NSW central, southern and southwest

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Go to the Drench Decision Guide

 

Program summary

The WormBoss worm control program for the non-seasonal rainfall region has five components that are effective when used in combination. Their effectiveness is reduced when not used in an integrated way.

A summary of the components is below (click on the headings below for more information):

1. Use grazing management to create low worm-risk paddocks

• Prepare low worm-risk paddocks for kidding does and weaners by preventing contamination with worm larvae in the 2 to 5 months before they are needed.
  • Spell paddocks
  • Graze with cattle or horses, grow browse, crops, hay or new pastures, or graze with goats or sheep for up to 3 weeks after the protection period (when few worm eggs are passed in dung) of an effective drench¹.
• Prepare winter weaner paddocks by using ‘Smart grazing’ where possible. Give the weaners an effective drench before they enter the 'Smart grazed' paddock
• Choose the least contaminated kidding paddocks for the most susceptible kidding does (maidens, twin-bearing, or poorer condition).
• Provide adequate browse where possible

2. Breed and feed for goats that are resistant and resilient to worms

• Use bucks with better than average worm egg count Estimated Breeding Values (WEC EBVs) in KIDPLAN by choosing the more negative values. 
• Maintain good nutrition to enhance the goat’s immunity to worms. 

3. WormTest at recommended times

• WormTest before these routine opportunities to drench:
  • Pre-shearing (fibre goats).
  • Pre-kid marking (does).
  • Pre-weaning (does).

• From March till October, 4–6 weeks after significant rain that has follow-up rain, including the autumn break.
• Young goats in May/June before the more severe winter weather arrives.
• Pre-kidding (also include a larval culture if barber’s pole worm have been a problem in the past year).
• WormTest at 6–8 week intervals after a short-acting drench was given. If using a persistent drench then see ‘Effective use of long-acting drenches’.
• Bucks should not be forgotten and treated the same as weaners: WormTest 1 month prior to the breeding season.
• If DrenchTest results are not available conduct a DrenchCheck, 14 days after treatment.
• And at other non-routine times as suggested in the Drench Decision Guide.

4. Drench^1,2 strategically at recommended times

• Quarantine drench all introduced goats with an effective short-acting drench that provides (for meat goats) four drench groups including one from either of the most recently available products or (for dairy goats) fenbendazole and abamectin which are registered for use where milk is for human consumption.
• Breeding does pre-kidding (as they temporarily lose their immunity).
• The ‘first summer drench’. All goats receive this when pastures are haying off in late spring. In very dry or drought years do a WormTest beforehand as even this drench may be unnecessary and may cause increased selection for drench resistance.
• Kids at weaning. This may coincide with the ‘first summer drench’. Autumn-drop kids may also need an additional drench 8 weeks after weaning
• Drench individual goats showing obvious signs of worm-related illness and WormTest the rest. 

5. Manage drench resistance 

This is an up-to-date, integrated regional worm control program for goats in the NSW central, southern and southwest region. It builds upon earlier programs and accumulated knowledge, including from the former Department of Agriculture WormCheck program and the experience of researchers, consultants and advisers, as well as new information from the Integrated Parasite Management in Sheep project, funded by Australian Wool Innovation and ‘Parasite control in southern prime lamb production systems’, funded by Meat and Livestock Australia.

The program aims to improve the profitability and welfare of your goats through:

• fewer deaths and illness from worms
• fewer drenches, particularly long-acting drenches
• improved productivity
• prolonged life of drenches

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Authors:

Maxine Lyndal-Murphy (private consultant), Sandra Baxendell (Goat Veterinary Consultancies – goatvetoz), Lewis Kahn (Paraboss), Deborah Maxwell (ParaBoss) and Stephen Love (NSW DPI), with contributions from Dan Salmon (ex. Riverina LHPA), Jim McDonald (Tablelands LHPA), Bill Johnson (Tablelands LHPA), Tony Morton (Hume LHPA) and Belinda Edmonstone (Lachlan LHPA).

Acknowledgement:

This document is based on the sheep WormBoss regional program with changes supported by the Goat Industry Council of Australia and funded by Meat and Livestock Australia through the project ‘Expansion of WormBoss Website to Include Goats B.GOA.0120’.

Major contributions to this publication were made from the NSW DPI program: ‘DrenchPlan’, which was developed as a cooperative venture involving: NSW Department of Primary Industries—veterinarians, parasitologists and livestock officers, Livestock Health and Pest Authorities, NSW (currently Local Land Services)—District Veterinarians and CSIRO Division of Animal Health—research scientists. With assistance also from the private sector including primary producers, pharmaceutical companies and consultants.