Help with Deworming Chickens

[casportpony]

I forgot to say that given the picture you posted, and the description of the worm that I would bet money that you are correct and it is a large roundworm.

Also wanted to say that your flock looks very good and I would have no hesitation worming them if they were mine.

 

[tuesdaylove]

I forgot to say that given the picture you posted, and the description of the worm that I would bet money that you are correct and it is a large roundworm.

Also wanted to say that your flock looks very good and I would have no hesitation worming them if they were mine.

Thank you so much! I was pretty worried about deworming them at first but you've given me some peace of mind.

 

[casportpony]

Thank you so much! I was pretty worried about deworming them at first but you've given me some peace of mind.

Fear not, Safeguard is very safe. Vets have told me to use the amount I suggested on some very sick birds and those birds were fine.

Keep in mind that your tube of paste will not treat that many birds. You might be thinking it treats a horse, so it should treat lots of chickens, but the horse dose is 1/10th the bird dose.

 

[tuesdaylove]

Fear not, Safeguard is very safe. Vets have told me to use the amount I suggested on some very sick birds and those birds were fine.

Keep in mind that your tube of paste will not treat that many birds. You might be thinking it treats a horse, so it should treat lots of chickens, but the horse dose is 1/10th the bird dose.

I haven't measured it out yet, but I'm thinking it should be enough at least for the first treatment. I've got the wormy flock of five standard birds, and the other six are bantams.

Just thought of another question: the pullets aren't laying yet, but I know they could start in a month or so. Will it be okay to eat their eggs by then?

 

[casportpony]

Okay to eat eggs two weeks after last dose.

 

[tuesdaylove]

First deworming is done. It was much more chaotic than I planned. I took the scale out and I had a syringe to measure, I squirted the paste into the syringe, and had a heck of a time getting their beaks open, even with a friend holding them still. They also wouldn't stay on the scale whatsoever so I treated them as if they were two pounds each. They shook their heads a lot while they were receiving the paste so I have no idea how much actually got into each bird's mouth. I guess I'll keep an eye on their poop and see what comes out, and repeat the dose later.

 

[Kiki]

Did you get a "good" weight on at least one of them?
Under dosing is almost as bad as not worming at all.

 

[tuesdaylove]

Did you get a "good" weight on at least one of them?
Under dosing is almost as bad as not worming at all.

The one I could manage to get on the scale showed around two pounds, but she was jumping and I don't know if all her weight was on there. They feel very light, though.

 

[Kiki]

Next time you can squirt the meds on a small piece of bread and see if they will eat it instead of having to force it, but do it where you know who gets what.
Have them all in the coop and take one out at a time and dose it them release to the run and grab the next.

 

[casportpony]

A banty Cochin weighs about two pounds. Silkies too I think.