# goats and ticks



## ()relics (Aug 8, 2009)

I was raised on a farm taking care of animals....Now I have my own"farm"and my own herds....I never remember ticks being a problem, much less even seeing a tick on anything but a dog.  But this year I've removed a couple ticks from several several of my goats...and no telling how many are left attached because "some" of my girls go out into the pasture and never return until Fall....much less let me look them over....It has been very dry this year and the deer population is OUT OF CONTROL....All the ticks I've found are the common dog tick but, Being this is a new experience,  should I worry?  Should I saddle the horses get the rope and have a round-up?  Or is it nothing to worry about?  I know the horses get a seven way shot that gives them some??? protection from tick bites...But my goats don't get anything like that...just the usual vacinations...
The only treatment I had was to spray all my yearling does/billies with insect repellant that I use on the horses....Again I may be overreacting but ticks are new to me and I can't really find any info,that I would trust, concerning goats and ticks.


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## username taken (Aug 9, 2009)

ticks can be really bad on goats, just like any animal. use a tick preventative/treatment for cattle


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## Rockytopsis (Aug 9, 2009)

Get some guineas, they think ticks are candy.


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## ()relics (Aug 9, 2009)

...and my GSP's think guineas are toys put on earth for their enjoyment.....


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## trestlecreek (Aug 9, 2009)

Yes, if I find a tick I immediately give all goats Ivomec Injectable to take ward any off. Ticks do carry ugly diseases that we don't want our goats to get. Nope, you're not over reacting!!


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## mully (Aug 9, 2009)

Use a sevin spray and spray the trees as they like to hide in the trees. You can dust the goats with sevin powder if the ticks are visable


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## norcal (Dec 6, 2009)

What do those of us who DON'T want to use pesticides on our animals do?   And are these pesticides even safe on meat animals?

Anyone?  

We've found a bunch on our dog, she's a beagle & has short hair, so they're easy to get off.   I haven't seen any on the goats, but I have seen them itching quite a bit lately.   ??


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## norcal (Dec 6, 2009)

We're supposed to get snow & ice the next couple of days, will that take care of them?   Or does it have to last a week or so to kill them?


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## Roll farms (Dec 6, 2009)

I don't know of any non-pesticidal way to remove ticks from a property besides birds...Might post that question in the all-natural / organic forum....?

Cold won't stop them from feeding if they're already on the animals, but it will stop them from laying eggs, when they fall off and freeze before they can.

I've yet to see a tick on a goat, but...we have guineas.

I dust the barns w/ Sevin spring and fall as well, just in case the wild birds bring in something to my poultry.
And....I use ivermectin in the chicken waterers a few times a year, and give it to goats as needed for other things.


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## freemotion (Dec 6, 2009)

My tick population as dropped dramatically after getting only three guineas.  The chickens take care of quite a few, too.  I've seen hens picking ticks off reclining goats, too!  You can also just check them over every day and pick them off.  There is a great little tool you can get at pet stores called "Ticked Off!"  It looks like a plastic measuring teaspoon with a little v-shaped notch that really get underneath the tick and allows you to pull the head out without squeezing the body and possibly "injecting" the animal with tick juice.   The tick stays in the spoon.  Really handy.  I keep one hanging in the barn and one in my bathroom with a bag of dried liver treats for the dogs.


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## Mini-M Ranch (Dec 6, 2009)

If you have bee hives or any of your neighbors do, or if you have a garden that you want pollinated, please be careful with Sevin.  It will kill honeybees super fast.  

We haven't seen any ticks on our goats, but we use ivermec injectable and I think that helps.


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## Roll farms (Dec 7, 2009)

Using Sevin inside my barn and nest boxes hasn't effected our many large flowerbeds or garden.  

I think it's all about how you use it, and when.  When I said spring and fall, I meant early spring, before bees are out, and late fall, after they've gone dormant.


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## mully (Dec 7, 2009)

norcal said:
			
		

> What do those of us who DON'T want to use pesticides on our animals do?   And are these pesticides even safe on meat animals?
> 
> Anyone?
> 
> We've found a bunch on our dog, she's a beagle & has short hair, so they're easy to get off.   I haven't seen any on the goats, but I have seen them itching quite a bit lately.   ??


Olive oil kills ticks.Use a syringe and douse the area around the tick and the tick can not breath. Oregano oil works great if you can find 100% use a cue tip as it is very strong.


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