Parasite control is another important medical concern in goat production. Goats are browsers by nature, so when housed together or pastured on limited land for an extended time, they are much more susceptible to parasite infection than cattle or sheep.

The main parasites of concern are barber pole worm and round worms including stomach worm, wireworm, threadworm, lungworm, tapeworm or brain worm. For more details on internal and external parasites, please consult with your veterinarian. In this section, I will focus on the most important internal and external parasites.

Internal parasites that are of major concern include mainly Haemonchus contortus in the Southeastern states and in other areas with warm and humid environmental conditions. However, it can create problems, especially where the climate is warm and the pastures are irrigated, such as in California. This parasite is not a major problem in hot and dry environments like Texas and Arizona. Understanding the parasite cycle is important for its elimination. Infection can happen by ingesting larvae from an infected pasture, hay or living quarters. Larva will change into an adult worm in the gastrointestinal tract (stomach or intestines) of the goat and, when it reaches adulthood, worms will release eggs that pass to the pasture through feces. If there is no adult worm, there will be no parasite infestation.