I have been trying to prepare for BAD WORM SEASON. We have mild summer and BAD SUMMER as our two seasons lol. So we also have worm season and BAD WORM SEASON.
Anyway. I have been re-reading all the old posts on herbal dewormers ect. Deborah, didn't you say you were feeding just straight wormwood at higher doses than is in those herbal mixes?
Is that safe to do with nursing moms? all the kids are over a month now.
Is it safe to feed to kids?
I am worried that we are a couple of years into goat raising now, plus have more goats than before. So we may have gotten by on low stocking rate & clean pastures but may be wearing that out. I still only have 5 adult goats on 10 acres, so that ought to be low stocking rate still. When the kids are all sold it will be 5 adults and 1 baby that we are keeping
Replies
I buy wormwood and lots of other herbs and spices from Frontier Co-op online. You can get 1-pound bag pretty reasonably. I also get 1-pound bags of roasted chili peppers, which is what was called "chili powder" when I was growing up. I love spicy food!
I also grow wormwood myself. Because you never know how old purchased wormwood is, or what has happened to it as far as exposure to heat, and so on, I decided to grow wormwood myself, hoping to get more consistent results. I feed it fresh to does that seem to need it, and they love eating it. My la manchas used to have a terrible time with internal parasites, and I'm convicned that if they'd ever gotten loose in my yard, they would have eaten the wormwood to the ground! Speaking of which ... it is highly invasive, so put it in a place where it can really take off and not bother anything else! I put it in a bed with some mint, and I'm not sure who is going to win! I think I bought the seeds from Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds. It was several years ago, and I only planted three or four, but it has spread like a weed! :)
The Fiasco site repeatedly warns AGAINST using wormwood on pregnant does. She says it is an Emmenagogue which is a herb which encourages menstrual bleeding and could induce loss of uterine lining which may cause miscarriage!
Here is a link in case anyone wants it and the info is all over this page but the specifics I mentioned are near the bottom under the Hoegger's Worm Compound for Goats section. http://fiascofarm.com/goats/wormers.htm
That's interesting about the wormwood, Deb. Do you use it in dried and powdered form? Do you grow it or purchase it, and it you purchase it, would you be willing to let us know where you get it? I've been using a prepared mix that includes wormwood, garlic and some other herbs and the instructions say not to use the wormwood with pregnant does.
It will grow & grow & not be touched till one day they decide it's time & devour it. "
My goats are like this with a lot of things. They always like pepper trees, but most everything else they will only eat during a "season" or maybe just when the whim strikes them. I thought it probably has to do with either the time of year/maturity of the plant changing the nutritional content, or what is in that plant that they are feeling deficient in.
I wonder if those plants are safe for horses
Thanks for sharing that, Susan! As you probably know, mugwort is in the same family as wormwood, so might also be beneficial as a dewormer.
I have it growing in their pasture in one spot. It will grow & grow & not be touched till one day they decide it's time & devour it. I only deworm when needed based on fecals, & may be getting by on only 2 years on the pasture. We also have winter which helps! Nobody got sick the week they ate it. Also, nobody was pregnant. They also have Mugwort & Comfrey which they consume as needed.
It is controversial about whether or not wormwood is safe during pregnancy, but I've never heard anyone say that it shouldn't be used when milking. Yes, I have given it to goats is pretty high doses. Before doing it the first time I put a cup of it into a bowl and took it into a pen with my adult wethers at that time, and the la mancha ate it all and wouldn't let anyone else have any. He never showed any signs of illness from eating so much. I would give my does about 2 tablespoons. When it worked, I would see improvement after 3-4 days. It didn't always work, but one of the things about using herbs is that some batches may be more potent than others. I never used it with kids because I wasn't sure about how much to give them or if they would be willing to eat it. The funny thing is that although it is very bitter, I've noticed that most does with a heavy wormload will devour it!