Deworming--ADVICE NEEDED

[waghmg]

Well, one more thing I found out I should be doing for my chickens...giving them a dewormer.

Can't believe how much work this is getting to be. My husband and I are new at this and he would rather do as little research as possible and I'm the opposite. Therefore we have the 3rd chicken introduction/pecking to bloody issue with this 3rd chicken. (that's another post). Should have done our research on that one. Live and learn.

Anyhow, what should I do about deworming? I have to buy a product to put in their water? Any advice would be appreciated as usual.

Holly

 

[schellie69]

Start with wazine throw out all eggs for 10 days then follow with a 2nd wormer such as safeguard, inviticmin (sp) make sure to throw out all eggs for 2 weeks, do this once a year. Follow each worming a couple of days later with a boost of protein and yogurt I used cat food and yogurt. This is what I did I followed the advice that dawg53 gave me.

 

[TheSitcomGirls]

I have had mine for a year and I haven't wormed them yet. I don't think you need to if they are not showing any symptoms of worms...and you have a small flock with plenty of room to roam. If you are worried they might have worms your vet can do a simple test on some of the chicken poop and see.

 

[gritsar]

Chickens, like most animals, can handle a low wormload without trouble.

Some folks never worm. Some folks worm only with all natural products. Some of these products I have my doubts about being useful at all, but that's just me. Some folks do the wazine, followed by a broad spectrum, which I believe is not a bad idea if it's the first time you have wormed your flock.

I worm once a year with a broad spectrum wormer - albendazole (which is a BS wormer that's commonly used to treat worms in humans) - throw the eggs away for two weeks, and go on my merry way.

The reason I don't do that wazine first is because I have been worming my chickens since they were all about nine months old, therefore I don't worry about there being a large wormload to create additional problems. In nine months time and after that, once a year, I don't feel there is a chance for them to have collected a large amount.

ETA: If it's not too much trouble for you, you can collect a stool sample from a variety (not the right word, sorry my brain is in neutral) of piles of poop and take it to your vet for a fecal float. Not very expensive at most vets and the vet will be able to tell you if there are worms at all and if so, what to treat with.

 

[snowflake]

question for gritsar, were do you get albendazole?

 

[awesomefowl]

I have never wormed mine and they are fat and sassy.

 

[briteday]

albendazole (and I use fenbendazole) can be found at most feed stores as goat or cattle de-wormers.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yes. It's a cattle and goat dewormer, used off label for chickens. Albendazole is sold under the brand name Valbazen. It's not cheap and I've never found it in anything but big bottles, but as long as you check the expiration date on the bottle when you purchase it (get the most future date you can find) it will keep for several years.

You give 1/2 cc orally, undiluted, per standard chicken; 1/4 cc. for bantams. It's very easy to dose them. Take a needle-less syring and go into the coop at night, after the birds have gone to roost, using as little light as possible. Pick one up, dose it, set it back down, move to the next one. If the chicken won't open its beak, gently tug on the wattles. The beak will open.

Throw eggs away for two weeks.