{"id":546,"date":"2021-07-02T10:00:04","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T15:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/sheepandgoat\/?p=546"},"modified":"2021-07-02T10:00:04","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T15:00:04","slug":"reids-ramb-lings-july-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/sheepandgoat\/2021\/07\/02\/reids-ramb-lings-july-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Reid\u2019s Ramb-lings: July 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

To Drench, or Not Drench<\/strong><\/p>\n

This spring was cooler than most and some were fortunate to get a good healthy rain.\u00a0 As things start to warm up, we expect to have problems with internal parasites in sheep and goats.\u00a0 Fortunately, there has been some advancements in technology to help in the fight against these pesky parasites.\u00a0 The bad news is, strategic treatment is not simple, and the more science learns about parasites, the more we realize just how much we don\u2019t understand!<\/p>\n

For me, the complexity of life is part fascinating and part frustrating. The intricate process by which sunlight and water grow plants that are eaten by sheep and goats to sustain themselves, grow, and reproduce is truly incredible. It is amazing how they overcome challenges and thrive in the face of adversity. Unfortunately, parasites, predators, and pathogens that negatively impact sheep and goats are just as complex and resilient.<\/p>\n

Therein lies the dilemma: how we make decisions to better manage sheep and goats knowing there will always be drawbacks to every decision.\u00a0 Successful ranchers employ practices that result in the most benefit with the fewest consequences. \u00a0Yet, best practices differ from one operation to the next and these best practices are constantly changing.\u00a0 The reason they vary between operation is because each ranch has different resources (labor, land, feed) and different overall management strategies (breed, season of birth, supplementation).<\/p>\n

Parasite management is the best example of this.\u00a0 The barber pole worm (H. contortus<\/em>) is the most damaging parasite to sheep and goats and is particularly problematic for certain animals: those that are thin, lactating, or young. Though the barber pole worm thrives in wet, warm, late spring conditions, it can still persist in most any animal and in any weather condition common in Texas.<\/p>\n

For decades, ranchers administered dewormer products repeatedly to prevent barber pole worm. However, treatment does not always eliminate every worm from the animal, with some resistant specimens surviving. These worms then reproduce at an alarmingly fast rate (10,000 eggs per day!) and before you know it, an entire population of worms resistant to the treatment you utilized has developed. Continuing to treat animals with the same products and tactics is eventually useless. Slowing the rate of dewormer resistance is possible, but requires an understanding of the parasite, its lifecycle, and the animal\u2019s immune system.<\/p>\n

Simply put, there is no silver bullet to control parasites that will work for everyone.\u00a0 If someone tells you otherwise, they are misled, misinformed or straight up lying.\u00a0 Strategic parasite management is a plausible solution, but this requires implementation of several strategies to mitigate the impact of internal parasites.<\/p>\n

Parasite Management Practices Common to Texas Sheep and Goat Industry:<\/p>\n