A worm infestation in a goat pasture can be very dangerous for your goats and any other livestock you have on your property. This is because a goat with worms usually passes the worms through their stool, which can either seep into the ground or come into contact with other animals.

Most Common Worms in goat pasture

The main worms that affect goats are the ones that infest certain organs inside of the goat. The main internal worms in goats infect the lungs, stomach, intestines, and liver. Below are brief descriptions of each.

Lung worms in goats

When lung worms infest inside a goat, they immediately cause irritation and inflammation. In a response to get rid of worms, the lungs create excess mucus and white blood cells. This usually results in symptoms similar to respiratory illness, such as wheezing, coughing, and sneezing.

Stomach worms in goats

Worms in the stomach attack the outer lining of your goat’s stomach. This is very dangerous because stomach worms usually infect the goat’s blood stream which spreads to the whole body. This can be very painful for a goat, and can cause a wide range of symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, change in appetite, constipation, and weight loss.

Coccidiosis in goats (intestines)

Coccidiosis refers to small worms that infect the goat’s intestines. Most adults goats actually have coccidiosis, but it is usually not a large infestation and their intestines are strong enough to withstand it. However, the problem is with baby goats, who’s intestines have not yet developed enough to fight of the infestation. Coccidiosis usually affects goats that are 6 months or younger, and the main symptom is diarrhea. Coccidiosis is usually spread through goat waste or through water bowls.

Liver worms in goats

Liver worms dig holes inside of the liver which can eventually lead to so much damage that the liver can no longer do its job. Since the liver is in charge of keeping the blood clean of toxic substances, this can have a very damaging effect. This can even cause brain damage if the liver loses its functionality.

How to Get Rid of Worms in a Goat Pasture

Here are the 5 main steps on how to get rid of worms in a goat pasture

1. Check Your Goats
   It is essential that you regularly test your goats for worms. The moment you discover worms in a goat, you need to isolate them as quick as possible. The key to getting rid of worms in a goat pasture is diagnosing infected goats as soon as possible and separating them from the rest of the pack
2. Explore other plants
   The vast majority of worms live in grass. Therefore, it is beneficial to let your goats explore other areas that have different plants that tend to not have worms
3. Lower Density
   If possible, it is best to have as low a density as possible in a goat pasture. This either means having a bigger pasture or having less goats. Worms spread like a wildfire in high density goat pastures.
4. Feed a nutritional diet
   Studies have shown that goats with a healthy, nutritional diet are better at fighting off worms and gaining immunity.It is important that your goats are getting enough protein, calories, and other important minerals.
5. Remove waste
   As we mentioned earlier, one of the main ways that worms spread among goats in a pasture is through their waste. Therefore, it is very beneficial if you have a way of removing the goat’s waste so that it doesn’t just sit out in the open pasture.