It’s easy to check your goats’ mucus membranes using the FAMACHA system.
SUE WEAVER
Barber’s pole worm is a major problem for keepers of sheep and goats throughout the world. Bloodsucking gut-dwellers, barber’s pole worms (Haemonchus contortus) cause serious anemia and death if not aggressively treated. Females are prolific egg-layers, laying as many as 10,000 eggs per day, so large worm loads develop rapidly. Unfortunately, because of the overuse of dewormers that control this worm, resistance is a major problem.
The FAMACHA system (it stands for FAffa MAlan CHArt) was developed by three scientists in South Africa and introduced to North America by the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control. It helps producers single out individuals for treatment by matching the color of an animal’s eye mucous membranes to a chart showing five color categories indicating level of anemia. The colors go from category 1 (cherry red; not anemic) to category 5 (white; severely anemic).