Definitive Ivermectin Thread and an Egg Withdrawal Chart

[Tamara119]

Hi all, I know there are a thousand threads on here about ivermectin, but each thread is full of differing opinions and differing suggestions. Some people say 5 to 7 drops for bantams, and 1/4 cc for standards (even the Chicken Chick says this) but 5 drops IS 1/4 cc! What I think we're in need of is a thread of actual treatments. I suggest we post the form of ivermectin we've used, the dosage and whether it was injected, given orally, or used topically, and what ailment was being treated. In other words, don't just repeat the dosages that are posted elsewhere, post only your actual treatment. Also, can you post the efficacy that you noticed if applicable?

Also, I have found this awesome chart for both approved and unapproved drug residues in eggs. On page 20 I think you'll be surprised at the results for Ivermectin given in the feed for 21 days!
http://www.farad.org/publications/miscellaneous/LayingHensEggResidues.pdf

I've just used Ivermectin for Scaly Leg Mites:
1% injectable
5 drops on a piece of bread fed to each 4 month old standard
(4 birds managed to steal someone else's piece, and therefore got a double dose - 10 drops. No side effects have been observed 24 hours later.)
It's only been a day, so I don't have any results to share, but also I plan on spraying their legs with frontline today so I won't have results for Ivermectin alone.

 

[escape]

I had one chicken who had a little bit of a dirty butt before treatment. I wasn't sure what caused it. We do have a few barn swallows that try to get the chickens to share food....

I wormed my horse two weeks go and held back about 2 cc's of the ivermectin and added it to a bowl of water. I mixed it until it was well dissolved. Then I let the chickens into the stable.

They get to come in once a day for a few minutes and they always search for treats and love to drink the water because it is a lot warmer than the water in their coop/run. They huddled around the water bowl and drank all of the ivermectin/water.

While they enjoyed the warmth of the stable, I went out and cleaned the coop. I sprinkled sevin dust after cleaning and added new bedding.

We did not eat eggs for two weeks (boy did we miss that!).

The chicken with the poopy butt seems a little cleaner. All the girls are happy and healthy.

 

[Tamara119]

Sounds like a quick way to do it! How much water? About a litre?

 

[escape]

Actually, no. I used about a cup of water. I wanted to make sure they got it all.

 

[Tamara119]

Well, I dug a bit further, and I've figured out that I WAY overdosed them. Here are my new calculations based on the Florida guidelines http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm022 :

1 mL of 1% solution has 10 mg of ivermectin (labeled)

Florida guidelines suggest 200 mcg / kg (0.2 mg / kg), repeated in 10 to 14 days

20 drops = 1 mL = 10 mg (I still need to measure the drops, but I can't find my littlest graduated cylinder)
5 drops = .25 mL = 2.5 mg
1 drop = .05 mL = .5 mg

If my young birds are 2 kg (some maybe bigger), then one drop is all they needed. Oops.

The Florida dosage is the most official dose I can find, so I'll go with that from now on. Also, based on the chart I posted, feeding at 0.1 mg / kg for 21 days produced no measurable residue in the eggs, and at 0.4 mg / kg for 21 days had no measurable residue after 6 days. So I figure that a single dose of 0.5 mg (1 drop) is insignificant in terms of egg residue. Now I feel fine about treating my layers, and I won't toss any eggs!

 

[dawg53]

I stopped using ivermectin for worming some years ago, lost its effectiveness. It will still treat mites though:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0450.1989.tb00635.x/abstract

 

[chickwhispers]

Thanks for the link and info! The residuals chart and article is very interesting!
And Dawg I have heard that about ivermectin. I keep on hand just for mites. Although I've been lucky so far! Knock on wood. It works great on guinea pigs too when they get mange.

 

[Tamara119]

Yep, me too re. the worms, I'm just aiming for mite control here. It's really tough because the wild birds are carriers, especially a couple of the dove species that are always in the run visiting.

 

[Tamara119]

So, I've been onboard with everyone saying that ivermectin is no longer effective as a wormer in chickens, but I'd like to see more sources for this. It seems everyone keeps posting the same article by Oksanen and Nikander from 1989. There are actually more recent articles showing that it IS effective. Can anyone provide more information?

Here are two articles finding it to be effective:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2267731

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+e...n+administration+against+natural…-a0263659462 (In Iran, obviously regional variations may contribute to efficacy)

 

[dawg53]

So, I've been onboard with everyone saying that ivermectin is no longer effective as a wormer in chickens, but I'd like to see more sources for this. It seems everyone keeps posting the same article by Oksanen and Nikander from 1989. There are actually more recent articles showing that it IS effective. Can anyone provide more information?

Here are two articles finding it to be effective:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2267731

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+e...n+administration+against+natural…-a0263659462 (In Iran, obviously rational variations may contribute to efficacy)

Want proof from people (pic included) who've used ivermectin including me? Read posts #1 & #2 in this link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/867541/important-information-on-ivermec-warning-autopsy-photos
More proof, post #1:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/825424/to-wazine-or-not-to-wazine-before-safeguard