What to worm her with?

[Southern by choice]

disclaimer:
I AM NOT A GOAT PERSON.
You don't feed Safegard type pellets to goats like it's done with cattle--by weight of the animal?
All medications that I know of, are by volume, only a small % actual 'medicine'. This holds true for human as well as animal medications. Also holds true for liquids, including injectables and orals, as well as gels and creams and medicated pellets. The vast majority of the 'stuff' in the container is a carrier or inert ingredient used to:
1. Make measurement easier for us humans.
2. Ensure uniform mixing when manufactured.
3. Increase shelf life.
4. Make the medication (in oral form) to be more palatable.
5. retain the active ingredient in suspension over a period of time. (liquid and even squeezable form)
If one buys the 10% Safeguard suspension, you are only getting 10% actual medication. In a 1000mL bottle there is just 100mg of Fenbendazole for every ml of total solution in the 1000mL bottle.

Same for the 5% pelleted dewormer I use. There's only 2.3 grams of Fenbendazole for every pound of pellets. The rest is feed and coating to hold the pellets together and to protect the sprayed on/vacumed in main ingredient, and that medication application process is highly regulated and tested by both fda and the companies themselves.

All the dewormers I've ever used (except pour-ons*) all go according to the weight of the animal so that part remains the same for all. In each type application, we also have to just go by the label directions regarding how much to give each animal, so that's the same as well.
I separate each animal with the pellets, and they'll lick the bottom of the feed container out if you let them, so I know each one gets his/her correct amount, as long as I have weighed, taped or estimated their weights correctly.
I actually prefer pellets for some of my cattle. They don't like shots and have long memories. Had lots of liquid dewormer end up on me or on the ground even with good guns when the animal coughed, spit, slung or snorted it out right after I administered it.



(More and more cattlemen are using Safegard in range cube form nowadays with good results.)
*Pour on dewormers have been shown to be the least effective way to administer the active ingredients, with some lab tests showing less than 1% of the active ingredient actually getting where it needs to be.

It's all up to personal preference, but if fed correctly, pellets, IMO, are as good as any other oral method. When you start getting into 4lbs per 1000lbs animal weight, or 1 mL/10lbs, nothing is very exact.
If the animal is 'off it's feed' then pellets can be more difficult.

Yes.
Goats are different they are not cattle.

The goat(mentioned by the OP) is not eating the grain, like you mention, so pellets are not beneficial if the animal will not eat them.
Goats metabolism is exponentially faster than cattle.
Effectively liquid oral anthelmintics are far superior when given on an empty stomach.

I think you may have misunderstood what I meant by not knowing how much the goat will get. Yes, I understand the active medication is labeled by pound. Goats, if not eating, will not eat it.
Goats are hesitant to eat something foreign and when they do their digestive systems often cannot handle it and now come the scours. If a goat needs x amount and they eat 1/4 of that then it isn't effective. If a goat never gets grain/feed and now is given that suddenly, again that causes issues for the goat and now the herdsman may have to deal with upset rumin, diarrhea.
I believe the concentration is higher for pellets so it may be a small amount depending on the weight of the animal so it may or may not cause other issues.

Goats do best with oral drench and for the most part it is pretty easy to administer without getting it all over the ground.

Yes it is given by weight of animal. The best charts are from ACSRP. These are researchers dedicated to goats and they adjust dosages as labeling for goats is costly so most products are not changed from the cattle dosages. It is updated periodically due to resistance.
As with all drugs anything off label a vet must prescribe.
Seeking the advice of a GOAT VET is best for off label usage and dosages.

In short yes, you can use pellets but it is not the most efficient treatment for goats.
Can't speak for cattle, I know nothing about them.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Yes.
Goats are different they are not cattle.

The goat(mentioned by the OP) is not eating the grain, like you mention, so pellets are not beneficial if the animal will not eat them.
Goats metabolism is exponentially faster than cattle.
Effectively liquid oral anthelmintics are far superior when given on an empty stomach.

I think you may have misunderstood what I meant by not knowing how much the goat will get. Yes, I understand the active medication is labeled by pound. Goats, if not eating, will not eat it.
Goats are hesitant to eat something foreign and when they do their digestive systems often cannot handle it and now come the scours. If a goat needs x amount and they eat 1/4 of that then it isn't effective. If a goat never gets grain/feed and now is given that suddenly, again that causes issues for the goat and now the herdsman may have to deal with upset rumin, diarrhea.
I believe the concentration is higher for pellets so it may be a small amount depending on the weight of the animal so it may or may not cause other issues.

Goats do best with oral drench and for the most part it is pretty easy to administer without getting it all over the ground.

Yes it is given by weight of animal. The best charts are from ACSRP. These are researchers dedicated to goats and they adjust dosages as labeling for goats is costly so most products are not changed from the cattle dosages. It is updated periodically due to resistance.
As with all drugs anything off label a vet must prescribe.
Seeking the advice of a GOAT VET is best for off label usage and dosages.

In short yes, you can use pellets but it is not the most efficient treatment for goats.
Can't speak for cattle, I know nothing about them.

If I've learned one thing about cattle it's that they attract flys

 

[Southern by choice]

If I've learned one thing about cattle it's that they attract flys

I don't have cattle but I do have flies. We seem to really be able to grow them this year.
I am fascinated by them. By neighbor has cattle. They are just so big!

 

[OneFineAcre]

I don't have cattle but I do have flies. We seem to really be able to grow them this year.
I am fascinated by them. By neighbor has cattle. They are just so big!

I've got a couple of really big ones that jump around like dogs
Our set up is not for cattle
This will be our first and last time with steers
I would encourage any one to get a couple of feeder pigs to raise in a small pen say 15x15 or 20x20 but I wouldn't do them again in my front pasture
It's a wreck
But financially the pigs were a winner
The steers are not going to be a winner financially mostly because they were not really big enough to "finish" when we got them
We could raise some steers in that pasture but it's too close to our house and then the flys become the second issue
Just waiting until July 11th and they leave
I really think one could go now a little worried about "over finishing " like @greybeard said

This was a live and learn experience
So when someone posts "I'm thinking about getting some cows " I will be qualified to discourage

 

[greybeard]

For flies (and cows) IGR and fly rubs are your friend, but you need to start the IGR tubs or blocks early in the spring season.

Got cows, sometimes 30 at a time 45' from my back door and don't have fly problems.

 

[babsbag]

Speaking of flies...I started the predators in March this year and I went with 3x the number suggested for the first order, normal number the second and double on the third and my fly population so far is next to none. It is pretty amazing compared to the last two years. I think the trick is to be early and order an abundance of them.