South Australia

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Go to the Drench Decision Guide

 

Program summary

The WormBoss worm control program has five components that are most effective when used in combination.

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 weaners and young goats by preventing contamination with worm larvae in the 6-8 weeks before they are needed:
  • Spell paddocks for the periods specified above.
  • 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.
  • Less effectively by grazing with adult sheep that have a tested low worm egg count (less than 50 epg);
• 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

• South-East
  • Kids at 12 weeks and then 4–weekly to turnoff if they are still on their mothers.
  • Weaners at 4 weeks post-weaning, and then 4–6 weekly until the end of their second winter.
  • Does pre-kidding, pre-marking and pre-weaning/6–8 weeks after marking if weaning is at turnoff.
  • Does 6–8 weeks after the ‘summer drench’ then 8–weekly until pre-kidding.
• Higher Rainfall Mediterranean
  • Kids at 12 weeks and then 4–weekly to turnoff if they are still on their mothers.
  • Weaners at 4 weeks post-weaning then 4–6 weekly until the end of their second winter.
  • Does pre-kidding, pre-marking and pre-weaning/6–8 weeks after marking if weaning is at turnoff.
  • Does 8–weekly from when the feed is drying off until pre-kidding.
• Lower Rainfall Mediterranean
  • Kids just before weaning.
  • Weaners at 6 weeks post-weaning then 6-weekly on green pasture, 8-weekly on dry pasture or 10-weekly on crop stubbles until the end of their second winter.
  • Does pre-kidding.
  • Does pre-weaning only if more than 10% of does are scouring.
  • Does just before harvest then in a further 10 weeks (on pastures) or when they come off stubble.
• Bucks: at 4–6 week (summer) or 6–8 week (winter) intervals after a short-acting drench and ensure a WormTest occurs 7 weeks before joining.
• 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).
• Kids at weaning (only South-East and Higher Rainfall Mediterranean zones).
• The ‘summer drench’ in late November/December 3 weeks after feed dries off (only South-East zone and Higher Rainfall Mediterranean zones).
• Drench individual goats showing obvious signs of worm related illness and WormTest the rest.
• At other times, use the Drench Decision Guide, to make drenching decisions. 

5. Manage drench resistance 

This is an up-to-date, integrated regional worm control program for goats in South Australia, but excluding the rangelands, which has a separate regional control program. 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), Ian Carmichael (SARDI), Colin Trengove (University of Adelaide), Greg Johnsson (Kangaroo Island Veterinary Clinic), Simon Ellis (Ellis Farm Consultancy).

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’.

The basis of this program is from the research performed by scientists 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.