# Worms-Egg per gram amounts???



## JanetM (Jul 17, 2013)

I had a fecal done on all my goats and was told the eggs per gram amounts...per the vet all of my goats are good and no need to deworm right now. 

My question...does anyone have a chart listing eggs per gram amounts? like what is acceptable, low-high? 

I have googled and I have found alot of information on how to read fecals and general statements here & there like 0-150 is considered low, up to 500 is moderate but acceptable, 750 requires treatment but nothing consistent. 

Hope I posted this in the correct place.


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## HappyMamaAcre (Jul 17, 2013)

Great question and I too would love some guidance on this!


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## jodief100 (Jul 18, 2013)

Research done at Maryland and Tennessee say up to 2000 EPG is fine.  Over that and you want to treat them.  Less than that you weigh other factors such as coat condition, fecal consistency, weight and overall health.  At some level it is  a judgment call.


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## elevan (Jul 18, 2013)

As Jodief100 stated, each animal is going to be affected differently by the same level of EPG.  So, you need to judge other factors and make a call based on knowing your goat.


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## JanetM (Jul 18, 2013)

Thank you for your responses. I was just curious and couldnt find any chart on it. I trust my vet and have no issues there


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Jul 18, 2013)

*I'd like a chart/ info too!*


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## Southern by choice (Jul 18, 2013)

Jodie is right. Many vets however will tell you to watch at 1000 EPG. 

Some goats may start to have real issues at 1000EPG so it is best to look at overall condition. 

A while back my farm partners Buck had the highest count he has ever had... 950 EPG... with a perfect FAMACHA score all factors great... no de-worming necessary. Some time later 2 months I think the same buck had 5 eggs- which is *125 EPG*... no changes just normal transition of spring browse and tree foliage etc the counts went way down.

There is one vet that we work with that wants people to start de-worming at 450 - 500 EPG. He is a good vet but I strongly disagree and do not know of a singlr vet that follows those practices.

When you have an animal that has consistant higher counts and the rest are low counts then it is a good indicator that the animal may be a cull.  Having the ability to do your own fecals really allows you to monitor and isolate problem animals, and make better choices of when to de-worm and with which product.


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## OneFineAcre (Jul 18, 2013)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> Jodie is right. Many vets however will tell you to watch at 1000 EPG.
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> Some goats may start to have real issues at 1000EPG so it is best to look at overall condition.
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I know at the meat goat unit at NCSU the threshold is 1000 EPG, but they are culling heavily because of an issue with drug resistant worms.

What kind of worms were you seeing on the 950 EPG count and the perfect FAMACHA score?  You mention the FAMACHA score so I'm thinking Barberpoles or else the FAMACHA score would not be relevant.

As far as the vet recommending worming at 500 EPG, doesn't it make a difference as to what type of worms and farm circumstances? Everything I've read indicates you worm at a lower threshold with some types of round worms.

It definitely is not one size fits all.

And, all farms are not the same.

I wish I had a nickel for every time I've read on this forum that "Safeguard is ineffective"  Half of my herd has never had anything but Safeguard and half of my herd has 0 EPG.  Highest I've ever had is 750 EPG with a doe in her last month of gestation.  I've had 2 with 400 EPG.   Problem is people using Safeguard for horses and "doubling the dose" because of the different stomach construction.  Or, not following instructions and giving for 3 days.  3 days in a row.  Not one day, skip a day then 2 days.

I've also never seen a barberpole (knock on wood)


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## OneFineAcre (Jul 18, 2013)

JanetM said:
			
		

> I had a fecal done on all my goats and was told the eggs per gram amounts...per the vet all of my goats are good and no need to deworm right now.
> 
> My question...does anyone have a chart listing eggs per gram amounts? like what is acceptable, low-high?
> 
> ...


What were your counts, and what type of worms were observed?


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## Southern by choice (Jul 18, 2013)

OneFineAcre said:
			
		

> Southern by choice said:
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One Fine- You know the vet I am referring to. He's great but I cannot agree with de-worming at 450- 500 for Barberpole. 
*I agree*... most do not really know what is "ineffective" in their area and not all farms/herds are the same. 
Using the de-wormer properly is important.

Depending on who you talk to at NCSU you will still get different answers from different folks. 

My herd is consistantly 0-2 eggs... this year my highest counts were a 14 eggs=  350 EPG after a doe kidded and the other high count for me was another due to kid was 19 eggs= 475.
They are not dry lot but ground and foraged based. These counts were from early June. After a horrible wet winter and spring. 
We monitor our herd based on many factors. We are carefully watching for cocci because of the extreme flooding and swamp... conditions are prime this year. Many people in our immediate area are having issues.

I don't think there is a one size fits all chart.


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## OneFineAcre (Jul 18, 2013)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

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Actually, no I didn't know what vet you were referring to this time 

And I think we agree 100% on this.

 I agree with you about the 500 count on barberpoles.  I've never read anything suggesting you would worm at less than 1000 EPG.

My point was just it's not a one size fits all.  That is what I find most troubling sometimes with advice on this site.

No one asked the OP what the counts were and what type of worms.


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## JanetM (Jul 18, 2013)

OneFineAcre said:
			
		

> JanetM said:
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I don't know what worms...my vet didn't tell me that but I will know to ask next time now.  I have 4 wethers- Willie's(14months) was 50 EPG, Ducky(11months) was 350EPG, Clancy(5months) was 350EPG, and Oliver(4 months & was recently wormed) was negative.


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## OneFineAcre (Jul 19, 2013)

JanetM said:
			
		

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You are definitely in good shape.


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## Southern by choice (Jul 19, 2013)

LOL.... One Fine.... I think you and  I are just extreme detail people!


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jul 19, 2013)

I agree on that working at 500 is, week but the norm. I think it's crazy myself. Like the others said, I'd watch at 1000 to 1200. One I see 1500 or so I'd probably worm the first. Also about the SafeGuard, it is a strange thing. It was so overused because it was so good that it was mostly ruined. In many parts of the country it does NOT work. Indeed talked to and heard from a lot of people that say it is useless and to just throw it away. that may be for them in their area but yes SafeGuard does still work on some places. It works here and it obviously works at One Fine Acres farm. I've talked to people from NC State though and they said it doesn't work for them. Depends on location as well as the herd.

Btw the goat Southern was taking about is my buck Moses. He was at a 950 EPG but last month when I did it again, with no treatment and no changes, he was at 125. This is all Barberpole eggs. And Moses has had a FAMACHA score of one everyday of his life. Never been lighter than screaming red.


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