Parasites in Goats

Parasites have been cited as the #1 cause of death in goats.

If you've had goats for any length of time, you've probably had to deal with parasites at some point. Unfortunately, the Internet is filled with tons of old information! Practices from 10 or 20 years ago are still being promoted today, even though the latest research has shown that those practices lead to dewormer resistance.

When it comes to managing parasites in goats, details matter!

* The location of your farm matters

* The genetics of your goats matter

* What's growing in your pasture matters

* The size of your paddocks matter

* The minerals you provide matter

* The weather matters

* It ALL matters -- and it's why you can't just copy what someone else does!

Are you giving dewormers to more than 10% of your goats annually?

There is a better way that's also less expensive!

The answer to winning the war on parasites is in management, not drugs, herbs, or any other product. Giving a dewormer to prevent worm problems does NOT work.

Current research has told us that we should NOT deworm on a schedule, rotate dewormers, or inject dewormers because those outdated practices lead to dewormer resistance -- and if the dewormers stop working, that leads to goats dying!

So, where do you get the most up-to-date information?

You can't subscribe to all of the scientific journals. You may not be able to get a farm sitter, which means you can't travel to attend conferences. That's why I created this online course -- and no, this is NOT about what I do. This course is about the latest research on parasites in small ruminants.

Like all my books and courses, this will NOT be a one-size-fits-all recipe for dealing with parasites. I believe in educating people so that you can become the expert on your goats on your farm.

Because I teach college, I have access to scholarly journals, using the database at the university. I've also contacted researchers personally to get more information about their studies. And I've attended multiple conferences to hear them talk about their research firsthand.

Then I traveled around the country, interviewing researchers and creating videos with the scientists on the front lines of parasite research. I'm bringing the conference to you! Who have I talked to?

• Joan Burke, Ph.D. -- Dr. Burke is at the USDA research center in Booneville, AR, and if you asked me who authored more studies than any other that I've read, I'd say it was Dr. Burke. She is especially interested in alternative dewormers, and she authored a lot of the studies that used copper oxide wire particles as a dewormer.
• Steve Hart, Ph.D. -- Dr. Hart recently retired from Langston University, which has its own goat research center. He was kind enough to read and review the parasite chapter of my book, Raising Goats Naturally, and provide technical feedback so that I could be sure it contained the latest research-based information. A couple of years ago, when we were both speaking at a conference, I asked him during a break if he knew how many fecals he'd done in his life, and he said that he had done 3,000 in the previous summer alone!
• James Miller, DVM, Ph.D. -- Dr. Miller is one of the leading parasitologists in the world. He is a professor emeritus in the School of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University, and he is active in parasite research and working with student researchers.
• Alison Martin, Ph.D. -- Alison is the director of the Livestock Conservancy, and she did her doctoral research on how genetics affect a sheep or goat's resistance to parasites.

Here are just a few of the things you'll learn ...

• Symptoms of different internal parasites
• How worms and coccidia are different
• Conventional and natural remedies for parasites
• Why you should NOT rotate dewormers
• How to prevent parasite problems
• Why you should NOT give your goats a dewormer before moving to new pasture
• Symptoms of barber pole and other worms
• How to check body condition scores
• How to use the 5-point check
• Why you should NEVER deworm all the goats in the herd at one time
• What's the difference between a fecal exam and a fecal culture
• Why we do fecal exams (or not)
• Where to find the most up-to-date information on milk and meat withdrawal when using drugs
• How to "drench" a goat
• Why you should NOT inject dewormers in goats
• Why some goats have no problem with parasites
• How you can manage parasites without routine herb or drug use
• Why the answer does NOT lie in a new drug