Ok....took him oputside for a bit today not that long because rain was on the way....He was so happy....picked a bit at the clover.....Hope that was ok......walked and flew a bit. He sure does have his energy back. Will start wormer (strike III) tomorrow.
Good news. Glad to hear it.
The worms I am seeing are big...like broken pieces of thin cooked spagetti.....I am sure they are round worms and the vet confirmed it with the poop sample. I do not see the tape worms....looking like pieces of rice...familar with both having dogs and cats in the past. Also with some of their poop it looks like a peach color like a flesh color now ....before treatment I did see blood too but now just the peach color. I do think that the worms look parilized not moving when I see them.
Now to make sure I am doing some other things correct......
I am feeding now to all Purina Start and grow medicated.......I did read something you posted about the medicated after I had started them on it. I started with this because of the age differences and most being small and not properly nurished when I got them. Did not want to start with the layer till they were more mature because of the calcium. What should I be feeding them next? We have here in NJ in our town Tractor Supply & Grappo's to purchase from. I did get some cracked corn to add for the winter for a bit of an added treat before roosting when cold and thought I would go from the start & grow to Dumor layer pelletts or crumble or the Purina layeria pelletts or crumble....not sure which is best ....Please let me know what you think.
Do you have an estimation on ages of birds? If you think they are beyond 5 months of age, it should be safe to use a layer ration. There are better rations than Purina (who also makes Dumor), but am not sure what else may be available in your area. Purina, owned by Land O' Lakes, is regularly on the FDA recall list for nutrient deficient feed, so I'd avoid them:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm393549.htm
Pellets or crumbles are just differences of preference. I prefer pellets since there is less waste (birds don't like powdery feed). Many brands of lay rations produce the same formulation in pelleted form or crumble form. Birds accustomed to crumbles may take time to adjust to pellets, and hunger is the motivator.
I did put Diatomaceous Eart in the chicken house sprinkled on floor before I put the wood shavings and a bit on top.
That won't repel ectoparasites, but may help with reducing moisture. Don't waste your time with that. Pine shavings, so long as they aren't getting soaked from spilled water or rain, reduce moisture enough. DE, despite the trends and claims, is pretty useless. I tested it out for awhile and it is a waste of money. I
t will not deworm birds either.
I used Garden poultry dust with 0.25% permethrin to dust them when they had lice. It did work.....Wondering if I should sprinkle in their house on the roosts and around?
The walls, roosts, ceiling, and floor of the house can be sprayed with these solutions to kill individual insects not on the birds:
Ravap EC
Permectrin II
Rabon 50 WP (wettable powder)
Malathion
Rotating the use of sprays reduces the possibility of resistance from ectoparasites. Emulsified concentrates have a better residual. It is important to follow label recommendations and allow sprays to dry on surfaces. The mixture rate is generally reduced to half when used on birds compared to premises. When treating the coop, remove birds, and allow premises to dry before giving birds access to the coop. Remove feeders and waterers from areas where drift of sprays may happen.
I have Sav a chick Probiotic and save a chick Electrolyte....not sure if it is only for chicks or also for grown birds. This was all they had.
Both are decent and fine for your birds.
Have but did not use as of yet Backyard Chicken Zyfend A...was told this is good to use after treating for worms and on a regular basis!!!!!!!
Who told you that? There are products out there that make many claims, so be careful about claims versus facts. Probiotics, vitamins, minerals, and a good diet is all that is needed after treating for worms.
Saw some articles about Oxine....wondering if this is something good to have and use for disenfecting and washing food containers ,waterers etc. and for the birds?
Oxine is safer and more powerful than many other disinfectants. I've used it for a number of years. Here is an article about its uses:
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm
I only give and use the Dried meal worms as a treat and to get them to become my buddies! What are good treats?
A good formulated feed and what they get free ranging. I supplement kale when range grass is dry during the summer and fall. I supplement certain animal proteins and other things of value to their diet. If you'd like in depth info, Feeding Poultry by G.F. Heuser is a good source of information:
http://www.nortoncreekpress.com/feeding_poultry.html
What about giving them picked grass and clover and such from the yard....I know that it can be contaminated from the flying birds in the yard....I was doing this before but have stopped after reading about MG. Is it good to give cabbage/lettuce/carrott and such for them to peck at to lesen the bordom? Let me know what is ok to do here. They do LOVE the greens from the yard......and I know they are missing it!
Well, you can't raise birds in a lab, so I wouldn't discourage ranging at all. Birds will either be resistant to disease or not. Mine come in contact with wild birds on range and it is unavoidable. So the best thing to do is supplement with a good diet to keep immune systems strong. Immunity begins in the intestinal tract. Avoid hard, fibrous feedstuffs like carrots. Much of the greenery chickens get from range grasses. Provide granite grit like one would salt and pepper food. A little baby kale a couple times a week is okay when they can't get to range grasses.
I would like to hear your reccomendations on all of these products,food and care. I know that I started off bad with the hens not being in the best of health when I got them....I should have know better and not taken the birds ( I felt if I did not take them they had no chance)...
Hey, you did an honorable thing taking in some of God's creatures, just know that looking birds over for ectoparasites, treating for cocci and worms, and keeping them separate from existing birds you may have for at least a month is necessary to prevent an outbreak of disease.
...but I want to do the best I can now starting them in their new house. The Rooster seemed to be in great health untill he came in contact with the hens....but he could have gotten sick from something else too....who knows I did not have him that long either and have no idea of his background.. So please let me know what you think. I do really appreciate all the time you have spent giving me information, and I hope it will be of help to others that read the posts too. Being a New Egg is a learning experience!
Thank You once again,
Diane
You're welcome. I hope the info helps. I've been raising birds for a long time and I'm still learning.
