One of the common mistakes new producers make is thinking that more goats mean more profit. Actually unless you are very careful about your stocking rate, more goats can mean disaster. Parasite management should include scheduled de-worming to eliminate adult worms along with keeping a clean environment by avoiding over-crowdedness. Heat and humidity also promote parasite infestation. Keeping living quarters dry or treating the area with lime can reduce the spread of infection. When animals are fed properly and are stress free they tend to be more immune, resistant or resilient to parasites.

Also some trace elements such as copper as oxide have shown to have anthelmintic effects, maybe through an enhanced immune system. My own research with copper on goats has shown that 100 mg per day copper (less than 1/4 teaspoon/day as copper sulfate) improved the immune response, and many other research results have indicated that feeding copper may improve animal health and reduce parasite burden (see notes on Copper). Pat Coleby, as I mentioned in an earlier section, recommends half a teaspoon of copper sulfate per goat per day for treating parasite infestation and one teaspoon per animal per week for general health. It could be mixed with water or feed.

I prefer using a product used for poultry feed and mixing it with water. I strongly recommend 1/8 teaspoon copper sulfate per day for general herd health and to minimize soil and water contamination for environmental concerns. Other natural remedies such as feeding garlic (if you are not producing milk for consumption), honeysuckle and woodworm also have been recommended and are worth trying.

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