Posted by GoatWorld on December 21, 2000 at 20:14:21:
Hello Everyone,
I've noticed some recent discussion about fecals, worms and internal parasites. There is an article which I composed at:
http://www.goatworld.com/articles/internalparasites.shtml
It's not really an article and I really deserve no credit - but it will give you an idea of some of the worms you can look for and some of them you can expect to find.
Since getting my microscope, I've been trying to do alot of research by looking at various things, studying bacteria and all the other basics one can expect to learn with microscopy. Something that has been rather intriguing to me is the effect of weather on certain strains of bacteria and parasites.
There is a common myth that says "the colder the winter, the less the bacteria." It's real important to understand this concept. Many bacteria and parasites can survive harsh temperature extremes. While indeed, either an extreme cold snap or heat wave may somewhat diminish subsequent crops of either, both bacteria and parasites can and do survive. That's one of the main purposes behind anthelmintics (wormers)... to effectively lessen a parasite population although not entirely destroying it (which many would consider the ideal).
There's an easy way to prove this for yourself - find some type of insect such as tent catepillar eggs and place them in a deep freezer for a period of several months. In springtime, place them back into nature and watch as they hatch as if nothing happened. You can do this without a microscope. In more ways than one, this is exactly what is happening with parasites such as worms in your goats.
I think just as others such as Vickie McGaugh have stated, doing your own fecals will let you see exactly what is going on with your herd. I urge you to take it a bit further and do some of your own research as well. This type of thinking will help bring a better understanding of "parasitology" and perhaps help to create even more effective wormers in the long run. It's a very interesting world indeed.
Best regards,
Gary Pfalzbot