# Worming and FAMACHA



## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

FAMACHA is a new working program that has changed how we need to look and parasite control in our herds. It is a good diagnositic tool and also a philosphy about parasite control that will help with the ongoing worsening problem of worm resistance.

Here is the URL for the program. Dwite Sharp and I talked about this a little at the rendy. I'd love to see a training in it at an upcoming rendy. Rachel Suomela and I went to the training a few years ago and it was really enlightening.

http://www.scsrpc.org/SCSRPC/FAMACHA/famacha.htm


----------



## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

It was a good seminar. I'm not good enough to know just by the eye color if I should deworm or not. I will look at the eye color but still do routine fecals. I have a hard time keeping my goats still enough while I hum and haw over which color looks the closest. The best thing that I've changed in my herd management since I've started is - only deworm the goats that need it when they need it - not scheduled or routine deworming for all. Granted I only have 6 goats. If I had 100 it would be harder. I do individual fecal test on each of my goats at least once a quarter. Learning how to do yourself is not that hard to save money from the vet. Then I only deworm the ones that need it. You might be surprised at who really needs it and when. I've got several that hasn't been dewormed in over a year. Pasture rotation and not letting them eat the grass down to low or when its wet helps.


----------



## Blueroan (Mar 6, 2010)

Carolyn, thanks for the post
Since you posted, I have been looking into a program for our farm. I have been fenceing to rotate pastures and letting some grow up. I also have a surgeon friend that does fecal testing on his cattle. He bought all the stuff. They talk about a salt solution on the site but we use a kind of fixative. I also have the resources from friends in the lab at work. 
Right now, I am trying to find a seminar in our area. Now, its hard to believe you need a course in order to get the resources. Does anyone offer an online course. I was going to contact the folks in charge, they need to make the program more accessible.


----------



## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

I agree the information needs to be more accessible. Don't know of any online resources but it is important to get all the info not just buy a card and look at it.


----------



## Blueroan (Mar 6, 2010)

Oddly enough that the program would come from Africa. My friend spent some time in Africa with Doctors without borders. He is a good judge of your hemoglobin by looking at your sclera. He told me horror stories of operating on people and picking out stomach worms. The goats are probably a crossover from treating people. We are going to look at some goat pellets today with the use of fecasol. Should be interesting.


----------



## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

This program seems to have spread from the Boer goat people to dairy goats. Of course, the boers come from south africa. It is an interesting passage.


----------

