Diatomaceous earth: We have been feeding diatomaceous earth (DE) as a natural worming product since November, 1999. This is livestock food grade DE. We have our mill mix 25-30 lbs. of DE in every 1000 lbs. of grain mix. This is fed every day. We run our own fecal tests every three weeks and immediately check any animal who looks "off" or has diarrhea. We are conscientious about this so we know what is going on with the herd. (We go through a lot of fecalyzers and flotation solution!) When we started doing this, we figured the "acid test" of effectiveness would be at kidding, when the hormone/parasite "bloom" takes place. We had no problems. And our goats are healthier and better bodied than ever.
We have not used a chemical wormer more than a dozen times since we started using the DE. The key factor is that the DE must be fed in the grain on a daily basis. Studies that I read about when I was researching DE only used it on a periodic basis in the same way a chemical wormer is used. This simply will not work because the amount you would have to feed is so unpalatable that the goats won’t eat it! This is the reason we use more molasses in the grain mix- to get the DE well mixed with everything else and taste good. (A word of caution - be very, very careful handling DE so as not to inhale any. It is very fine.) As well as controlling internal parasites, DE kills fly larva left in manure, parasites can not build up a resistance, it is purported to result in better feed conversion, and is non-toxic.
Traditional worming: As a general rule, goats should be wormed every 4 weeks June through September and again after the first hard frost. There are always exceptions to rules, of course, so watch your animals to see if they need worming even after that hard freeze. Does should always be wormed after kidding since hormonal changes during pregnancy and kidding cause a parasitic "bloom". Staying on top of worming is critical, especially for Angoras which are much more susceptible to internal parasites than Pygoras. For worming, we us alternate Panacur (paste), which we order from Mid-States Livestock Supply, and Valbazan, which we get from our vet. Because goats have a higher metabolism, they require more product per dose than the label dosages. We go with our vet’s recommendation of 2x the label dose. Some sources, however, recommend 4x the label dose. Confusing.
If you a drench, remember, when giving oral medication to keep the goats head level and dose from the left side into the inter-dental space. Doing this prevents liquid going into the airways.
For the treatment of sucking or biting lice, we use an ivermectin pour-on (5 mg ivermectin per mL). The brand we buy is Prozap from Loveland Industries - you can get it at Farm & Fleet.
For the treatment of coccidia, we use Corrid, which can be purchased in a powered form at Farm & Fleet. You can also obtain it in concentrated liquid form from your veterinarian..We do not use or recommend products, such as some of the block licks, that contain animal by-products. Kids are vulnerable to Coccidia - adults build up an immunity - and left untreated this protzoan parasite will result in death. If not treated properly, it will impair the ability of the gut to properly absorb nutrients. (We have had to treat a kid for coccidia only once since starting to use DE. Maybe coincidental. I don’t know.)
