Many cattle producers use ivermectin in a pour-on form to deworm their cattle. In our opinion, this is not best as is the case with most chemical approaches in agriculture. Here’s why we don’t do it:
- This method of treatment requires the animal’s flesh to absorb the chemical. When we as grass-fed beef consumers are particularly interested in the wholesomeness of our meat, the last thing I would want is for that meat to be permeated with a harsh chemical. I’m not sure if this method of treatment has any effect on those who eat the meat, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. (If you follow the link above, you can see that the FDA requires a 48-day withdrawal period before slaughter.) Ivermectin also is not approved for use in lactating dairy animals which might tell us something as well.
- It’s much easier to de-worm through drinking water as I’ll explain below.
We use Shaklee Basic H to de-worm our cattle. It is a bio-degradeable, non-toxic soap that has many purposes. We mix about 1.5 cups per 100 gallons of drinking water and use this mix as the cattle’s only source of water for at least two days.
We can treat our entire herd with about 3,000 gallons of water and about 2.8 gallons of Basic H. We don’t have to stress them (and us) by getting them in the corral and putting every one of them through the head-gate which could take a week or more of working cattle non-stop.
This method is also used by Joel Salatin and Polyface Farms, and in my opinion should be used by many other farms both conventional and grass-based.
Here’s some pictures of the setup we use.
Will this kill lungworm?
I’m wondering the same thing, but thinking not.
Any information on parasites load before vs after use?
Wow! So glad for this information! Currently our horses and cows have access to the same water tank has anyone ever tried this on equine?
Yes, works well with horses. We’ve used it for years. We also use ivermectin once year as we had some mixed results. It can take a horse a day and a half to be convinced to drink! They can be stubborn about it..
Do you use the Shaklee basic H original or do you use the basic H 2 the new more concentrated product?
I believe i saw on a YouTube video, it was Original 🙂
We have milk cows, do you know if this would effect the milk at all or the flavor?
Thanks
Heather
A group of 3 goat farmers in Central Texas has purchased the 5 gallon bucket of Basic H. We thank you for your information. As we have had a really wet year, unusual for this area, worms have been rampant. The average for worming has been 3 weeks due to bottlejaw being in evidence at that point. None of us like the chemical wormers, but that has been the only option until one of us heard about Basic H from our County Tax Appraiser, who runs goats as well as cows. We do hope, and pray, that this will be an answer for our operations.
This is actually an update to the nanasande post of 2019.
We did, indeed, begin on July 1, 2019 to use Basic H as our wormer for the goats. The results were phenomenal, at the very least. We were absolutely consistent with usage as I will describe. Result: No parasites in random fecals tested by our vet since beginning the program in 2019. All participants who followed this protocol found worms were no longer an issue, goat coats became healthy and shiny, and feed requirements to maintain weight were less.
Dosage: (I used a 5 gallon bucket if water to measure how much water my particular containers would hold.)
1 Tablespoon Basic H per 5 gal. water
2 Tablespoons Basic H per 10 gal. water
(1 1/4 cups Basic H (BH) per 100 gallons water)
Make only BH treated water available for the first 7 days of the month, then untreated water for the rest of the month.
Note: this process is only applicable to farms using individual tubs for watering. ***This process cannot be implemented in situations where goats have access to open water bodies such as ponds, lakes, or streams unless the goats can be moved, for 1 week per month, to a confined area in which the only water sources are metal, plastic, or rubber, etc. tubs which hold a specific amount of water and can be treated with BH for the week.
The first full week of each month, treat each available water source with BH. When refilling is necessary, estimate the amount of water needed in that container (ex: half of a 5 gallon tub) and add the relevant amount of BH (ex. 1 1/2 teaspoons) before filling the tub with water which is dispensed from the bottom rather than the top of the container to avoid so much foaming. ***Because goats have a very fast metabolism, we make this water available for a full 7 days. Joel Salatin, who raises cows, only treats water for 2 days with cows due to their having a much slower metabolism and BH staying in the system to do its job much longer. GOATS exposed to treated water for 7 DAYS monthly were successfully rid of parasite infestations.
The most difficult part of this process is convincing folks who have relied on chemicals as a lifeline to battle the parasites to follow this protocol TO THE LETTER and have a little faith that it works. If in doubt, separate out a test herd in a separate pasture and be consistent with the treatment, then do random fecals and see the success. It is amazing.
When I sold shaklee years ago we were told by our bosses that you could use basic h as a dewormer for dogs we put one drop in their water dish everyday every other day whatever. My dog never had worms and the vet said whatever I was doing keep doing it. Is basic h in fact safe for dogs?
We have never used it on dogs, so it sounds like you have more experience than we do on that. I wouldn’t think that it would harm dogs if it doesn’t harm cattle though.
I know it’s been a few years – but is this still working for you. Do you know if it’s safe for pregnant goats? Thanks.
Yes, it’s still works for us and our cattle. I don’t know about pregnant goats.
How did it end up working for you? We have a small herd of goats and I’m going to use this in the spring.
How did it go? I’m reading this post several years later and considering purchasing basic H.
It’s going good for us. We treat our cattle about twice per year.
Is it safe for horses and pigs????
Yes, I would think so, but you may want to consult your vet to see what they think as well.
I have 2 cows with 4 month old calves at their side. How much would i use in a 100 gallon tank? I also have sheep, could i use it for them too? I also have 4 dogs. Sorry for all the need for amounts for all of them.
We use about 1.5 cups per 100 gallons.
Hi, is there a recommendation on meat withdrawal after using shaklee basic h for deworming cattle? Thanks
Not that I know of, but we usually don’t treat them within 2 weeks of slaughter just to be on the side of caution.
Hi! Is it okay to BasicH2, but perhaps just at a lower amount as it’s more concentrated?
I use this on my goats and it works well. I have a friend who started using it on his rabbits and has great success!!
Any negative effect on pregnant cows?
1.5 per 100 gallons. But the only basic H I could get from Shaklee was the Basic H2, which I’m told is the same product but concentrated. Anyone have a good ratio for soap to water with the Basic H2?
Thanks
Brad
I am curious if this information is still up to date and accurate about using this product to deworm cattle. Was there any information on if it is safe to give to pregnant or lactating cows? I am interested in giving it to our family milk cow. Thank you!
Does anyone use this for sheep?