Homemade Verm-X (and natural chicken ways?)

[nuthatched]

I came across this feed in my search for vermx. I was thinking of making my own as well. I've made my own VetRx and saved a lot of money. How did you birds make out on your treatment?

Vetrx is essentially vicks rub for chickens, it doesn't cure or treat anything, it's really a waste of money to begin with.

 

[RubyLady]

I came across this feed in my search for vermx. I was thinking of making my own as well. I've made my own VetRx and saved a lot of money. How did you birds make out on your treatment?

Those hens ended up being fine at that time. I don't actually use it as regularly as I should, but I've never seen worms in their poo and none that we've butchered (roosters). I just use it as a weekly or even monthly dietary supplement as that's about all I can remember to use it. They don't like it much. They don't like most "additives" like garlic, acv, and oregano. So I sprinkle it in scrambled eggs because they're so greedy, I know they'll eat that. But if I sprinkle it in feed, I have no idea who is eating it and who isn't and what they're getting from it.

I figure this: my hens free-range a lot so they're getting what nature intends for them. Birds die easily once they get sick and you can treat and baby only so much once your flock gets big enough and your homestead busy enough that you can't treat every incident as if they were a pet.

That said, I have good vitamins, homemade herbal mixtures and salves, and such that I will use on my hens, and we'll bring an "iffy" chicken in the house to watch and treat for a few days. Luckily, we haven't had much problem, except what was probably Marek's. Lost 4 out of 5 young pullets to it. Now we treat them all for better resistance (Chinese skullcap - NOT to be confused with American skullcap), especially the young ones who have been in a separate coop area and were at an age to contract and die from it. Now they're old enough to integrate and be less likely to die from infection.

 

[Loving my girls]

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.

This is a terrific post with some amazing information which I will certainly put together. I have used verm x for years but as a new bottle has increased to silly money I have been looking for a natural alternative.
Thank you so much RubyLady for filling a brain gap