ivermectin for worms and mites?

[Granny Hatchet]

my chickens have leg mites for sure. poor things. i have never wormed them and i read that ivermectin can do both. i looked at the old posts but i dont know what to do. it is the paste. i know the amount, about the size of the flat end of a tooth pick. BUT, do i feed it to them or put it on their skin??? i cant see how one would treat the other.its either on their skin for mites or ate for worms? i give up!! someone please help

btw, i have 75, mostly bantams. a few large and a few guineas. i havnt seen anything on the guineas

 

[Judy]

Ivermectin has mostly become useless as a wormer for chickens, because of its overuse for mites and lice, which it does work on. However, for leg mites, they really need to be smothered with something like cooking oil. Some people use Vaseline, some use Pam, some use various salves, but the idea is to smother them. It's a good idea (although quite a project with 75!) to gently scrub their legs first with soapy water and a toothbrush.

Sorry, I don't know the dose or route for the paste.

 

[dawg53]

Ivermectin has mostly become useless as a wormer for chickens, because of its overuse for mites and lice, which it does work on. However, for leg mites, they really need to be smothered with something like cooking oil. Some people use Vaseline, some use Pam, some use various salves, but the idea is to smother them. It's a good idea (although quite a project with 75!) to gently scrub their legs first with soapy water and a toothbrush.

Sorry, I don't know the dose or route for the paste.

x2 Nu- Stock works really well.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

thank you both. so what i bought is useless? i havent seen worms i just thought because i have never giving any of my birds any sort of pesticide or wormer i would , so to speak, kill 2 birds with 1 stone. i brought the mites in from a tophatter someone gave me that is also very thin. and yes 75 is a lot to do. some have very thick feathers on their feet. pan of cooking oil and dunk them as i go??

 

[dawg53]

The ivermectin paste should help against the mites, might as well use it since you already have it. Dosage for a standard size chicken is a "pea" size amount given orally to each chicken. For smaller chickens, (bantams) a "small pea" size amount given orally to each chicken. I would still put some type of oil on their legs.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

thank you dawg, would the cooking oil work? be thick enough? they have a lot of feathers

 

[dawg53]

I realize they have feathered feet, it'll be time consuming and a pain. But here's what I would do: I'd soak their feet/legs in a container of warm epsom salts water for about 10 minutes. The warm water lifts and expands scales. This will help loosen the debris between scales. Use an old toothbrush and gently scrub their feet/legs while soaking. Remove the bird from the water and dry her feet and legs. Then dip her feet/legs in a container of cooking oil. Pat feet/legs with paper towels. You probably have to repeat this procedure two or three times a week until their feet are completely cleared up and healed. Apply a coating of cooking oil on their roosts, it doesnt have to be thick or applied heavily.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

oh boy, that will learn me !! i will use my husbands toothbrush, he will never miss it! lol think i will have to do a soak on mine after all that guess i better get busy.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hi granny! I have found that the oil products don't work so well. I've tried spray on olive oil and castor oil. I've found that Vicks vaporub is very effective. My second choice would be Vaseline with sulphur added and if all else fails, plain old Vaseline. I have 50+ birds and I simply don't have time to repeat applications.
Good luck ! It's a messy job, but the sooner you get started the better.

 

[dawg53]

oh boy, that will learn me !! i will use my husbands toothbrush, he will never miss it! lol think i will have to do a soak on mine after all that guess i better get busy.