Fecal testing your goats. Do you do it yourself? Or do you send them off to be done? Or do you skip that part altogether? If you've been wanting to get started performing your own fecal testing on your goats, check out the list below to get your equipment and supplies ready to go! We have been performing our own goat fecal tests for many years and it has been so helpful to be able to get the answers immediately and make treatment decisions. Usually the biggest barrier to getting started performing your own fecal tests is not being 100% sure what supplies you need to get started, so I've compiled a list to get you going on the right track.
This is a great entry level microscope for performing your own goat fecal tests (and other species). This is a monocular scope but if you prefer a binocular scope or one that can connect to a monitor and take photos, check out the AmScope B120 Series, which is more of an investment, but will also make viewing and sharing your results easier.
You will need McMasters slides and some other supplies to perform goat fecal tests. These can be purchased individually or as a kit. I recommend the Fecal Egg Count Supply kit, because it's easier than trying to piece together the individual components. This kit comes with 4 McMaster Method Microscope Slides, 4 30ml Beakers, 4 Tweezers and 8 Suction Transfer Pipettes. If you need additional slides, they can be purchased separately
Fecal Float Solution for performing goat fecal tests
You will need Fecal float solution to perform goat fecal tests, you can make it yourself with various recipes found through internet searching, or you can just purchase a Float Solution that is ready to go. We usually buy the solution because it's easier, less messy and honestly, it's one less messy step in an already unpleasant job. This 500 ML bottle is a great size for small farms and hobbyists as you will only use a few ML per test so a little goes a long way.
Tea Strainers
You will need at least one tea strainer ball (they usually come in packs of two). You will use these to strain fecal matter from the solution to perform your goat fecal tests. You will separate the two halves and use each side to strain, so two tea strainers will make four pieces. If you want to perform more than 4 tests at a time, you'll want extras.
We use these disposable medicine cups to strain the solution in. They are inexpensive and can either be washed an re-used, or disposed of after testing is complete.
You will need stir sticks of some sort for mixing the manure with the solution, You can use craft sticks or these Silicone Stir Sticks which are washable and reusaable.
Finally, you will want disposable gloves for sanitation purposes. We like these Dealmed Nitrile Gloves, but any disposable latex or nitrile gloves you have available will work.
Once you have these items on hand, you will be ready to perform your own goat fecal tests, as well as tests on other species of animals if you want. Goat fecal tests are simple and inexpensive to perform and will save you money on medications and treatments by allowing you to target specific parasites and not blindly treating goats with costly dewormers.
Do you perform your own fecal tests already? Are there any products you'd recommend that I didn't list? Or, do you want to learn how to perform goat fecal tests? Drop a comment below.