Blue Laced Red Wyandotte THREAD!

[Fancychooklady]

My plan was to use a commercial wormer every 6 months but to give fermented feed mixed with a heavy dose of cayenne pepper every week. For the commercial wormer I switched to ivermectin pour-on (off label...designed for cattle) because it was supposed to work for external parasites as well. I had a bird die but it wasn't fresh enough to send off for necropsy. Then I had another die which I did send off. Before I got the results back I lost another bird. When I got the results back my bird had died from capillary worms. It's one of the few parasites NOT controlled by ivermectin! So...I used Safegard (the best thing for capillary worms) and now I give all my birds a dose of Safegard every month. My birds are all confined so I can't get by with worming every 6 months. Now, all this time I had been giving fairly massive doses of cayenne (I get it cheap in bulk). It might have helped with some worms but it certainly didn't keep my birds completely clean of worms. In fact that necropsy also found ceacal worms and one other type but in negligible numbers (perhaps held in check by the cayenne but I also used the ivermectin). It sounds great to use all natural solutions and if you free range you might be able to get away with it but a commercial wormer really does work.

There is no evidence to say that ivermectin is an effective wormer, in fact the papers I've read state that the amount required to make it useful as an anthelmetic in poultry would be enough to kill the bird. Ivermectin has been overused worldwide and is loosing its effectiveness even in the livestock that it is labelled for. Lots of people use it to control external parasites but I wouldn't rely on it for internal parasites.

 

[Roost Rookie]

I'm no expert, but they are all beautiful!!!

Hello I somehow missed this thread the last time I posted on here... I have bred BLRW for about two years now. Lots of improvement needed still in my flock but I enjoy the work. any thoughts on my birds and tips are much appreciated

 

[FreedomFarm13]

Oh, shucks!! I was really hoping for the blue laced.
What do the chicks typically look like in a BLRW?

Just wanted to say that my blue laced red cockerel started out with black lacing on his wings at about the same age of your chick. I was devastated because I really wanted the blue, too. He is now 10 weeks old and has grown in many beautifully dark blue feathers! It could very well be that your chick is just starting out looking black but when it feathers in, it might be a completely different story. It could also be a black laced red, as there is that 25% chance of a black laced red from two blue parents, but you'll probably just have to wait a couple weeks to find out. I noticed my boy getting his blue feathers in at about 5-6 weeks, I believe. Let me see if I can find some pics....

Here he is at a couple weeks old...lacing looks black:


A few weeks later...turning blue...


Yesterday...a dark blue laced red stud:


It's not the best picture in the world, but you certainly get the idea. His color is quite striking in person. So, there is still a chance you'll get a blue. I agree with whoever said that your chick's down appears blue, so I'd call it a pretty good chance of getting a blue. Let us know how the little one turns out!

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

There is no evidence to say that ivermectin is an effective wormer, in fact the papers I've read state that the amount required to make it useful as an anthelmetic in poultry would be enough to kill the bird. Ivermectin has been overused worldwide and is loosing its effectiveness even in the livestock that it is labelled for. Lots of people use it to control external parasites but I wouldn't rely on it for internal parasites.

I don't even think it does much for external parasites. I was pretty excited about it because the generic is cheap (about $18), is about enough for 500 doses and is easy to apply. I had mites on my birds and gave them all a few drops of ivermectin and a few days later I really couldn't see much of a difference. Then I spent the money on Frontline (for dogs). About two drops on each bird (one for young birds and 3 for large roosters) and the lack of external parasites is almost instantaneous. You do a second treatment a month later and so far it has been about 6 months since I saw a single external parasite.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I don't even think it does much for external parasites. I was pretty excited about it because the generic is cheap (about $18), is about enough for 500 doses and is easy to apply. I had mites on my birds and gave them all a few drops of ivermectin and a few days later I really couldn't see much of a difference. Then I spent the money on Frontline (for dogs). About two drops on each bird (one for young birds and 3 for large roosters) and the lack of external parasites is almost instantaneous. You do a second treatment a month later and so far it has been about 6 months since I saw a single external parasite.

Ivermectin is one of those products that science is very sketchy on , but there are pages of 'testimonials ' on. I prefer science over ' hearsay ' every time. I personally wouldn't use frontline either, it contains fipronil and can be lethal to birds. Remember that death doesn't necessarily have to be instantaneous, organ damage can take a while longer.
I've had a mite infestation and had great success with permethrin. But as with any treatment you have to be systematic about treatment as the life cycle of these pests is working against you.
Another product I've trialled is Spinosad , marketed as 'Elector ' in the states. It's already being used in tablet form for fleas on dogs as ' comfortis ' and is the newest generation of insecticide.

http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2686&Itemid=2991

http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2691&Itemid=2950

 

[waddles99]

Frontline isn't lethal to birds. Everyone I know has been using it for years especially at shows where they are in close quarters with other birds from other flocks and external parasites can be a problem. I have been using it for the past 5-10 shows and the only time I ever saw external parasites is when I didn't use it. It works really well. Never had any problems. I wouldn't let paranoia of something keep my birds from being healthy....

 

[Nksg75]

Ahh, thank you so much for the pics. He is very beautiful!! It's nice to actually be a able to see comparison pics!!
I do hope ours does the same as yours. I even think we have a little boy just like you.

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

Comfortis is REALLY expensive in the U.S. I don't know if there is a cheaper genetic but it sure is pricy. Frontline has shown less and less effectiveness on dogs and cats but on birds I can attest that it is almost like a miracle.

 

[Turk Raphael]

I've been using Cydectin pour-on for some time now with excellent results, confirmed by egg flotation and visual checks for external parasites. Go ahead and fire away...It works for me and I will continue to use it.

Good luck to all.

TURK

 

[Fancychooklady]

Frontline isn't lethal to birds. Everyone I know has been using it for years especially at shows where they are in close quarters with other birds from other flocks and external parasites can be a problem. I have been using it for the past 5-10 shows and the only time I ever saw external parasites is when I didn't use it. It works really well. Never had any problems. I wouldn't let paranoia of something keep my birds from being healthy....

You see that is your testimonial and if you are happy with the product ' fill yer boots ' , but that's not what the science says. Your dog is not a food producing animal. If I wanted eggs full of chemicals I'd go down to the corner store and buy some.