Gonna make my own herbal dewormer for goats....finally....

[freemotion]

Got the herbs yesterday. I think I got everything I need. It is time to work out a recipe. Here is what I found in my research (not much useful stuff out there that I could find):

1/2 c mustard seed powder
1 c cut Thyme Leaf
1/2 c Black Walnut powder
1/2 c minced garlic
1 c cut Rosemary
1/4 c chopped Cloves
1/2 c Psyllium Seed powder
1 c DE

There are variations of this recipe. Another also adds a cup each of chopped sage and wormwood, but not for pregnant goats.

Molly's stronger formula has wormwood, fennel, garlic, black walnut, and stevia. The weekly formula has fennel, pumpkin seeds, garlic, mugwort, hyssop, thyme, and stevia.

Anyone have a recipe that they use that works well they'd like to share? I don't have everything on that list, but didn't like the way Mya was acting the past two days, and her eyelids are a little pink rather than dark salmon, so I gave her a tablespoon of walnut powder two days ago, and a spoonful of wormwood tonight, until I can make up a batch of something to try. I'll give it a few days, maybe until Wednesday, then dose her with Ivomec if she doesn't darken those eyelids by then.

 

[ksalvagno]

Right now I'm just doing cloves and black walnut. Another herb is Pau D Arco if the black walnut isn't working.

Let us know how that recipe works out. I can't see paying the amount that others charge for premixed herbs, especially since I have 18 goats to give the herbs to.

I'm really thinking about looking into taking a class on becoming a certified herbalist. I have some books and did some research on the internet and I'm just not getting it. I do better in a classroom setting with someone teaching. I figure it wouldn't hurt to understand herbs better for myself and my animals.

 

[freemotion]

How much do you give? Do you use the powdered cloves?

I made up some balls (sort of) with some of the herbs, but some were "cut" and not powder and the balls are not nice and neat like the ones made with Molly's powdered formula. I will run the cut herbs through the food processor next time.

 

[Beekissed]

I just use freshly squeezed garlic juice, raw honey, water and a drop or two of Shaklee's soap.

I'm wondering if one could also finely grind pumpkin seeds for this mixture?

 

[ksalvagno]

I have the powdered cloves. The goats get 1 teaspoon each of cloves and black walnut. They are nigerians though.

Last night I just found this website: http://www.naturalark.com/indexark.html I didn't read a whole lot but it is very interesting and some very different ideas than what Hoegger and Molly's Herbs are saying. I wish I could take her class but she is in Colorado.

 

[freemotion]

Yes, I'd seen that site before. Thanks for reminding me of it. I re-read the article on deworming goats, and it made so much more sense this time than the first time I read it, probably a year ago or more. I like that I chose black walnut and wormwood as my two main ingredients, as she talks about those. I have to look into the other herbs. I also want to look into growing wormwood in the spring.

 

[savingdogs]

What an interesting thread, thanks for starting this one Freemotion. I'm very interested in how these products work for everyone.

Are the black oil sunflower seeds beneficial? I was reading it is in chickens.

 

[freemotion]

Bee, I am planning on drying lots of pumpkin seeds this year so I will have some later in the year. First, though, everyone will get to eat their fill of the fresh ones.

I posted it in another thread, that I wormed Mya today with Ivomec. She went down fast, that worm load must've really blossomed fast. My plan was three days of herbals, re-check and re-evaluate, then decide on the Ivomec. She was so weak suddenly that I practically ran...ok, I did run...to get the Ivomec and a syringe and I drenched her with it. She perked up a bit this evening, showing more interest in food. Yikes.

I'm starting to wonder about her age. Gotta do some research on how to tell the age of a goat.

 

[savingdogs]

I'm reading a big heavy veterinary text regarding goats at work at lunch, I'll see if I can get any information about detecting age in it tomorrow for you. You do so much for me. Vets are very often asked to guess age so I'm sure it is in there somewhere.

 

[Blackbird]

BOSS contains selenium so it is beneficial for healthy hair and hooves, it gives them a nice shiny and sleek coat!

Other plants that come to mind are barks of willow and the inner 'slippery' bark of elm.

Most plants in the Artemisia genus (wormwood, mugwort, tarragon, and others) are good for deworming because they are volatile, similar to those in the Lamiaceae (mint) genus.

Plants that contain a lot of tannin are also great because they keep down worm-loads and prevent reproduction of parasites; just another reason why foraging and browsing in pasture is beneficial. There are more nutrients and tannin amounts in woody plants such as shrubs and trees than there is in straight alfalfa.

I'm still interested in getting my own microscope and studying the fecals from local deer populations to find out what worms they might have and then researching more local plants and observing the deer to see what they are eating. Obviously it is very much survival of the fittest in the wild for them, so I know that plays a big part in it, but I rarely see skinny wormy looking deer.

I hope Mya gets well. I read you thought someone fed them something bad? That could also still be affecting here.