Natural Goat Wormers
I'll talk about natural wormers in this article. There are several commercial products out there on the market, but I do not use them (more on why I do not, and you shouldn't either, later in this article). Many are listed as "homeopathic" wormers, and that is a bit different than you may think. Homeopathic remedies are not "home remedies" - Homeopathy is a separate field of natural medicine and amateurs usually don't make their own. Homeopathics are made from the "essence" of something. So, for example, if one was making a homeopathic remedy for a roundworm, you would take a roundworm, soak it in the liquid being used, also called "menstrum", shake that mixture several times a day, remove the roundworm, add liquid, shake several times a day, and do that for many days until what is left is a liquid that has the "essence" of the roundworm. This is called a "succussion". If it is a remedy for an illness, cells from an animal with that infection, whether it be skin scrapings or mucous or whatever depending on the ailment, would be prepared in the same manner. While homeopathy can be very effective in many instances, I am not convinced as a professional in the field of natural medicine that this would be an effective way of worming a goat. Parasites of the same type vary from location to location, whether it be size or strain or mutation or whatever, and so to be truly effective for your herd the succussion would have to be made from parasites that are from your specific herd in your specific location. This is not something easily undertaken by a beginner without training in homeopathy and making homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies are, however, very good for replacements for vaccines and for prevention of certain diseases in livestock.
Instead I use plant medicines for wormers, as they are readily available, and many can be grown in your own fields and gardens and shelterbreaks for free choice use. What can't be grown in your area is easy to purchase from many available sources in bulk, which reduces costs and keeps plenty on hand for use as needed.
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 are raising goats. Some very popular and easy to grow items would be pumpkin seed, garlic, wormwood (I use the very mild member of this family called Sweet Annie), wild mustard, ginger root, tea (the same tea you use to make your iced tea), 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.
I don't rely on just one herb to clear out parasites unless I am dealing with something very simple or I need something very mild to use with does in advanced pregnancy. 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 very wet 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. I may use just garlic and parsley (also a diuretic, a needed item for many pregnancies with triplets or more) 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 (which is ALWAYS quarantined!), 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 hull powder, 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.
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 my worming combinations regularly, choosing my combinations according to weather and situation, with the caveat that "less is more" dictating overall use. The only thing that really stays a constant with my herd is diatomaceous earth. Yes, I am aware of the controversy surrounding DE, and realize there are those for it and those against it, and yes, I know there have been "studies" that "proved" it was useless as a wormer - these weren't real scientific studies. I use it because it is quite effective on keeping predatory insects off of my organic produce, it 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 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. The easiest is of course cutting/pulling a fresh plant and handing it to the goat. The only issue with that method is not getting enough to the goat that actually needs it the most. 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.
Don't just automatically assume that your goats must be wormed on a regular schedule. The parasites don't keep a schedule, and neither should you. Use fecal exams and FAMACHA scores to keep track of individual goats and what their needs might be. Keep records on which goats go the longest between needed wormings (whether you are using natural or chemical!). Single out those who need it more frequently, and give some serious consideration to eliminating those goats from your herd. Your entire herd is only as strong and healthy as its weakest member, and a doe that can't resist parasites usually has kids that can't resist parasites, either. Perpetuate the good qualities and get rid of the bad ones! Remember that the goat who carries the big worm load all the time is the one dropping parasite eggs to infest your hardier herd members. You'll worm must less often and with much less product if you CULL for good parasite resistance.
Now for something very important to apply to all your natural medicine attempts - MORE IS NOT BETTER! When using natural wormers, using them every day or every week of every year is not better than giving them when needed. Worms will become resistant, goats will become ambivalent to what is offered, and opposites of healing can occur. When using natural remedies for illness, using them every day of every year is not better to prevent illness. An over-stimulated immune system is a dangerous thing in any animal, as is overworked kidneys and adrenals and liver and so on. Too much of anything isn't good for any of us! Use these things as needed and everything will be well and balanced according to Nature's Plan.
Many times the best wormer for your goat herd is the availability of minerals – proper mineral rations in correct proportions will help reduce worm load. Copper deficient goats are usually wormy, and their testosterone, estrogen and progesterone levels are usually depressed as well. A little additional copper will often take care of two problems at once. Do a little research into what may be missing in your soil, or the soil of your hay provider, and work to supply the balance. Balanced mineral mixtures will often clear up the chronically wormy or ill goat, as many mysterious ailments are due to lack of vitamins and minerals – goats must have that correct nutritional balance for their bodies to work correctly.
If you are using these natural worming 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 be 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.
Before this ends, I'll explain why I do not use commercial "herbal" products and why you shouldn't either. Those products are made to make money. Many, because I have researched them, are not even produced by people who have training in medicinal herbs. You have to know something about how a plant's active constituents work, by itself and along with other plants, to know how to put together a correct combination. If you don't know this information, you may be slapping something together where plants are cancelling each other out, or where everything in the combination is focusing on the same action. So, if the person producing the worming product is not trained, then most likely that combination may be faulty before you ever take it out of the package. It's the reason why natural worming has gotten such a bad rap - if your only experience has been with commercial worming products and it was a bad experience, you owe it to your herd to try doing it the correct way. Also, the very best combination is the one you put together for your animal that addresses the animal's needs at that time and place and circumstance. A commercial product can't address those aspects.
Because of various state and federal laws, I can't diagnose for you or give you exact written amounts of herbs to give to your individual goats as I am not a licensed vet. The best way to learn what to choose and how much to choose is to attend a clinic or hold one with your fellow goat producers. This article is not intended to replace the advice of your veterinarian, but to help you on your way to treating your own goat herd naturally.
Back to Waltz's Ark Home Page
