DE & Cocci questions

[FarmGirl21]

Does anyone know how long Diatomaceous Earth takes to get rid of worms? I got mine last weekend & started it in the pellet on Sunday i think. Worms is my last guess as to why they aren't gaining weight. I have them on Calf Mana also.

I treated for Cocci & haven't seen signs of it in quite a while now, but someone also told me that it stays in the ground forever, is this true? I would hate to have to keep dealing with this. Also she said that chickens that have suffered from Cocci are never what they were before it, they won't regain all the weight and always be bony & their chest bones will stick out always. I HATE the idea of this & i hope it's not true.

Would it hurt to put them on Sulmet again, along with the DE? We just lost an older SLW pullet today & I'm worried it might be back & I'm just not seeing it. Some of their butts are pretty pasty looking.

Is it okay to add DE to their treats while I am still giving it to them in their pellet? Will it work faster/better on the worms? Does the excess just get 'expelled'?

It's a lot of questions but I'm really worried about them. We lost a lot this year already, it hasn't been so bad lately but the pullet today worries me. Thanks everyone.

 

[dlhunicorn]

DE in the feed will not treat an active worm infestation.
If your birds have worms I would suggest you get a broad spectrum wormer like ivomec Eprinex and use the spot-on method (apply on sikn at base of neck).
Yes cocci (and some worms !) can damage their intestines (and cause malabsorption of nutrients) though how extensive and irreparably can often not be estimated. However, since the birds are in such poor condition ( not surprising in view of the cocci/worms) then after treatment for the worms (Eprinex is least hard on the bird too) you need to give them a good well balanced nutritional/vitamin supplement like Avia Charge 2000 which hass all in the correct ratio (you can order online from McMurray or Strombergs)... It will take quite a while for recovery and I would continue this regular supplement throughout the winter as the birds may have malabsorption problems for a while .
Supplement also with a live culture yogurt free choice daily.