I am very interested in using natural wormers (Molly's Herbal from Fiasco Farms) and was wondering if anyone had used it and if it was effective? Thanks! Carrie
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I no longer have goats but I liked Hoeggers Goat Supply http://hoeggergoatsupply.com/xcart/home.php for their products and my friend Kathy Marshall of Double Blessings Goat Milk Soaps uses their herbal wormer and is quite happy with it. Fiasco Farms is also a great source of information.
I know my and Kathy's goats always did best on a diet of alfafa and grain when lactating. While they are browsers (not grazers) by nature, my goats did not like eating things off the ground, they were fussy. If you can let them out in pasture which is clean they should be safer, otherwise you are best as you noted keeping the feed off the ground.
Good luck with your dream,
Catherine
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Carrie > Catherine, The Herb LadyOctober 21, 2010 at 8:43am
Thanks to everyone for their input :) We are very excited to start our new adventure!!
For a totally different opinion...we don't worm--we don't think it is neccesary--worms that animals get (and people too) only survive in a sick animal--if the animal is healthy the worms can't survive. This is the same for people. Try and replicate nature in the best way possible and you won't need wormers at all. We live in the middle of the desert so there is lots of stuff around, our goats forage, they have a HUGE pen, eat LOTS of fresh leafy greens from trees, dried alfalfa hay, and we don't use any of that goat ration stuff. I don't think its neccesary. It's usually got a bunch of man-made vitamins (as if man really knows exactly what a goat needs and can package it in a food) and grain....I'm very skeptical about giving grain...If goats didn't need it in the wild, my (very well fed not skinny at all) goats don't need it either. But if you must worm...I've read the Fiasco farms website and I would go with that one...or just make your own--probably cheaper...she's probably just using herbs like wormwood and such. And a side note--you can emliminate hoof trimming as well by providing the proper environment (again, goats in the wild didn't need hoof trimming).
There is also good information on Fias Co. Farm's website with regards to natural and organic goat management. Another good place is backyardherds.com...there is a section for organic goat husbandry, and a number of really experienced goat people on there. I have two Nubian does, but haven't used wormers yet.
Good luck!
Carrie > Bethany LobockiOctober 20, 2010 at 12:53pm
Thanks Bethany. Are you raising your goats organically? I don't pick up my girls for 2 more months but was wondering, if I don't graze them on pasture (just dirt, chickens, a garden, & native trees & shrubs on my 2 acres) that they won't get so many parasites?? Everything I keep reading on goats focuses on worms, worms, worms that supposidly come from all the foraging/grazing. But I'm hoping by just feeding them goat ration & alfalfa( from feeders not the ground), they won't pick up so many. I can't imagine pumping that many chemicals into a poor little goat :( That's why I asked if anyone had good experiences with herbal wormers. Do you plan to go that route?
The reason I haven't been worrying about worms is that no one has had animals on my acre for the 30 or so years that this house has been here. And before that it was citrus groves. Now, after a certain amount of time...the parasite load of an area can get worse but I feel "safe" for now. Also, the only really bad goat parasite are barberpole worms...and supposedly they aren't a problem in our part of the country. If my goats start looking unhealthy...and it can't be fixed with nutritional tweaks, then I'll worry about parasites. I do check their eyelids at least once a month or so...just to be safe.
Maybe this is a naive way to go...but it's where I am right now.
As far as raising them organically...they aren't technically being raised organically since they aren't given organically grown hay that I know of, their alfalfa pellets aren't organic, and they are given a little bit of Purina goat chow to coax them into their pen and barn at night. They've received their CD/T vaccines. I don't plan on prophylactic antibiotic use or prophylactic use of wormers, but they absolutely will be medicated if the need arises. I certainly feel like the milk I will get from them is "organic enough" for me.
Carrie > Bethany LobockiOctober 20, 2010 at 3:33pm
Not naive, I feel the same way. There are so many people out there with complex annual worming routines, I guess if it's needed, I understand. But, I do not believe in prophylactic use of wormers. We put our school microscope to good use around here :) Not many goat people are in this part of the country and I still am not very familiar with the parasites that are a problem out here. I live in the foothills of the Gila mountains and the only thing that has ever been out here are rocks! Thanks for the input!
Replies
I no longer have goats but I liked Hoeggers Goat Supply http://hoeggergoatsupply.com/xcart/home.php for their products and my friend Kathy Marshall of Double Blessings Goat Milk Soaps uses their herbal wormer and is quite happy with it. Fiasco Farms is also a great source of information.
I know my and Kathy's goats always did best on a diet of alfafa and grain when lactating. While they are browsers (not grazers) by nature, my goats did not like eating things off the ground, they were fussy. If you can let them out in pasture which is clean they should be safer, otherwise you are best as you noted keeping the feed off the ground.
Good luck with your dream,
Catherine
There is also good information on Fias Co. Farm's website with regards to natural and organic goat management. Another good place is backyardherds.com...there is a section for organic goat husbandry, and a number of really experienced goat people on there. I have two Nubian does, but haven't used wormers yet.
Good luck!
Maybe this is a naive way to go...but it's where I am right now.
As far as raising them organically...they aren't technically being raised organically since they aren't given organically grown hay that I know of, their alfalfa pellets aren't organic, and they are given a little bit of Purina goat chow to coax them into their pen and barn at night. They've received their CD/T vaccines. I don't plan on prophylactic antibiotic use or prophylactic use of wormers, but they absolutely will be medicated if the need arises. I certainly feel like the milk I will get from them is "organic enough" for me.
This site is great for goat stuff :) I don't have dairy goats, but they have a very cool herbal wormer compound.
Andrea