# Have microscope and fecal test kit



## Rose (Oct 26, 2007)

This kit has grid slides, solution tubes, and syringes for drawing off the solution after you stir. I'm assuming I should draw from the very top of the solution. Is this correct?

Also, it says to count eggs and multiply by 50 to get Eggs Per Gram. 

What is an acceptable level of eggs?

I'm working on getting my courage up to do this tomorrow.


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## rg1950 (Feb 9, 2008)

Rose,
This is how I do it. I am sure others have their own technique. I collect samples(3-4 pellets), mash and mix in solution using a fork. I stir about 20-30 seconds. Once there is no big chunks left, I filter through cheese cloth into a vial. The solution should just bubble over the top of the vial, but not overflow. I place a slide on top and leave it there for about 30 minutes (You don't have to go this long, but I choose to because the longer you wait, the more eggs will float and stick to the slide). After 30 minutes, I pull the slide off, put on a coverslip, and view. While waiting the 30 minutes, I take another slide using some of the left over mixture from the same sample and do a smear onto a slide, add solution and drop a coverslide onto it. I do this so I will have 2 slides per goat sample for comparison. 

Someone else may want to confirm this, but I believe if you see more than 20 eggs on one slide, then you need to treat. That is scanning the entire slide slowly from left to right (or right to left) and up and down (or down and up). I don't do the multiply by 50, so can't answer that one.

I dont always draw from the top of the solution, but I do shake it before I draw from it. Probably don't need to, as I use sugar based solution and it is the same consitency all the way from the top to the bottom. Looks just like a jar of corn syrup.

Tara


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## Rose (Oct 26, 2007)

I'm sure there's more than one way to do this, so please bear with my questions.

Are all the test kit vials more or less the same size?

(Edited for clarity.... ) How much solution for that amount of poo? Does it matter?

My slides have two layers with a gap in between that you are supposed to put the drops into. It's not a flat single layer slide like I used in high school.


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## R and R Farms (Jul 7, 2008)

Rose, you have the Mcmaster slide and the technique is different than the cover slide method. I'm new at this all myself but the way I was taught is to mix and then pull a sample from the middle. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe you use 2 grams of poo and 28 cc's of fecal flotation solution. I am expecting my microscope tomorrow and am very excited to get started......Mike


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## Kaye White (Oct 25, 2007)

> After 30 minutes,


If you wait this long with fecasol...you will get saline build up and the fecal slide is useless. 
I also think she's talking about the McMasters and not the simple floatation.
Kaye


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

http://www2.luresext.edu/goats/library/fec.html

Here Rose, yes it's different with a McMasters because you will draw material out of the vial with your eyedropper that comes with the kit.

I worm when HC is higher than 300 this time of year and 3000 during the winter. Vicki


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## tmfinley (Feb 21, 2008)

Why does it matter what time of year it is? I just did my first fecals last week and was wondering about that. Also , Vicki, you worm when it is 300? I've seen worm when the count is 1000 and up in summer and 2000 and up in winter. Why do you do it at 300 and 3000?

Tiffany


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

It's not my numbers, it's what Texas A&M came up with from the does at Prarie View, just south of me, but realistically the closest herd that fecals like I do.

HC is about the only worm I fight. Liverflukes and some winter cool weather worms are easily killed with one worming at 100 days bred (ivermectin plus) Tapes which are vanity wormings 10 days after the does kid, or before our first show. Talking adult does here.

HC is a summer worm, even in our no freeze zone once fall hits we rarely see problems with HC, so letting the numbers grow higher we still don't see any loss from them. Now spring and summer if we let our numbers get higher than 300 to 600, than when I go to fecal in 21 days it's scarry high. By worming like this, and I haven't wormed since after kidding, I have never seen bottle jaw, nor do we have anemia in our goats.

You have to find out what works for you. IF you fight other worms than the ones I do than you may need to adjust your numbers to include...1000 for HC and 500 for stongieds. Since cool weather worms don't suck blood they just eat the condition of your does, it's just as important to fecal during the winter for some. We just don't have cool weather worms here that cause problems. vicki


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## Sharpgoat (Feb 7, 2008)

I love my McMaster slides it is so fast I just go in the house and get it done no waiting.
I toke the class at Prairie View it has been a life saver for my goats.
I find with the numbers of goats 70 meat goats and 10 dairy that I do not do the calculate eggs as much as to see how my wormer is doing it's job and to see what the coccid load in kids is.
I look at the goats as a whole, eye color, goats condition how they are feeling droppings barriers or not barriers.
I keep info on each goat but it is more how often I worm each goat and health info and decide if the goat needs to be culled or not.
And with the dairy goats they don't need to carry a load of worms when they are milking if you read all the info on egg counting they say that when a goat is lactating or bred that there immune system is suppressed so I don't think that it applies as much... dairy are milking and bred for 12 months and the meat goats are bred and milking for 8 months so I take the counting with a grain of salt it's a goat to goat thing.
I also believe that it not good to worm all the goats at one time with the meat goats I pen them up once a week and look at them and see if some one needs to be wormed and with the dairies I keep a eye on I am with them all the time and do fecals on them more offten. 
Fran


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