Dewormers

[Shorthornguy]

The cows have always had crumbles added to their feed and new calves had shots. I am considering going too lick blocks.
What type of dewormers do you use?

 

[phillse]

Shots, and pour-on.

Levamasole, Ivomec, Cydectin pour-on, Ivomec eprinex.

 

[Jogeephus]

Lick blocks are easy but you can't be assured that they will get to lick it. Excellent as a follow up wormer though but I wouldn't use it as my primary method. If you stick em, you know you got them. JMO

 

[CPL]

I agree with Jogeephus, I use injectable.

 

[gerardplauche]

I have used the lick blocks, but I find injectables to be a lot better - ivomec especially

 

[Roadapple]

Does anybody use Safeguard, and if so, what's your opinion of it? I use Safeguard before turnout and pour-on when I bring 'em in and then do a few fecal exams, and have darn few left. Did'nt I just read wormers are only 85% effective? But then how would you know what I read?

 

[Jogeephus]

My opinion on the Safeguard block is biased due to something that happened a few years ago. I sold some heifers to a guy who wanted to raise cows. I am also the type person who wants others to do well and I will guarantee my animals. Anyhow, he bought some from me and I would go by and check on them from time to time. One of them wasn't looking good and I suggested that he worm it. He said he had but would worm them again. A few weeks went buy and the heifer looked terrible. I told him she looked wormy but he said he had wormed her twice with the block. I told him something must be wrong with her and I wrote him a check and carried her back to my place. I took a fecal sample to the vet to figure out what this strange illness was. She was loaded with worms. I can only speculate as to the reason but the only thing I know for sure is that she was loaded with worms. I gave her a shot and she blossomed.

I still use the Safeguard block but not as my primary worm control.

 

[Roadapple]

Do you worm your suckling calves during early turnout or at weaning? In an article I'm reading it says if worming at 250 lbs. it will put 25 to 50 lbs. weaning wt. on. Says calves are main contaminators of pastures due to the fact they have no resistance to parasites and are picking them up at early season grazing. A Virginia Tech study said 95% of cow-calf pasture contamination comes from the calves. Said they should be dewormed as they are being contaminated.

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

one year we had a cow abort a calf. It may or may not have been safeguard that was the culprit, but we haven't used it since.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Safeguard is extremely safe - can be given to the cow right at breeding AI. We use the Safeguard drench after 8 weeks on pasture and use a pour-on in fall. Calves are dewormed about 6-8 weeks after pasture. It takes this long for the worms to cycle & it's before the cows start passing eggs in their manure. So, if you fall worm, than theoretically, they should be pretty clean in the spring until they have grazed a few weeks. By waiting, you get the most "bang for your bucks" and keep your pastures cleaner.
This is called "strategic deworming" - so I have read! Makes sense so that's our program.

 

[novatech]

Safeguard is extremely safe - can be given to the cow right at breeding AI. We use the Safeguard drench after 8 weeks on pasture and use a pour-on in fall. Calves are dewormed about 6-8 weeks after pasture. It takes this long for the worms to cycle & it's before the cows start passing eggs in their manure. So, if you fall worm, than theoretically, they should be pretty clean in the spring until they have grazed a few weeks. By waiting, you get the most "bang for your bucks" and keep your pastures cleaner.
This is called "strategic deworming" - so I have read! Makes sense so that's our program.

I worm my cattle on a regular basis rotate beween injectable and poor on. But your statement brought something to mind. If you have clean pastures why not just take some fecal samples to the vet and have them tested and treat accordingly. I realize that you would have to take blood samples to test for flukes but that could be done also.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yes, we ALL should take random samples in to be tested (I don't and should). Mature cows build a resistance to worms, and most don't really need deworming. Young stock is very susseptable to them. We have lots of moisture in our paddocks, so I don't think our fields would ever be really clean.

 

[double v]

What ever you do, don't short change on the quality of your wormer. There are some cheaper nock-off brands you can get and you end up using twice as much seen it before. Look at the time of the year when worming calves come spring a good dose will help with worms but it also gives them a break on the flies for a little, and if your going that far ear tags help too. To SOME IT UP BUY THE GOOD STUFF. It pays.

 

[Joy of Texas]

I am not a big fan of liquid wormers. I don not believe they work as well. I use to use a worm cubes our local feed store made. They discontinued it,because they could not move it fast enough. Reason being so many people has gone to the liquids. Boo... I now use safe guard pellets and worm each animal. Thats a pain in the ---. But I am sure they all get what they need. I don;t like worm blocks,because as stated you don't know for sure what they consume.