Natural Medicine for Goats

There are many plants that have anthelmintic and vermifugal properties (both of those words mean the plant's active constituents can clear out parasites), enough of them that there should be a few choices that can be grown in your area wherever you may raise goats. Some very popular and easy to grow items would be pumpkin seed, black walnut, garlic, wormwood, wild mustard, carrots, and parsley. I often also use quassia chips and pau d' arco, also known as taheebo, as these also have other medicinal qualities I may need to employ. These aren't grown in the US as they are tropical, so I purchase in bulk through herb distributors.

As I mentioned earlier today, I don't rely on just one herb to clear out parasites unless I am dealing with something very simple. Medicinal herbs work best when combined with similar and supporting herbs, and that applies to worming as well. I give gentle worming herbs to pregnant does and kids, stronger herbs when the need arises, such as following sudden very damp weather, or when bringing in new stock to be sure they are not dropping strange parasites and parasite eggs from another locale where they will be infesting my herd. So I may use just garlic and parsley combined for my pregnant does and weanling kids unless I note a problem through FAMACHA or fecals, when I would add something a bit stronger, or add one more item to the combination. For an incoming new purchase, I would put quassia chips in the water and allow it to stay there for at least a week, while feeding a combination of wormwood, black walnut, and pau d' arco. Pau d' arco is also a strong antibiotic and antiviral herb, so it would be most useful for a new arrival in case of harboring any illness. If the stress of kidding has a doe looking anemic or she has been exposed to a goat that is not well, then she too may get some of this same herb. Natural worming and combining herbs correctly is a matter of learning what parasites are most active in your herd, when they are most likely to strike your herd, and administering accordingly.

I also often use neem in my worm formulas, but, I am listing it in here separately because it is NOT something you want to give to your bucks during breeding season(s). Neem will naturally drop semen count as a side effect � it is used in India and other countries as a contraceptive of sorts for human men, so be careful with large amounts of this with bucks! Also be aware that any estrogenic herbs given for medicinal treatments, such as red clover, soy, fenugreek, kudzu, can also lower sperm counts. Choose your herbs carefully!

I rotate these worming combinations regularly. The only thing that really stays a constant with my herd is diatomaceous earth. Again, I am aware of the controversy surrounding DE, and realize there are those for it and those against it. I use it because it is quite effective on keeping predatory insects off of my organic produce, is quite effective at keeping fly populations down around the barn and pen areas, and the goats really seem to enjoy it. DE in case you are not aware is the fossilized bodies of tiny creatures called diatoms. In livestock and plant use it is not the stuff sold for use in swimming pool filters as that has been treated with chemicals that are deadly to animals and plants. It is believed that DE works by having those tiny microscopic sharp edges which cuts through the exoskeleton of parasites and insects, which causes them to dehydrate and die. It is safe for animals to ingest, as these sharp edges are too small to affect the intestinal lining. DE is added to common human food items such as flour and corn meal to kill off bugs that can hatch. Used in combination with the natural wormers, what you are hopefully doing is creating an inhospitable environment in the gut for the parasites, and when they turn loose they are killed by the sharp edges of the fossilized diatoms slicing through their protective covering. That's the theory anyway.

Those little fossils also have some trace mineral content which is going to be beneficial to your goats anyway, so, I see only a win-win situation. I offer DE mixed with kelp and goat minerals free choice in feeders all the time. I don't usually give DE it alone as a little bit goes a long way. It is also excellent for lice infestations � I simply dust the animal with the DE just as you would with Sevin dust. I've had only two cases of lice in my natural herd, both were from animals brought in from elsewhere and were treated in quarantine. Again, a healthy goat is going to resist parasites of all types, internal and external.

These natural wormers can be offered to your goats for ingestion in many different ways, making it very convenient for you to administer. Handfuls of the dried herbs can be dropped directly into their drinking water, thereby making a sort of medicinal tea. Handfuls of the dried or fresh herbs can be added to their grain or offered freely in feed pans. A tincture can be made using apple cider vinegar as the liquid menstrum (apple cider vinegar having its own nutritional values), which can then be used in the drinking water, as a drench, on food, etc. Measured amounts of the dried herbs can be added to their mineral mix and offered free choice. A sick goat or one needing immediate attention can be fed a bolus of the dried herb mixed with molasses or honey. You are only limited by your own abilities and creativity in getting these herbs into the goats.

If you are using these items regularly, since most of these natural worming herbs also have many other medicinal qualities, you should be noticing a decrease in illness in your herd. Kids will have fewer problems, new moms will have fewer problems, your bucks will become more fertile, and you will be noticing a change in the appearance of your goats as well. They should look more lively, have a prettier coat, and just overall look healthy as their energy is now going into meat and dairy production, rather than fending off parasites and microscopic invaders or trying to repair themselves from chemical damages.

Since I have been employing these herbs with my herd on a regular rotational basis, the incidences of illness have been greatly reduced. Only after a rough time weatherwise, such as chilled newborn babies catching cold or pneumonia and the occasional bout of the same with some older adults do I notice any real cases of illness, and even that has been greatly reduced. I live in a semi-arid high altitude area, so I add herbal wormers once a quarter, the combination chosen according to season, and rarely need to do it in between times. Goats instinctively know what they need for their own health, and will seek out these plants growing in their pasture areas. I've never had a goat refuse to eat or drink any of the medicinal herbs I have ever offered.

I mentioned apple cider vinegar. That again is a controversial item for goats, but, I do use it on all livestock on my place and I like the results. True apple cider vinegar is brown, not clear. It has many nutritional qualities all by itself. It is high in potassium, which aids in keeping the blood flowing properly � very important in our pregnant does, most especially when she is carrying multiples. I add ACV to livestock water to assist in keeping down the algae growth, assist in preventing hatching of mosquito larvae, as well as help my bucks keep from getting urinary calculi and kidney stones. This works for humans, too, by the way.

There is also an old farmer's tale that ACV added to the water of bucks and does can help you get a kidding season of more does than bucks, and with horses can get you more fillies than stallions. Whether or not this is actually true has yet to be studied, as it probably is not something anyone is going to get a study grant for, but as a general rule I find that it works somewhat for me. In the 2004 breeding season I did not add ACV to my stallion's water and ended up with a foal crop of nothing but boys, in previous years my stallion had only given me fillies with the ACV added to mares and stallion water. I've noted the same sort of response with my goat population. But, not always, as it also depends on how much is used, how often, and of course all of the other environmental factors. So whether or not that holds true for you, well, I say it may be worth a try over a few kidding seasons in your own herd to see what happens. Certainly I would encourage you to use it in your bucks' water if he is prone to urinary problems, and it certainly can't hurt as a preventative for any of your bucks or wethers.

There are some particular problems common to goats that you may need natural medicine for. Let's look at a few of these now.

Kidding: Barring the malpresented kid, if the doe has been fed adequate nutrition through her gestation, she delivers a healthy kid or two or four. We can make that kidding a bit easier by providing items that help her uterus, such as raspberry leaf and nettle. Fresh or dried, these herbs help to tone the uterus a couple of weeks before and after parturition, and can help strengthen her contractions, shortening labor time. These are also well known herbs for helping increase milk supply. Shortly after kidding would be a good time to offer her some worming herbs and to be certain that she has plenty of access to minerals and fresh water. There is no substitute for good nutrition and adequate exercise during gestation, that alone will prevent most kidding problems, including ketosis, or milk fever.

For those kids that are born weak, or mother abandons on a very cold day, and must be handfed to get started, I use colostrum, preferably from the mother, mixed with a wee bit of natural molasses and a bit of kelp and/or spirulina. If the kid was particularly cold or lethargic, I may give a small syringe full of coffee by mouth to help the blood get pumping and warm the kid a bit faster, or add a bit of coffee to the warm colostrum. The seaweeds and algaes have a concentrated content of minerals and nutrients that can get the kid up and running faster than plain colostrum in these situations.

Mastitis: Garlic, echinacea, and ginger given frequently is the best treatment. Hot compresses can help when applied directly to the udder, afterwards rub in some peppermint oil to stimulate the blood vessels within. Again, good nutrition prior to freshening will prevent this from occurring. To avoid the painful swollen udder that might occur when trying to dry off or wean the does, sage given dry or fresh, free choice or added to the water, will help a great deal to dry up the milk. If you have a set weaning date for your kids, it would be wise to add sage to the water for those mothers a few days in advance of that date.

Respiratory ailments: Pau d' arco (taheebo), echinacea, peppermint, horehound, combined and given frequently. I use equal parts of each. Garlic and ginger are also useful in this combination, again, equal parts.

Diarrhea: Usually I let this go for a day or two if it has no accompanying symptoms, as it generally means the goat has eaten something it shouldn't have, or way too much of something. If it is accompanied by lethargy, fever, chills, etc. or if in young kids then I intervene immediately with slippery elm bark, blackberry leaf, and dill for a day, followed by garlic and pau d' arco and/ or echinacea for several days. If it proves to be coccidiosis, then I treat for a week with a mixture of antibiotic and antiviral herbs, such as oregon grape root, olive leaf, mrryh, and echinacea to both clear up the coccidiosis and prevent any other illness from taking hold while the goat is weakened from the diarrhea. Once the diarrhea has passed, some good natural yogurt will help get the rumen running well again. Yogurt is also good to give during and after chemical antibiotic treatments, as those will kill beneficial bacteria in the digestive system where natural herbal antibiotics and antivirals will not.

Remember that many does come into their first heat cycle a few days to a few weeks after birthing, and the hormonal changes within her can cause scours in the kids as well, so be sure what you are treating.

Bear in mind also that sometimes a quick change in feed will cause diarrhea in varying numbers within the herd � so if you just had to change hay or rotated pastures, for example, that too may cause diarrhea, so don't panic if it happens��just watch and it will pass usually within the first 24 to 36 hours as the rumen adjusts to digesting the new feed.

Wounds: I generally mix together apple cider vinegar, aloe vera juice, tea tree oil, and tea made from calendula and echinacea, put it in a spray bottle, and spray the affected area several times a day. If the wound already looks infected by the time it is noted, such as the goat has been out to pasture for a while and escaped close inspection, I will give echinacea and garlic and probably pau d' aro, in equal parts, directly to the goat for internal immune system support.

Since the Langston class members asked for this information I will add it in here:

CL Treatment (this is what I would do for my own goats if they had CL)
3 cups kelp
1 cup sea salt (NOT table salt!!)
4 cups dried nettles
2 cups dried pau d' arco (taheebo)
1 cup dried olive leaf
1 cup dried and crushed rosehips
1 cup dried burdock leaf and 1 cup dried roots, mixed
1 cup dried dandelion leaf and 1 cup dried root, mixed
1/2 cup dried rosemary
Mix all dry ingredients together. Give at � to � cup per day per affected goat (you can add it to a small amount of a favorite grain mix to encourage them to eat it). The affected goat(s) should be isolated from the rest of the herd for the duration of treatment. When the lump(s) can be lanced, or after they have burst (but DO try to get them before they burst!), first lance the lump (please wear surgical gloves and try to keep the liquid from reaching the ground). Flush it with peroxide every day for three days. Add together 3 cups olive oil, 1/2 cup dried calendula flowers, 1/4 cup dried lavender flowers, and � cup dried olive leaf and let stand for three days, shaking occasionally. Use this after the three days of peroxide treatment, rubbing it into the lance site. Again, be sure to wear gloves!

For some places to buy medicinal herbs in bulk, try:
Starwest Botanicals at http://www.starwest-botanicals.com
Penn Herbs at http://www.pennherb.com
Frontier Herbs at http://www.frontiercoop.com/products/herbs.html
Mountain Rose Herbs at http://www.mountainroseherbs.com

Besides my own book for your reference use, I would also recommend the book The Complete Herbal Handbook For Farm And Stable by Juliette de Bairacli Levy. It's a wonderful reference, this woman has gleaned tidbits of the "old ways" from around the world. Her treatments mainly come from farmers in Britain and France, but most of the herbs are available here, and the treatments do work. I got my copy from Amazon.com a few years ago.

Don't let natural treatments for your goats confuse or frustrate you. Most are very simple yet very effective. Most are also very cost effective when you are wise and buy in bulk and mix your own treatments based on what your goat, or your herd, needs. If you have had no training in medicinal herbs, there are plenty of books out there, including my own, which can guide you to choosing the best herbs for the situation. If you are interested in my book, The Herbal Encyclopedia � A Practical Guide to the Many Uses of Herbs: you will find the information you need to order it through any book store that doesn't have it on the shelf right here on my web site.

Remember not to over-treat, and not to give up too fast. Certainly if you have a crisis situation you should resort to emergency medicines if there is time and the willingness on the part of your vet. More is not better, so giving herbal type wormers on a daily basis is a bad idea, as is giving preventative treatments on a daily basis. Put your herd on a schedule unless you have environmental/climate concerns that require your intervention differently.

As I explained to you in the classes at Langston, I can't diagnose for you or give you exact written amounts of herbs to give in every situation as I am not a licensed vet. This article and those classes were/are not intended to replace the advice of your veterinarian, but to help you on your way to treating your own organic goat herd naturally.

Last but not least, as you all requested another look at those PVC feeders I use for my goats, here is a photo:

Visit The Herbal Encyclopedia - world famous herbal and natural healing resource, and the place to buy the book!

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