Holistic Parasite Management for Organic Farmers

As an organic farmer, maintaining a healthy, parasite-free herd without harsh chemicals is essential. Holistic parasite management integrates nature's wisdom, employing pasture management, nutrition, and natural remedies to keep your animals healthy.

Here’s your guide to managing parasites naturally:

1. Pasture Management: Smart Grazing Practices

Healthy pastures are the cornerstone of parasite prevention. Follow these smart grazing strategies:

• Pasture Rotation: Move cattle regularly to fresh grazing areas, interrupting parasite larvae cycles. Dragging pastures during dry, hot periods or running chickens afterward helps expose manure to UV rays and heat, effectively killing parasites.
• Rest Pastures: Allow pastures to rest for 30-60 days. This break naturally reduces parasite populations. Avoid overgrazing, as parasites thrive at soil level.
• Diversified Forages: Seed pastures with parasite-repelling forages such as chicory and birds foot trefoil. Select species specifically suited to your animals.
• Mixed Species Grazing: Grazing cattle alongside other livestock, such as horses, can disrupt parasite life cycles effectively.

Dr. Sarah’s Essentials Tip: Use De-Lice & Mange to tackle external parasites like lice, mites, mange, ringworm, and poultry infestations. Spray it on bedding and chicken coop floors—it's also effective against home infestations of box elder bugs and Asian beetles. Additionally, our Arnica Ointment is a potent topical remedy for fungal infections like ringworm.

2. Strengthening Immunity: Boost Natural Defenses

A strong immune system naturally helps your herd manage parasite burdens:

• Balanced Diet: Provide sufficient protein, vitamins, and minerals to maintain optimal immune health.
• Trace Minerals: Essential minerals such as copper and zinc significantly enhance immune response. Offer these minerals free-choice or integrated into feed.
• Stress Reduction: Minimizing stress boosts your herd’s immune system, enhancing their natural resistance to parasites.

Dr. Sarah’s Essentials Tip: Monthly use of Clean Start as a feed-through product (available in pellet or liquid form) effectively helps prevent parasites. The liquid form is convenient for poultry watering systems.

3. Natural Remedies: Power of Plants

Harness nature’s remedies for chemical-free parasite management:

• Herbal Remedies: Herbs like wormwood, mugwort, and black walnut have powerful anti-parasitic effects. These ingredients form the basis of CGS, our feed-through parasite treatment ideal for cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and horses.
• Activated Charcoal: Use activated charcoal as a binder to aid in parasite and toxin removal from the intestinal tract. It's particularly effective when combined with other treatments.

Dr. Sarah’s Essentials Tip: For poultry flocks, consider Poultry X, our feed-through parasite control supplement, to naturally manage internal parasites.

4. Additional Parasite Prevention & Treatment Steps

Enhance your parasite control strategy with these proactive measures:

• Fecal Testing: Regularly conduct "pooled sample" fecal tests by combining samples from 20-30 manure piles to identify parasite types and loads. This approach helps develop targeted and effective treatment plans.
• Consult with Dr. Sarah: For significant parasite issues, consider stronger herbal solutions like Super Eliminate, Cocci-Blast, or S & G Pills. Contact Dr. Sarah directly for personalized recommendations tailored to your herd’s specific needs.

Adopting a holistic approach to parasite management empowers organic farmers to maintain healthy herds without compromising their commitment to chemical-free farming. Implement these natural strategies and enjoy thriving livestock with the wisdom of nature guiding your way.