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Controlling parasites in sheep and goats
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Any producer of sheep or goats who has had to deal with internal parasites (worms), knows how important a strategic attack is for combating these organisms.
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First, a few facts about small ruminant parasites:
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- Livestock pass internal parasite eggs in their manure. Eggs hatch and go through several larval stages until they reach an infective stage (approx. 24–35 days).
- About 25% percent of the worm eggs shed last fall survived the winter and will hatch and develop into infective larvae.
- Some worms hibernate over winter in the gut and become active egg layers in the spring. So ewes may have some worm load in the spring even though they have not consumed eggs for six months.
- Parasites retain enough nutrients that they can survive for long periods in the infective stage (up to 120 days), depending on the climate.
- Lactating ewes and young lambs are much more susceptible to internal parasites.
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Options for dealing with worms:
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