Common pests like flies, worms and lice can be costly to your cow herd, adversely affecting weight gain and herd health. The standard protocol to control parasites includes a boat load of expensive chemicals and a host of applicators. These treatments have become a crutch that artificially supports unproductive cows and destroys soil life. I used to faithfully pour our cow herd twice a year with Ivermectin. It killed the lice, but it also wiped out dung beetles and hindered soil biology. Is there a better way? Yes! Here are some natural remedies that have been proven by other producers.

First thing on the list of natural remedies is to raise the alkalinity of the animal. This makes them a less desirable host for pests. Several products positively affect pH including Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), Sodium Bicarbonate, and Detox Clay. We started feeding ACV and noticed an improvement in overall health and hair coat. An inexpensive treatment for lice is a dusting of Diatomaceous Earth. It creates an extremely uncomfortable environment for lice, like laying on broken glass. Although these heifer’s hair coat looks great, we treated them as a precaution while we had them close.

When fighting flies, chemical remedies eventually lose effectiveness due to developed resistance. Rotational grazing is a great help as it moves cows a good distance away before fly larvae hatch. Adding garlic to your salt will also decrease fly load. When buying bulls, don’t forget that fly resistance is a heritable trait rated by PCC®. Cows will always attract flies, but you can greatly reduce their effect.

We stopped using wormer in 2022 and have never looked back. We culled one cow that couldn’t handle the transition, but the rest never missed a beat. Again, the ACV helped, not by killing the worms but by altering the gut with enhanced pH levels and improved digestion. I believe rotational grazing has also greatly reduced exposure to worm larvae by keeping their muzzles up out of the dirt.

For most cattlemen, using chemical solutions to treat parasites has become normal. This is costly as well as detrimental to soil biology. Trading your chemical crutches for natural remedies can improve soil health and reduce your expenses. I’ll see you next time on the Herd Quitter® Minute.