Does any one use ivermectin in chickens ?

[Gypsi]

I live in Fort Worth Texas, thank you for the photo, I had never seen a poultry tick before. I painted the interior of my coops white so I could see bugs, and the gaps are pretty well filled with paint. Now I'm glad I did.

I would do one wormer at a time. And I change the sand in my run a couple of times a year, taking the dirt down to a bit below ground level. mine don't free range widely, so waste can build up. It is hard work but worth it

 

[dawg53]

I live in Fort Worth Texas, thank you for the photo, I had never seen a poultry tick before. I painted the interior of my coops white so I could see bugs, and the gaps are pretty well filled with paint. Now I'm glad I did.

I would do one wormer at a time. And I change the sand in my run a couple of times a year, taking the dirt down to a bit below ground level. mine don't free range widely, so waste can build up. It is hard work but worth it

Why would you change the sand? There's no need to. It's easy to scoop poop off sand and is a good insect deterent. Sand wont wash away in the rain and dries quicker which is key, not like dirt. It would be better to add sand on top of existing sand when it gets beat down into the soil. Think beach.

 

[Gypsi]

I change the sand because the chickens dig deep beneath it and pull up clay, and the waste gets so inundated when it is wet it is spongy, and I cannot imagine what the bacteria load is.

I am not a stay at home retired person. I do not have time to rake the poop off the top, I work 12 to 14 hour days in spring and it is easier to change the sand a couple of times a year, and probably better for my birds and my grandchildren, that I do. Used sand is removed to compost for a couple of years, or fenceline filler. Bet I have some fertile fencelines.

My coops have pond liner on the floor so I can easily clean the floor. You could call the sand in the run my "deep bed".

 

[casportpony]

I would wonder if perhaps it is too much on the chicken's system to give two wormers at once. If you do that, be aware that wormers are hard on hens. I would not give two at once if it were me.

I have given ivermectin and Safeguard at the same time and know that Tri-Fen Plus used to have both, but now it has albendazole and a wormer like ivermectin. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying anyone should give two wormers together, just that there are products sold that have both.

Just remembered... I read somewhere that Pyrantal and Praziquantil together can cause death in chickens.

-Kathy

 

[Joplus]

So my plan is to use a few drops of the ivermec pour on under their wings to treat the ticks. I've read it can also be used on the rabbits and guinea pigs for their mites. I'll start with one and see the results first before I accidentally kill my entire herd. Then the valbazen would be given orally to the hens for their worms. I need to rescan this place to see the quantity, I thought 1/2 mL. I now have brand new coops and hutches that are thoroughly caulked and painted with some roof coating. Live and learn, the old coops were tick magnets. So I don't plan on worming with both but does this plan sound too harsh? Another note, total cost for new coops/hutches and medicines ($400). I will rake the run and drench in orange guard and DE. Its my back yard so I can't replace the dirt.

 

[casportpony]

There is a study about Valbazen that I read and if I read it correctly, the most effective dose is 20mg/kg, that's about .2ml per 2.2 pounds of body weight. Should be given orally and repeated in 10 days.

3ml of anything in the water is unlikely to get the job done.

-Kathy

 

[Joplus]

Ok. So far so good with the ivomec and valbazen. I have all the critters treated and the ground and all new coops and hutches. I haven't noticed any adverse reactions. I gave several drops of ivomec pour on (for cattle, .05%, 5mg/CC, dose is 1mL per 22 pounds). I put it under the hens wings and on their necks. For the rabbits and guinea pigs I put it behind their ears. I took an even bigger risk and dosed the pregnant guinea pigs and babies. I don't want one to have it and pass it around all over again. Then I gavethe hens 1/2 mL of the valbazen, orally, not diluted. I did not treat the chicks. They have never been outside yet and are too young from what I've read. The main thing is the new coops and hutches eliminating any future home for pests. Sadly Pearl never recovered from the destruction caused by the outbreak. But here's everyone happy in their new home

 

[guard41]

Ivermectin drops on the neck of your hens if you catch the Red Mites early it will protect them. Get it off ebay..Mannor pharmacies sell it to in the UK.

Just lost 3 of my best chickens to red bleeding mites. Infested both my sheds. I looked at the mites under the microscope. They came from Africa on the back of birds and then infested wood pigeons who eat my hen corn and drop the critters in the dishes and floor. The hens pick them up and spread them to the hen shed were the mites climb up high in the day time and at night come down and crawl up the hens legs to suck their blood, little vampire mites!

The hens get gormless and docile and have diarrhea, they don't eat. They do not want to go back in the infested shed at night as they know the critters are waiting for them.

I treated all my hens with ivermectin and some of the mites that were still crawling on the hens died off.

I then used total mite kill concentrate by net tex in a mop bucket and mopped the ceiling and walls and it killed the lot. wore goggles and a mask but splashed it on my arms. I was covered in red mite , all down me back crawling on me after falling of the shed ceiling. They made rashes everywhere but didn't bite me. I burnt all my clothes and had four showers after.

After 2 hours it dried then I got organ x killing powder or diatomaceous Earth all over the flaw and round bottom of walls and then covered that with wood shavings. all nest boxes and bails of straw were burnt. Got new plastic nest boxes as the bugs cannot hide and you can water blast them every so often. well cat boxes really, took doors off them and put hay in them.


But do you know I never saw 1 red mite on the floor in my big 15 foot by 10 foot shed but in the the dinky 7 by 7 they were on the floor. Anyway I found out that my good friend Brian whose an old fashioned Englishman about 70 years old who put built the shed had used old fashioned creosote on the underneath of the floor boards. The critters didn't like it obviously.

I rang my vets who put me through to the hen specialist vet and she said BURN THE LOT, SHEDS AND ALL, the critters are still their.

The weather, heat has sent them wild and here in Nottingham UK it is between 25 to 30 Celsius.

The solution to stop red mite is Use plastic coups or sheds as the mites cannot hide and you can blast them out with a water pressure washer if they did come back in.

Its been a week now of red mite horror and as I type here I can feel the odd one running around my back and bottom but my wife says there is nothing there. Good luck everybody and kill those mites!

 

[muddyfeathers]

I'm curious how you know it was the red mites that caused the demise of your 3 hens? I had a hen die yesterday unexpectedly and I'm questioning whether it could of been the mites. My war with the little suckers started this week and I'm really not looking forward to this battle throughout the summer. DE has made a huge difference but as you stated they just head for the ceiling. My next plan is to put Tanglefoot in every crack possible. If the chickens were to try it out, I don't think they'd do it twice. It's all natural so it shouldn't hurt them anyhow. I've used it on the rim of potted plants to keep certain pest in check and I think it will work wonderfully in a mite war scenario..hahaha


Great thread everyone! One thing I've not seen mentioned is exactly how ivermectin works against mites? Basically I'm curious how long it protects the birds.

 

[guard41]

@MuddyFeathers

Ive had them before but due to the hot weather in England they have doubled!

The sheds were covered in them and the hens had some on their bodies.

I looked at them under the microscope and found that mine had come from Africa. They hitched a ride on the back of some bird migrating then infested wood pigeons who regularly land in my garden to eat the corn. The mites fell into the corn where my hens picked them up my neighbor who doesn't have hens had his shed roof removed and a metal one fitted instead. He also had a tree cut down where the wood pigeons would sit. This tree over lapped his shed so the mites fell on the shed and burrowed in the cracks and multiplied but they had no blood to drink! He wouldn't admit it!

The vet came out and confirmed everything I have told you in all my threads!

The hens look bedraggled and scruffy.

They become lethargic and do not eat.

They get this diarrhea which stains the back feathers.

They get black eyes lids that are half open near the end.

One of my hens tried to fight but the blood loss made her have a heart attack while running up to greet my daughter!

I had this before and knew what to look out for but my retarded brain didn't click quick enough. My 3 best hens and pets died because I'm a dullard lazy git!


Get yourself a cheap microscope and then get some clear sellotape and collect some mites in it then stick more sellotape over them ceiling them in and put them under the scope then Google mites!

When they are grey they have not fed, when red they have fed.

My pet kune kune pig has not stopped scratching. Hes not got any mites on him as he was treated with the pig version of Ivermectin which is Doramectin which they use for cattle! Ive had to rub calamine lotion on his body. I think the mites have caused a skin reaction on him but they have not bitten him.

Last year a bantam got in the house and sat in the laundry basket, The next day there was millions of the red mites in our clothes. We put them in the dustbin and sprayed the washing machine and laundry basket down.

So far today 21-06-2014 all mites have been exterminated and all remaining hens have put weight back on and look healthy. I didn't burn the shed down like the vet said though. After all the poisons like I said in my other thread I have covered the floor with Diatomaceous Earth Powder and then saw dust on top of that but not put any where my piggy lives. Hes got some new clean carpet to lie on

Keep on top of it!

If the hens suddenly die then check to see if the pens are infested. Check the roof first then everywhere else and also the hens as they stay on the hens in the day but most mites will crawl back up into the shed hen house roof! Somebody on YouTube uses an oregano oil to kill them. Don't know if it works.

My conclusion is when I can afford it I will get plastic sheds and keep the hens in there. They can be cleaned with a hose pipe blasting water which would remove the mites easily when they come again but not on wood!

I'm off in the shower now, there is something crawling up my leg, goodbye and good luck..