Under weight flock

What breeds do you have?  Are you sure they're actually underweight and that they're not just a slim built breed?  Formulated ayer feed is what should be fed unless you're buying bulk grains from a mill and mixing your own.  And lastly, are you certain that your birds are worm free???  A worm infestation can cause poor weight...

What are you worming them with? If you are using piperizine you're probably wasting your time and money. Be sure you're using a wormer that actually kills a wide variety of worms, not just one type. You also need to check for, and possibly treat for, mites and/or lice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by teach1rusl 

What breeds do you have?  Are you sure they're actually underweight and that they're not just a slim built breed?  Formulated ayer feed is what should be fed unless you're buying bulk grains from a mill and mixing your own. 

True, true, true. A bird like a leghorn is gonna be built different than something like an Orpington or JG. An adequate amount of layer feed should be enough to keep them in decent condition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smw18 

I have been dusting but mites and lice cause weight lose? Good to know!
I had someone say just a pea size drop of horse wormer and I do DE in their feed every so often

Yes mites and lice can cause weight loss and general malaise as well as sad-looking plumage and bald spots. In extreme cases they can even kill birds. DE in their feed isn't going to do anything for worms. What kind of horse wormer are you using?

I used Safeguard goat wormer on my birds (they had capillaria worms, diagnosed with a stool sample). They could eat non-stop. After worming they still weren't in the condition I thought they should be and still eating like bottomless pits... further investigation revealed they had lice, so I used ivermectin pour-on for cattle on them (5 drops to back of neck with eyedropper, be CAREFUL not to overdose). The ivermectin made a big difference, they are eating less and now are in good condition.

Here are quotes from dawg (THE resident expert on worming) from another thread ( http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/660295/worming ):

"I do NOT prefer ivomec products. My wormers of choice are valbazen and safeguard."

"I use valbazen and safeguard for rotation purposes. Ivomec products wont kill certain species of worms, whereas valbazen does. Safeguard kills most worms, except tapeworms. Both valbazen and safeguard are given orally, that way you KNOW they've been properly wormed and no guesswork about it."

If you have more questions about worming, he is the go-to guy.

When I worm I use Fenbendazole [Safeguard] first and 10 days later I use Ivermectin.

The Safeguard for goats is best to use on poultry and you mix 9 parts water to 1 part Safegaurd then give 1cc of that mix orally to large fowl breeds.

Ivermectin injectable is given 5 to 7 drops orally for large fowl breeds and can be put on a small piece of bread. 

Which ever wormer you use remember is to reworm after 10 days.

Chris

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris09 

When I worm I use Fenbendazole [Safeguard] first and 10 days later I use Ivermectin.

 

The Safeguard for goats is best to use on poultry and you mix 9 parts water to 1 part Safegaurd then give 1cc of that mix orally to large fowl breeds.

Ivermectin injectable is given 5 to 7 drops orally for large fowl breeds and can be put on a small piece of bread. 

 

Which ever wormer you use remember is to reworm after 10 days.

 

 

Chris

 

That is not the correct dosage for Safeguard. First off, do NOT dilute it. Given straight from the bottle with a needless syringe or eyedropper, the dosages are: 1.0cc for giants; 0.75cc for large fowl; 0.5 cc for standard-size fowl; 0.25 cc for small fowl. Re-dose after 10 days. There is a 14-day withdrawal period on the eggs.