5 Dewormer Product Comparisons For Hobby Farms Old Timers Trust

You walk out to the pasture and notice one of your best ewes is lagging behind the flock, her coat looking a bit ragged. Or maybe your favorite goat just seems lethargic, not her usual boisterous self. For any hobby farmer, the immediate thought is often the same: worms.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

Understanding Internal Parasites on Your Farm

Internal parasites are an unavoidable part of raising livestock. They live in the digestive tract, stealing nutrients and, in severe cases, causing anemia, weight loss, and even death. The most successful old-timers know you can’t eliminate parasites entirely, nor should you try. The real goal is management, not eradication.

A healthy animal can handle a low parasite load without issue. Problems arise when that load gets too heavy, overwhelming the animal’s natural defenses. This is often tied directly to your pasture management. Parasites lay eggs that are passed in manure, hatch into larvae on the grass, and are then eaten by another animal, restarting the cycle.

Breaking this cycle is your first and best defense. Rotational grazing, where animals are moved to fresh pasture before the parasite larvae can hatch and become infective, is the single most effective non-chemical tool you have. Simply put, moving your animals frequently means they aren’t grazing in their own toilet. This reduces their exposure and lowers the overall need for chemical intervention.

Ivomec (Ivermectin): A Broad-Spectrum Classic

For decades, Ivermectin has been the go-to dewormer on countless farms. It’s a broad-spectrum workhorse, meaning it targets a wide variety of internal roundworms and also helps control external pests like mites, lice, and certain flies. This versatility made it incredibly popular for routine treatments and for quarantine protocols when bringing new animals onto the property.

The biggest challenge with Ivermectin today is resistance. Because it was used so frequently, and often when it wasn’t truly necessary, many parasite populations have developed a tolerance to it. On some farms, especially with goats and sheep battling the dreaded barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus), Ivermectin is now significantly less effective than it once was.

Think of it as a reliable multi-tool that’s seen a lot of use. It’s still handy to have in your toolbox, particularly for its external parasite benefits or in areas where resistance isn’t yet a major issue. However, relying on it as your sole dewormer without confirming its effectiveness through fecal tests is a risky gamble.

Safe-Guard (Fenbendazole) for Targeted Treatment

Safe-Guard, and its generic active ingredient fenbendazole, belongs to a completely different chemical class than Ivermectin. This is a crucial distinction. It’s particularly effective against certain parasites that Ivermectin might struggle with, including tapeworms and specific types of stomach worms.

One of its biggest advantages is its reputation for safety. It generally has a very wide margin of safety, making it a common choice for pregnant or sensitive animals (though you must always read and follow the label instructions for your specific livestock). It’s available in many forms, including paste, drench, and feed-through pellets, which can make administration easier.

Be cautious with the feed-through versions. While convenient, it’s difficult to ensure every animal gets the correct dose, especially in a group setting where dominant animals may eat more than their share. Under-dosing is a primary driver of parasite resistance, so for a targeted treatment, administering an oral drench or paste to each animal individually is almost always the better approach.

Cydectin (Moxidectin) for Persistent Parasites

Cydectin is in the same chemical family as Ivermectin, but it’s a more modern and potent formulation. Its key benefit is its ability to kill parasites that have already developed resistance to Ivermectin. It also has a longer "persistent activity," meaning it continues working in the animal’s system for a longer period after dosing.

This power is exactly why it should be used with extreme care. Cydectin is your last line of defense, not your first choice. Using it for routine deworming when a simpler drug would work is like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture frame. You risk creating a super-population of parasites resistant to your most powerful tool.

Save Cydectin for confirmed cases of Ivermectin-resistant parasites or for cleaning up a severe infestation under the guidance of a vet. Also, be aware that its longer activity often means longer withdrawal times for meat and milk. For a small farm selling products to the local community, this is a critical planning factor.

Wazine-17 for Poultry Roundworm Management

Raising poultry brings a different set of parasite challenges. While other dewormers are used off-label for chickens, Wazine-17 is one of the few specifically formulated and labeled for controlling large roundworms in poultry. It’s a very specific tool for a very specific job.

The active ingredient, piperazine, works differently than the dewormers used for ruminants. It doesn’t kill the worms but instead paralyzes them, allowing the chicken to pass them live in their droppings. This is effective for breaking the lifecycle of a heavy roundworm infestation you might see in a flock.

It’s important to understand Wazine’s limitations. It does nothing for other common poultry parasites like tapeworms, cecal worms (which can carry blackhead disease), or gapeworm. If you suspect a parasite issue in your flock, getting a definitive diagnosis is key before reaching for this product, as you might be treating the wrong problem entirely.

Molly’s Herbal Wormer: A Natural Approach

There’s a strong and valid desire among hobby farmers to use fewer chemicals. Herbal dewormers, like Molly’s or other similar blends, cater to this by using ingredients like wormwood, garlic, and black walnut hull. The goal isn’t to kill parasites with overwhelming force but to make the host’s digestive system an unpleasant place for them to live.

These products are best viewed as a preventative support, not a curative treatment. They can be a valuable part of an integrated parasite management plan that includes excellent pasture rotation, clean housing, and good nutrition. They help support an animal’s overall gut health, potentially reducing the frequency with which you need to use chemical dewormers.

However, it is critical to be realistic. Herbal formulas are not a rescue remedy for an animal with a life-threatening parasite load. If a fecal test shows a high egg count or an animal is visibly anemic and sick, you need to use a chemical dewormer that is proven to work. Using an herbal product in that situation is irresponsible and can lead to the loss of the animal.

Comparing Active Ingredients and Rotation Needs

Smart parasite management isn’t about brand names; it’s about chemical classes. Using dewormers from the same class back-to-back is the fastest way to breed resistant parasites on your farm.

Here are the main classes to know:

• Macrocyclic Lactones (the "ectins"): Ivermectin (Ivomec) and Moxidectin (Cydectin). These are related. Switching between them is not a proper rotation.
• Benzimidazoles (the "azoles"): Fenbendazole (Safe-Guard) and Albendazole (Valbazen). This is a completely separate class.
• Imidazothiazoles: Levamisole. This is another distinct class, often used as a pour-on or injectable.

The correct strategy is to use a dewormer from one class (e.g., Safe-Guard) until a fecal test shows it’s no longer effective. Only then should you switch to a completely different class (e.g., Ivomec). This preserves the effectiveness of each drug class for as long as possible, keeping more tools in your toolbox for the future.

Fecal Testing: Knowing When to Use Dewormers

The single most important shift in modern parasite control is moving away from deworming on a fixed schedule. Treating every animal every few months is an outdated practice that wastes money and accelerates resistance. The new gold standard is simple: test, then treat.

A fecal egg count (FEC) is a simple diagnostic test where a sample of manure is examined under a microscope to identify the types of parasite eggs present and to count them. This tells you three vital things: if an animal needs deworming, which parasites are the problem, and later, if your chosen dewormer actually worked (by doing a follow-up test).

Working with a local vet to perform fecal tests is an investment, not an expense. It saves you from buying dewormers you don’t need and prevents you from using one that won’t be effective. More importantly, it helps you identify the 20% of your animals that typically carry 80% of the parasites. This allows you to make smarter culling and breeding decisions, building a more parasite-resilient herd or flock for the long term.

Ultimately, there is no single "best" dewormer, only the right tool for the right job at the right time. By understanding the different chemical classes, rotating them intelligently, and using fecal tests to guide your decisions, you can build a sustainable and effective parasite management plan that keeps your animals healthy for years to come.