Deworming on a regular schedule is no longer a recommended protocol for goats. In many parts of the country, goats die from parasite overload due to parasite resistence to dewormers much like the bacteria resistence to antibiotics. How we determine if a goat needs to be dewormed is by two considerations. First, is by conditioning. If you notice that your goat seems thinner than usual and there’s no apparent reason for it, then likely they have a parasite load that needs to be dealt with. The second thing you’ll want to do is check the inner eye membrane of the lower lid. This is a procedure called FAMACHA scoring and you can learn more about how to do it in the video below. The FAMACHA check is so quick and easy to do, it should be done on a rountine basis, such as, every time you trim hooves. If the eye membrane is pale, you will likely need to deworm.
Other health considerations are copper. There is documentation stating that barber pole worms cannot live in a copper rich environment. Goats need copper but you can give them too much and if you hang out in social media goat groups long enough, you will hear about how some folks have experienced copper toxicity. Since I do not believe in reinventing the wheel, I’m going to refer you to some of the best documentation on topic. To learn more about copper deficiencies in goats, head on over to The Thrifty Homesteader. The following is a link to several articles she has written on copper and other mineral deficiencies and the signs of each. This information is how I’ve determined what my copper schedule should be for my herd. So grab a cup of your favorite beverage and sink into some indepth information on the topic.
Thrifty Homesteader on Mineral Deficiencies in Goats
The oral dewormer we use when it’s necessary, is Safeguard for goats. I like using that one because it’s still effective for us and it has all the proper dosing for goats right on the label. The other we’ve used is Ivermectin Sheep Drench. Make sure this product specifically states drench because there are injectible forms which are not advised for use in goats, and there’s also an Ivermectin pour-on which can be used for external parasites like mites. I stumbled upon this handy dosing chart provided by Cornell University. It lists popular dewormers for goats and dosage recommendations.