Great Post One Fine Acre!
Yes, you will hear DO NOT DEWORM til 1000 EPG Count. A practice that I agree with AND disagree with. Most of the research is done on meat goats... dairy goats and fiber goats are not meat goats! Meat goats generally are moved throughout the land and usually weigh a minimum of 110 lbs for does and up to 350lbs for bucks. My Nigerians are between 45-80 lbs. They are dairy, not meat. Management styles are also typically different. We have meat goats and dairy goats and I really believe the threshold for parasite load in a dairy goat is less. Dairy goats are producing milk, that lactating doe can stress more easily.
The idea of don't worry about other worms... it's the barberpole that is the problem is again based on the meat goat production basis and this is what is preched. The barberpole is a bloodsucker causing anemia and eventual death, so it is a big problem. However I disagree with the idea that never deworm for tapeworm or roundworms etc or non barberpole worms, that is commonly reiterated by many researchers in the goat world as well as many goat keepers.
Worms (intestinal parasites) no matter what kind are still robbing the animal of nutrients. Knowing when to deworm is important. Overuse of dewormers is a really bad idea. Knowing your herd and understanding each individual animal is key. Many use the "eyelid" check method... few are trained in FAMACHA don't use the method properly don't have the color chart and don't know it is only good for the barberpole worm.
We do not dry lot, but our animals are on the land, yet we have excellent parasite resistance. We have lespedeza that grows wild here, lots of pines, acorns etc. high in tannins and therefore "coat" the parasite making it impossible to feed and reproduce yet it is not really an anthelmintic. We also practice strict quarantine protocol.
The meat goat adults coming in have been far more difficult to deal with, yet once cleaned up they have been no problem. Like OFA said sometimes the count will go down all by itself, but much of that is from management practices. That can be dry-lotting or constant moving of the herd so they are not reinfecting themselves.
Adult goats occasionally may show an oocyst, not a big deal... like OFA said, it is the young kids that are most susceptible to cocci and it is a silent killer.
We acquired a doeling recently 12 wks... ran fecal the day she came here 0 epg- 17 cocci... we waited another week... she is still in quarantine- cocci went up.. we treated with the toltrazuril. No way I'm putting her with my herd and dumping cocci all over my fields.
Good practice to always run a fecal on any new animal and then repeat 10-14 days later. We usually will take a fecal home before the purchase of any goat and see what we will be bringing home.
You will learn to love poop!
They seem fine even though it is cold out. I know, I know. They are GOATS. I hope they aren't too addictive because I really don't need more than two! (Chickens are the gateway farm animal.)
