Hi guys. I figured I would give a positive and uplifting update. First I made an error in my previous post. I did not give each bird 5 ml of ivermectin, it was .05 ml. BIIIIG difference! I did eventually get ahold of the ASPCA poison control and learned a lot.
First and foremost, the babies will be ok. They will have an upset belly and some diarrhea but that is all. .05 ml is still a high dose, too high but not high enough for serious side effects.
5 ml on the other hand would’ve likely led to death due to the poison hitting their neurological system. Poison control stated that would take anywhere from 48-72 hours to see serious side effects.
Though all chicken meds are used “off-brand” they were especially not fond of the ivermectinn pour on. They couldn’t go into much detail but I got the distinct impression that this is not a fan favorite when it comes to professionals. I for one, will not be using it again. The only thing recommended to me at home was to bathe the chickens with dawn dish soap and try to wash off as much of it as possible. Which is what I was doing at 1 am in my kitchen sink. So. Fun.
This is the ASPCA’s Poison Control number for anyone who might need it: 888-426-4435. It does cost $95 for an over the phone consultation but they were able to take the dosage, weight of the birds, etc.. and come back with very specific advice. They were knowledgeable and kind. Much kinder than the emergency vet I called who said “I’m not coming in, in the middle of the night, to babysit a bunch of chickens.” Understandable I guess, but still disheartening.
To address some of the comments above: I just dewormed them a few weeks ago with Fenbendazole so I’m not expecting a big worm count exodus. This (ivermectin) was because I suspected they had mites.
I do really wish, especially with the rise in backyard flocks that the FDA would approve dosages made specifically for chickens. It is incredibly stressful having to take medication advice through the grape vine as it were instead of from researched trials. I hope this changes in the future and a passionate vet writes a great chicken manual book.
In the meantime, thanks for your responses, support and understanding even as I recognize that this was my big screw up and could’ve ended much more seriously.