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Thank you! I will look into this.
Deworming and other things(?) for Bantams
Thank you! I will look into this.
Bertie-Merle
Songster
EGGG-Xellent question! This touches on nearly every question I've had and I have received some great responses from BYC regulars, but it would take me a long time to compile them all in context and respond back ... maybe I'll do that in the future.Hello! My hens(2 OEGBs) are healthy and don't show any signs of illness. However, I've just learned that I should be deworming them regularly for prevention of infestation. They are nearly a year old and have never had any treatments whatsoever. I've started my research but I'm pretty confused, especially because all of the medicines referenced are treatments for large species (goats, cow, horse, etc.)
Are there any dewormers specific for poultry? My hens are bantams so I'm worried about proper dosage. I've also come across some suggestions that advise multiple medicines as well: Valbrazen & Wazine.
For some background - my hens are semi-free range and tolerate their space with the wild birds in the area who like to visit with them. They forage around an enclosed yard and will eat small slugs, earthworms, beetles, etc that they find. They are fed an organic diet with pellets, dried herbs and flowers, grains, fresh vegetables and fruit. Their coop, with a mixed bedding of pine pellets, pine shavings and hay is cleaned daily. I dust them and their coop with DE occasionally.
I just want to be directed because I am going down a rabbit hole of "do this - not that" posts that have me going in circles. Tell me what to buy and how to administer. What is suggested, what should I avoid? Are there any holistic options that any one stands by? I want my gals to stay healthy and don't wish to see worms squirming out of their eyes, mouths or butts. Ever. I also don't know what other worries I should have and prepare for in a medi-kit. I live on an island so my resources are very limited in the case of an emergency.
I also have new additions of chicks in a brooder - when do I start to deworm them? Thanks so much to my fellow chicken-loving readers!
That said ... in an eggshell .... my takeaway, and note that this is MY assessment and I may learn more or differently in the future, from reading a wealth of replies and many hours of researching responses from many BYC posters is this:
If you want to be careful, even if no sign of abnormal excrement or other symptoms, you can worm them every six months, (more if necessary for conditions, but that would be a different story than this.) After reading countless articles online from Texas A&M, Colorado and Ohio State A&M's and many posters HERE, I'm using "Safe-guard" 0.5% de-wormer for cows/horses/turkeys/pigs/chickens at the rate of a "handful" per a week's worth of pellet chicken feed per chicken, (that would be ~ 1/2 cup of the pellets, or good-sized man's hand, to 5- 7 cups of whatever type of pellets you use ... in my case, Nutrena NatureWise Layer 16% Protein Pellet Chicken Feed ... mix it in well the best you can and feed it to all of your flock at the same time for 5 - 7 days.
https://www.amazon.com/Merck-Animal-Health-Mfg-Multi-species/dp/B07GC9SGH6/ref=sr_1_3?crid=6QQA02TB8F7L&keywords=safe-guard+for+cows+turkeys&qid=1687232928&s=pet-supplies&sprefix=safe-guard+for+cows+turkeys,pets,113&sr=1-3
NOTES:
1) The breeder from whom I bought my two most recent chicks, now in first year egg laying, being a Blue Wyandotte and a Buff Orpington, suggested worming once a month with Ivermectrin. I chose differently, based on input from this site and the difficulty in dosing from water supply in my situation and not wanting to treat that often with no symptoms. That is my personal judgement ... not advice for you in particular.
2) Several "senior status" people here on this site have recommended cycling different wormers to avoid resistance or bad reaction issues with wormers. I just can't find what those were specifically in my notes tonight. Any of you Masters out there ... please chime in with those specific suggestions again! Much love to you for your dedication!
I, to my knowledge, have not had a case yet, (KNOCK ON WOOD!), of Coccididiosis, but in my process of researching on this site decided to order a bottle of "CORIS (amprolium) 9.65 Solutions Coccidiostat" and keep it in a cool and dark storage place in order to have in my chicken pharmacy cabinet in case it is needed. The price has gone up, but what hasn't? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QW9159..._5&=&crid=34N8Z7BOUTVP5&=&sprefix=corid
I hope this is helpful to you, it took me a LOT of reading and consideration to decide on my own choice of practices, but so far they have worked well for me. Take this for what it is ... my shared experience with much appreciation to the senior contributors on this site.
Much love and God Bless.
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Where I live, it's a given and fact, birds get worms. No need for me to take a fecal sample to a vet.
If I were you, gather up fresh fecal samples, stir them up and put them in a ziplock bag. Take it to a vet have them look at it under a microscope for worm eggs. They'll let you know and then you can treat accordingly. If their feet touch the ground, they'll get worms.
The only bad reactions that birds get from wormers is when the bird is loaded up with worms. The heavy worm 'kill off' internally releases toxins in the chickens system.
This is why I prefer Valbazen to worm birds. It slowly kills of worms over several days...not a massive kill as with other wormers.
BTW: Valbazen will treat eyeworms. Let me know if your birds get them, they have to be treated in a special way.
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- #14
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge, experience and links! I appreciate it!
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- #15
Thank you very much! I see you're in Florida so weather-wise it's very similar to Hawaii.
Since it's come up in this post - do you have a recommendation for treating and/or prevention of mites? @nuthatched suggested Permethrine.
Permethrin dust or liquid concentrate is recommeded for external parasites.
Better not deworm unless you have a nasty infestation. Dewormers are not harmless and a minor infestation of worms is not life threatening. A month after treating the worms come back, and its best if the chickens have plenty of natural space and are healthy enough to coop with a minor infestation. *
Best way to keep an eye on red mite is by monitoring weekly / twice a week when its warm and humid. You can use corrugated cardboard from biscuits to make control-rolls and put these under the roost and in the nest boxes. Adding lavender / tobacco and painting with DE helps in prevention.
If you see red mite in an early stage it’s doable to eliminate them with cleaning and treating (I did twice).
*ps I have this info from https://edepot.wur.nl/115784 Louis bolk instituut/ Wageningen university research (WUR). Worthwhile to translate the last page (conclusions and advice) from Dutch.
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Perhaps you'd like to take on a a minor infestation of worms in your belly and give us a description of your health in a few months.
By that time, your worms will have reproduced over and over many thousands of times. I wonder how your health would be by then?
Perhaps you could feed them DE which wont do anything.
I have the info on deworming from a research report: https://edepot.wur.nl/115784 Louis bolk instituut/ Wageningen university research (WUR). Worthwhile to translate the last page (conclusions and advice) from Dutch.
In another article from @nuthatched, who did some research on deworming products, I have been reading there is no proof diatomaceous earth in feed helps. But neither thats its worthless when DE is drying up in the feces, to prevent further spreading.
Nuthatched writes:
“claims surrounding D.E. have not yet been proven through scientific testing.”
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/trouble-in-parasites.78256/
Personally I havent used any dewormers in the 9 years I have chickens. Sometimes I check the poop to see if I there’s anything crawling in it (big worms) but my eye never spotted any. And I dare to say my chickens are healthy (knock on wood) having several 8-9 yo old ladies in my flock.
I believe in worming at certain life stages, (eg. young birds are more susceptible then older birds) and if the weather has been usually humid.
Also, if I see any worms, or if any birds look under the weather.
Other then that, I leave them be, and despite knowing that there are worms in the area, have never had any issues with mature birds.
Definitely get the vet to do a test, imo there is nothing worse then treating for a none existent problem.
In no other farm animals is regularly treating all of a flock, all of the time recommended, so imo chickens shouldn't be any different.
Also, if I see any worms, or if any birds look under the weather.
Other then that, I leave them be, and despite knowing that there are worms in the area, have never had any issues with mature birds.
Definitely get the vet to do a test, imo there is nothing worse then treating for a none existent problem.
In no other farm animals is regularly treating all of a flock, all of the time recommended, so imo chickens shouldn't be any different.
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