Deworm all chickens or just the one

[Cluckies]

I have one chicken which I've been dealing with for a few months now, runny poo, slow crop emptying, rubber eggs. As a last resort i'm going to try and see if deworming her will work, as i've tried about every thing else.

I have Safe-guard (fenbendazole) Dewormer for goats, suspension 10%. I've read "1/2 ml is for an average size chicken. Give it once, and again in 10 days." is this correct?

I've also read this "Administer the wormer orally undiluted using a syringe without a needle. Dosage is 3/4cc orally to each chicken for 3 days in a row for large birds, 1/2cc for standard size birds, 1/4cc for smaller birds. There's a 14 day withdrawal period after the last dosing." so i'm a little confused.

Also, should I just deworm the one chicken, or all 6 in the flock? The others seem fine, regular poo, no other issues.

My chickens have never been dewormed, they are 1 year old.

Thanks!

 

[Judy]

I would definitely worm them all. They can have a fairly heavy load without showing symptoms -- although you may find after they are wormed that they eat a bit less feed, because the worms were eating it. Also, they are all on the same soil, and that is where the worm eggs are.

 

[Cluckies]

Thanks Judy, I wormed them all this evening, wow, what a wrestling match!

I hope I got enough of it in their mouths, lol. I think I will do the 3/4cc orally to each chicken for 3 days in a row for large birds, and see how it goes.

 

[Michael Apple]

Thanks Judy, I wormed them all this evening, wow, what a wrestling match!

I hope I got enough of it in their mouths, lol. I think I will do the 3/4cc orally to each chicken for 3 days in a row for large birds, and see how it goes.

Make it easier on yourself next time and use Valbazen (albendazole). Dosage is .08 cc per pound of bird orally once, and then again 10 days later.

For a bad worm infestation Safe-guard is given 5 days in a row. Follow up with poultry vitamin-electrolyte and probiotic powder in water for the first day, then just poultry vitamins-electrolytes for the next 2 days. The best time to worm is early morning when crops are empty. If it is still dark, the birds will still be on their roosts and won't panic.

 

[Cluckies]

Thanks Michael! Just to clarify, give them the medicine for 5 days, then start the probiotic/electrolyte mix? or start the probiotic/electrolyte mix the first day i'm de-worming? I do have some on hand and I was trying to decide tonight if I should start it tomorrow, or wait until after their treatment is complete, so this is perfect timing.

 

[Cluckies]

I leave for work at 5, and I always check on them, feel their crops, ect. before I leave to make sure everything is moving through ok (if not I massage their crops for a minute each) and I also see how their poo is and clean it up (sweet PDZ in poop tray). So this will work good to do it in the morning before I leave, I can just pull them off the roost one at a time, hopefully they won't fight too much. This is how I know which bird has been having issues for quite some time (loose stool, slow crop, rubber or very thinned shelled eggs.) The rubber eggs she lays on the roost over night. I'll have to pick up Valbazen (albendazole) for next time, is that also a goat de-wormer? or is that for horses or cows (just so I know where to look for it.