6 Best Goat Dewormer Treats For Parasite Control Old Farmers Swear By
Explore 6 farmer-approved dewormer treats for effective goat parasite control. These time-tested remedies help maintain a healthy, thriving herd.
Trying to drench a stubborn goat with a foul-tasting dewormer is a special kind of rodeo. You end up wearing half of it, the goat is stressed, and you’re never quite sure if they got the full dose. For hobby farmers, managing internal parasites is a non-negotiable part of raising healthy animals, but the process can feel like a constant battle. Shifting your approach from a forceful drench to a willing treat can change the game entirely, making a necessary chore simpler and more effective.
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Why Medicated Treats Simplify Goat Deworming
The biggest challenge with goat deworming isn’t the medicine; it’s the delivery. Goats are intelligent, suspicious, and have a knack for spitting out anything they don’t like. A syringe of liquid dewormer often results in a wrestling match that leaves both you and the animal agitated.
Treat-based dewormers bypass this conflict entirely. By incorporating the active ingredient into a palatable pellet, herb mix, or even a homemade bite, you transform medicine into a reward. This approach dramatically reduces stress on the animal, which is crucial for maintaining a strong immune system.
More importantly, it ensures a more accurate dosage. When a goat eagerly eats a medicated pellet, you know they’ve consumed the entire amount. There’s no guesswork about how much was spat out or dribbled down their chin. This reliability is key to effectively breaking the parasite life cycle and preventing the under-dosing that leads to drug-resistant worms.
Molly’s Herbals: A Natural Deworming Blend
For those leaning towards a more natural approach, Molly’s Herbals is a familiar name. This isn’t a chemical dewormer that kills parasites on contact. Instead, it’s a blend of herbs designed to create an inhospitable environment in the goat’s digestive tract, discouraging worms from taking hold.
Think of it less as a "treatment" and more as a "preventative supplement." It’s often mixed directly into the feed, and most goats find it palatable. The primary benefit is its gentle, non-chemical nature, making it a popular choice for farmers focused on holistic management.
However, it’s crucial to understand its limitations. Herbal formulas are not a silver bullet for a heavy, established worm load. If you have a goat showing clear signs of parasitism (bottle jaw, pale eyelids), you need a conventional dewormer. Molly’s Herbals is best used as part of a proactive, integrated parasite management plan to help keep healthy goats healthy.
Durvet Ivermectin Pellets for Easy Dosing
When you need the reliable power of a conventional dewormer without the fight, pelleted ivermectin is a fantastic tool. Products like Durvet’s Ivermectin Pellets contain a specific dose of the medication in a form that looks and tastes like regular feed. This is as close to "easy mode" as chemical deworming gets.
The process is simple: you weigh your goat, calculate the correct dose of pellets, and mix it into a small amount of their favorite grain. Because they eat it willingly, you can be confident they received the full, effective dose. This is particularly useful for herd-wide treatments when drenching every single animal would take all afternoon.
The tradeoff is the same as with any conventional dewormer: the risk of creating parasite resistance. Never use these pellets "just in case." Use them strategically, based on fecal tests or FAMACHA scores, and always follow the label’s instructions for dosage and meat or milk withdrawal times. Convenience should never lead to complacency.
Hoegger’s Herbal Wormer: A Time-Tested Mix
Hoegger’s is another cornerstone in the world of herbal parasite control, with a long history of use among goat keepers. Like other herbal blends, it relies on a mix of botanicals like wormwood, fennel, and gentian root to support the goat’s system and deter parasites. It’s typically sold as a powder that you can mix into feed or roll into molasses balls.
This formula operates on the same principle as other herbal dewormers: it’s about maintenance, not eradication. Many old-timers rotate between different herbal formulas, believing that variety prevents parasites from adapting. Whether that’s true is up for debate, but the core idea of supporting gut health to build natural resilience is sound.
Using Hoegger’s effectively means integrating it into a larger management strategy. It works best for animals that are already in good condition, on good pasture, and not facing overwhelming parasite pressure. It’s a tool for support, not a rescue remedy for a sick animal.
DIY Pumpkin Seed & Molasses Dewormer Bites
You don’t always need a commercial product to create a beneficial treat. Raw pumpkin seeds contain an amino acid called cucurbitacin, which has been shown to have paralytic effects on some intestinal worms. Grinding up raw, shelled pumpkin seeds and mixing them with a binder like molasses or peanut butter creates a treat your goats will love.
To make them, simply grind the seeds into a coarse meal, add just enough molasses to make the mixture stick together, and roll it into bite-sized balls. You can also add a little of their regular grain or some slippery elm powder to help with consistency and gut health.
Let’s be clear: this is a folk remedy, not a replacement for a targeted dewormer. These bites are an excellent, healthy supplement to support your overall parasite control program. They are perfect for adding a little extra preventative power to your routine, especially during seasonal shifts when parasite loads tend to increase.
Copasure Copper Bolus Hidden in Marshmallows
Sometimes, what looks like a parasite problem is actually a mineral deficiency. Copper deficiency can cause a rough coat, poor growth, and even anemia—symptoms that overlap with a heavy worm load. More importantly, copper oxide wire particles are known to be effective against the dreaded barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus).
A copper bolus, like those from Copasure, is a capsule filled with tiny copper rods that lodge in the goat’s stomach and release copper over several weeks. The challenge is administering the large capsule. The old farmer’s trick? Hide it in a treat.
A large marshmallow, a piece of banana, or a fig can be hollowed out to conceal the bolus. The goat happily swallows the treat, and the job is done with zero stress. This isn’t a broad-spectrum dewormer; it’s a specific tool for addressing copper needs and targeting the barber pole worm. Never give copper without confirming a need, as copper toxicity is a serious risk.
Manna Pro Goat Mineral with Diatomaceous Earth
Get 4lbs of HARRIS Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth, a natural product with no additives, OMRI listed for organic use. Includes a powder duster for easy application.
A healthy goat with a strong immune system is its own best defense against parasites. Providing a high-quality, free-choice goat mineral is one of the most important preventative steps you can take. Some commercial minerals, like certain formulas from Manna Pro, include Diatomaceous Earth (DE).
DE is a controversial supplement. It’s composed of the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms, and the theory is that its microscopic sharp edges physically damage parasites in the digestive tract. The scientific evidence for its effectiveness as a dewormer is thin, but many farmers swear by it for improving overall gut health and resilience.
Think of mineral with DE as a passive, long-term support strategy. It’s not something you use for an active infestation. By ensuring your goats have constant access to essential vitamins and minerals, you’re building a foundation of health that makes them less susceptible to parasites in the first place. The DE is just a potential bonus.
Using FAMACHA Scoring with Dewormer Treats
No dewormer—whether it’s a chemical drench, a pellet, or an herbal blend—should ever be used on a fixed schedule for the whole herd. This is the fastest way to breed drug-resistant superworms on your property. The key to modern, sustainable parasite control is to treat only the animals that need it.
This is where FAMACHA scoring comes in. The FAMACHA system is a simple, on-farm tool where you check the color of a goat’s inner lower eyelid. The color corresponds to a chart, indicating the level of anemia, which is the primary symptom of a barber pole worm infestation. A pale, white eyelid means the goat is dangerously anemic and needs immediate deworming. A rich, red color means the goat is coping well and does not need treatment.
By using FAMACHA, you can walk through your herd and identify the 10-20% of animals that are struggling. Those are the only ones you treat. Once you’ve identified an anemic goat, you can then choose the right tool for the job, whether it’s an ivermectin pellet for a severe case or a copper bolus hidden in a marshmallow. This targeted approach saves you money, reduces chemical use, and, most importantly, preserves the effectiveness of your dewormers for when you truly need them.
Ultimately, turning deworming from a fight into a treat is about smart management, not just convenience. The best strategy combines preventative measures like good nutrition and herbal support with the targeted, decisive action of conventional dewormers when necessary. By using tools like FAMACHA to make informed decisions, you can keep your herd healthy without over-medicating, ensuring your parasite control plan remains effective for years to come.
