Homemade Verm-X (and natural chicken ways?)

[RubyLady]

Very interesting and I'd love to have your recipe.

I'm a fan of natural remedies and preventatives, but like you, I'll dose them up on drugs when it's needed!

It's probably hard to see on the jar I posted a pic of but it's just a mix of garlic powder, mint, thyme, ground pumpkin seeds in the shell, slippery elm bark powder, dried powdered stinging nettle, and a touch of food grade diatomaceous earth.

I got those ingredients from what's in Verm-X and I had them already because I use and gather wild plants and medicinal plants and herbs.

In the end, there was nothing wrong with my chicken. She started laying again two weeks later. It was really hot and she was just taking a break I guess, which my chicken friend said they do.

 

[Chicalina]

Did you just guess the proportions?

 

[RubyLady]

Did you just guess the proportions?

Pretty much. Ingredients are given in the most used to least used order, but my experience with the ingredients also contributed. I only had some dried pumpkin seeds so that was that. Garlic is a known vermifuge so there is a lot in there. Slippery elm bark is like a bandaid for the human intestinal system and I would guess chickens and other animals. It has a beneficial effect on intestinal linings in most animals. So my guess is that it's in there to make the environment less interesting to parasites as it creates a stronger lining. Thyme and mint oils (within the plant - you don't use actual oils) are vermifuges as is DE. But I used very little DE because, although it is used as a pet wormer, if it's sprinkled, it can get in the air and inhalation is not good for the lungs. It tears up lung tissue. So sometimes I add a little extra of just DE separately and wet the food down slightly. I just use it periodically for some extra help to the system. I don't think anyone should be eating a lot of wormer whether natural or not.

 

[Chicalina]

really interesting thank you.

 

[Marie2020]

Is Verm-X a de-wormer?

I think it is more of preventative.

 

[dawg53]

I think it is more of preventative.

Nope, not even a preventative.

 

[Marie2020]

Nope, not even a preventative.

It was sold to me as a preventive

 

[dawg53]

It was sold to me as a preventive

I'm sorry. VermX doesnt prevent worms. It DOES prevent you from spending your hard earned money on real wormers such as Safeguard, Valbazen or Levamisole.

 

[RubyLady]

I think it is more of preventative.

Some of the ingredients would support the animal building healthy strong intestinal tissue, but most of the ingredients are known vermifuges. Which means they can rid the animal of worms, but I wouldn't use it in a full-blown infestation. Well, I would, but in addition to something like Safeguard.

That said, parasites, like bacteria and viruses, are always present in any carbon-based life form, so taking it as a preventative just means using natural means to help the body rid itself of eggs and tiny parasites before they take hold and cause a greater problem.

It can be preventative but in that light is also a de-wormer.

But it's like any natural (or synthetic) medicine. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. All medicines have their beginning in nature. There is nothing else to draw from to make medicines. Once the chemicals are isolated, they may be synthetically produced later, but it would be a little silly to say a natural item can't help a chicken get rid of worms.

But I do believe that if I saw worms in my chickens despite having tried to prevent them with natural foods, like garlic, I would use the homemade Verm-X as a support to Safeguard to ensure the whole thing comes to a quick end and doesn't keep spreading.

Yes, I still mix it in their feed once a week as a preventative AND natural vermifuge to prevent a large infestation.

 

[RubyLady]

It was sold to me as a preventive

I can work as a preventative. Animals always have some parasites and non-beneficial microbes all the time, but the system is generally able to combat them. Verm-X - well, I don't know how they prepare the plant material so I can't vouch for the actual product, but I am speaking to the ingredients - contains KNOWN and PROVEN vermifuges.

I would use it as a preventative and see how it goes. It certainly can't hurt your chickens.