Deborah Niemann – Parasites in Goats
How to Identify, Solve, and Prevent Parasite Problems
Do you …
deworm goats on a schedule?
inject dewormers?
give a dewormer to all goats before moving to a new pasture?
rotate dewormers?
deworm the whole herd at one time?
If you answered YES to ANY of these questions, keep reading! Research has shown that ALL of these practices ultimately lead to dewormer resistance, which means that eventually none of the dewormers will kill parasites on your farm — and that means the parasites can kill your 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 them at some point. Unfortunately, the Internet is filled with tons of old information! Practices from 10 or 20 years ago are still being used today, even though the latest research has shown that those practices lead to dewormer resistance.
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’ve been able to look up the latest research in scholarly journals, using the databases 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 first hand. Then I traveled around the country, creating videos and narrated PowerPoints 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. — I’ve seen Dr. Hart speak at several conferences over the years. He is at 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 that 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 …
Various 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 goat have no problems with parasites
How you can manage parasites without routine herb or drug use
Why the answer does NOT lie in a new drug
Your Instructor
Deborah Niemann
In 2002, Deborah and her family moved to 32 acres on a creek in the middle of nowhere to grow their own food organically. With the help of goats, sheep, pigs, and poultry, they produce 100% of their meat, eggs, and dairy products, as well as a large percentage of their vegetables, fruit, and herbs. They sold chickens and turkeys for more than 10 years, and are currently a licensed egg producer in Illinois and sell eggs to a grocery store and through a CSA.
Deborah is the author of six books, including Homegrown and Handmade, Ecothrifty, and Raising Goats Naturally, as well as her latest book, Goats Giving Birth. She also teaches sustainable agriculture courses online for the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. She has been teaching Raising Dairy Goats Sustainably since 2013 and Pastured Poultry since 2015.
In 2022, Deborah got certified as a FAMACHA instructor so that she and her students could feel confident that she was providing the most up-to-date information on parasite research and management.
Course Curriculum
Parasite Basics with Deborah
Welcome!
Internal Parasites (26:37)
Dewormers (22:07)
Drenching a Goat (Deworming) video (0:41)
Alternative Dewormers and Preventing Parasites (21:37)
Internal Parasite Quiz
External Parasites (10:05)
How to Move Goats to New Pasture (6:54)
FAMACHA Training
READ FIRST: Intro to FAMACHA training
Intro to Sustainable Parasite Management (2:34)
Barber Pole Worms: Goat Enemy #1 (22:25)
Dewormer Resistance (24:50)
Proper Dewormer Usage (48:37)
Alternative and Natural Dewormers (19:44)
Integrated Parasite Management (2:52)
FAMACHA Eyelid Check and Body Condition Scoring (5:36)
FAMACHA Quiz
Steve Hart, Ph.D., Langston University
Preview
5 Myths About Deworming Goats (6:40)
Introduction to Worms (28:42)
Joan Burke, Ph.D., USDA Research Facility, Booneville, AR
Genetics and Parasites (3:14)
Rotational Grazing (4:03)
Using Copper Oxide for Control of Barber Pole Worms (15:29)
James Miller, DVM, Ph.D., Louisiana State University
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Fecals (20:10)
Dewormers (8:22)
Coccidiosis (7:47)
Alison Martin, Ph.D., The Livestock Conservancy
Genetic Selection for Parasite Resistance (10:25)
Resources
Premier 1 Supplies Fencing (6:46)
Advanced Fecal Testing
DIY Fecal Testing
Rotational Grazing Layout Example
Research
Using copper oxide wire particles (COWP) as a dewormer
Combining COWP with Valbazen
Dosing COWP in a capsule versus mixed in feed
Efficacy of Garlic Juice, COWP, Cydectin, and Levamisole
Efficacy of Molly’s Herbal dewormer in goats
Birdsfoot Trefoil for parasite control
Webinars and Interviews
Managing Parasites in Goats: Avoiding 6 Common Mistakes (Deborah Niemann, May 2019) (69:57)
Sericea Lespedeza interview with Tom Terrill, Ph.D.
Zoom Q&A meeting recordings
April 1, 2021 at 11 a.m. (75:19)
What’s next?
Course Feedback
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