Post by simplynaturalfarm on Mar 14, 2008 15:38:59 GMT -5
Well, with the pigs due to farrow in one week, I decided to get them tested and worm them naturally with the mix I used to use for my cattle, horses, sheep etc. I mixed myself up a 7 day batch and collected samples from 2 of the obliging pigs for DH to check at work. Knowing that confinement operations use parasite problems as a reason for why pigs should not be raised on pasture, I was prepared to hear the horrendous results. Ben works with a few hog operations and said that the parasite problems are just incredible and sure show it. He was very hesitant to let me do the pigs out on pasture because of the training he had at vet school as well as when he worked in hog barns. But I assured him I would keep on top of it with fecals and worming if necessary. Well, Terrence the boar was locked in a large area all summer and never rotated so I knew that was a poor choice, but back problems and no husband to help was the reason I decided to leave him where he was. The girls were out on pasture til late November when they the snow was too deep to keep using electric fence. They have always had tons of bedding, hay and I tried my best to not allow them to have constant exposure to their own manure.
After my research on alternative swine parasite treatment, I decided to try the 1 oz garlic with other herbs added for their benefits, and a glug of molasses just because I didn't know if the pigs would like the garlic - they do like it by the way.
At lunch, Ben said that their technician had done the test, but that he wished he could have done it with the proper centrifuge and Wisconsin plate. (A way of doing very accurate counting)
I said that we could do that in the future, but as so many of the research results are done on traditional fecal testing I was going to be fine with these results.
The results. . . I was so disappointed in my pigs as I do not get to see how well my alternatives for worming would have worked. You can't test the efficacy of garlic if the animals have no detectable parasite problems in the first place.
I was willing to try things for 2 months before reverting to an injectable if the pigs were getting out of control with the parasites, but no need to do anything. Ben said just in case the technician didn't read it properly, he'll check the samples himself tonight.
Anyway, I'm tickled that they aren't dying from parasite overload due to being on grass and pasture
Heather
After my research on alternative swine parasite treatment, I decided to try the 1 oz garlic with other herbs added for their benefits, and a glug of molasses just because I didn't know if the pigs would like the garlic - they do like it by the way.
At lunch, Ben said that their technician had done the test, but that he wished he could have done it with the proper centrifuge and Wisconsin plate. (A way of doing very accurate counting)
I said that we could do that in the future, but as so many of the research results are done on traditional fecal testing I was going to be fine with these results.
The results. . . I was so disappointed in my pigs as I do not get to see how well my alternatives for worming would have worked. You can't test the efficacy of garlic if the animals have no detectable parasite problems in the first place.
I was willing to try things for 2 months before reverting to an injectable if the pigs were getting out of control with the parasites, but no need to do anything. Ben said just in case the technician didn't read it properly, he'll check the samples himself tonight.
Anyway, I'm tickled that they aren't dying from parasite overload due to being on grass and pasture
Heather
