worming only those goats which show symptoms of worms at any one time and not worming the entire herd, will also help prevent the building up of resistance to medications. We found that worming our entire herd just once per year does not cause a buildup of immunity in worms when using Moxidectin wormer (also sold as Cydectin and Quest.) It is the only wormer we have used for the last twelve years, and it still gets good results. We use it because it is the only wormer that does not kill dung beetles. They are important for removing goat droppings and reducing pasture contamination.
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Feeders and water tanks should be built in such a way that goats cannot contaminate their feed or water with their droppings or their feet. The feet of goats always contain droppings. Goats like to paw their feed if they can.
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We worm all of our does in late February, just before they start kidding in March. Does are more susceptible to worms at kidding time. Also at this time of the year the weather is cold enough to kill eggs which are passed from the goats in their feces. Worming all the goats at the same time makes it easier to select for parasite resistance.