FEEDING YOUR GOATS CASSAVA

Cassava seems to help a lot as a natural alternative as a dewormer for the Goats. The strongle egg counts and coccodial oocyt were much lower when fed with foliage from the cassava plant. I must note here that they are also fed with leaves from the Jackfruit tree.

I think that it is evident that gastrointestinal parasite control based on commercially available dewormers are failing because of a natural buildup, evolution and eventual resistance against dewormers. Hence we have to look at natural control as an alternative, if cheaper and hassle free even better.

The leaves are collected by hand and let out to dry (if the sun is out and hot) for at least a day before being given to feed. The quantity is small at one time, perhaps around 4-7 leaves at one time for each animal, once a week. The leave of the Jackfruit is also collected by hand and let to dry too. The Goats seem to prefer these leaves to be really dry, brown bone dry in fact. Our Goats eat these leaves almost daily.

I strongly suggest that if you have access to these plants and want to introduce them to your Goats, please try them out in small quantities first and observe. It will be even better that you collect some ‘goat pellets’ and send them to the lab to do an egg count. After trying out these plants over a period of time retest again.