Ive never wormed my chickens

[Johnn]

I have kept chickens for 3 years and never wormed them i would liek to use something natural because i will only use chemicals if i know they have worms, so what natural stuff could i use and how much, i have 11 chickens and a rooster

 

[gritsar]

There are folks that swear by Verm-X: http://www.verm-xusa.com/

I'm not one of those folks. I can't find any long term study results that say without a doubt that the mixture of herbs and botanicals in verm-x kills worms.

I worm my chickens once a year using a medical grade wormer - albendazole (valbazen). Valbazen is also one of the most common wormers prescribed to humans that have worms.

I like being able to do it once a year, knowing it kills every type of worm chickens are known to be infested with and be done with it.

 

[nwfl]

yes, vermx is what a lot of people use. keep looking on interwebs. in fall i give my ladies all the pumpkin seeds they want for month or so. and after harvesting my pomegranates, seeding them, juicing, etc. i let skin rind dry, grind it and give it to the birds when i feed bowls of leftovers. pumpkin seeds, pomegranate rind, tansy seem to work for my birds. they are happy and productive. its a lot easier than chemicals for me. i used wazine twice at the urging of some old timers here, years ago. now i just say i worm my flock in the fall. . but i have been seriously considering ivermec for other parasites and bought a bottle thursday. good luck.

 

[Johnn]

I would use some of the stuff you mix in with feed but i dont see how you can make sure each chicken gets the right amount

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
IMO, that's the whole problem with verm-x, DE and even wazine (which is added to their water). You have no way to control how much or how little each bird gets.

 

[Johnn]

thats the reason i have never done it because i cant keep each hen seperate

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

I am interested in the responses to this thread- I have seen so mnay conflicting opinions on this topic that I am truly dazed and confused about worming at this point- Recently I wormed with Wazine in the waterer and then followed with Ivermectin injectible solution mixed into water- but I have also read that this might not work. Valzaben, while highly touted, is pricey and hard for me to justify for my 4 remaining hens.

I want something I can mix in water, that kills a broad assortment including tapes, gapes, and mites ,and that won't break the bank. I have been looking at SafeGuard because it is locally available at our TSC (my other local feed stores do not carry any meds at all), but again conflicting info- I can't mix into feed because my hens' consumption is so variable and I feel like I have to be a math whiz to figure out a dose for feed for 4 hens vs the available data for huge commercial flocks....

So I am bumping your thread hoping a worming expert will chime in and we can both get the info we need to be sure our flocks are worm free

Best wishes!

 

[Kickin' Chickin']

If you search for safeguard on here you will find the dosage, I simply put it in the water for 3 days, easy peasy.

 

[chefgian]

I raise my chickens strictly organic and found that if you put apple cider vinegar in their water, it takes care of it. I read this on one of the organic websites that I frequent. I add about an oz. of vinegar to each gallon of water.

 

[gritsar]

I have asked BYC's expert on worming to check in on this thread when he has time. Or, you could look up his username dawg53 in the emergencies and illness category to see what he recommends - valbazen.

Yes valbazen is expensive - I paid $35 for the last bottle I purchased - but if you check the expiration date on the bottle before purchasing, you can get a bottle that will last you for a few years. Or, if you have farming neighbors like I do, you can ask them for a syringe-full. That's what I have done in the past when I needed a medication that is also used in cattle. My neighbor is a cattle rancher and he doesn't mind at all, since the bottles of meds. he buys to treat his cows are huge, giving me a 10 cc syringe-full is just a drop in a bucket to him.

Through an internet search I once found a man in Alabama that was selling a "chicken wormer" in small bottles, maybe 30 cc's. I did a little more digging. Turns out he was buying large bottles of valbazen, dividing the valbazen up into small bottles and selling it for $30 a pop.

If you decide to go the valbazen route, www.jefferslivestock.com has a competitive price on it.