Medicines

[Sono]

Ive had my original 6 Hens for about 4 years now and recently added 7 more young ones that are approximately 3 months. They have always been healthy, never looked or acted sick. I did have one of the original hens pass away recently ( unknown why )
My question is, should I give them any meds or vitamins and if so what ? Reason I ask is we are now in the country and not a city where we once were, we also have various wild animals as well as the neighbors chicks that come pecking around.... Just want to keep mine safe from all the cooties that may be around, ours are strictly egg producers. I hate the neighbors free range hens are always on my property , at first I was like ah cool when I seen 1 or 2 but now its like the whole damn flock is over here constantly scratching. I dont feed them as mine are contained. Its like the whole farm comes over, Hens , Turkeys, Ginnys...ect....

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Cleanliness is the best thing...keeping the litter changed out and picked up...then clean and plentiful nutritious food and water. Organic farmers (like my daughter and SIL), use field rotation to keep parasites down, but most of us backyarders have small acreage, so rotating your bark dust or pine shavings helps rotate the soil.

I like to put some apple cider vinegar (raw, with mother) in a non-metal waterer to help keep the water fresh and acidify their guts to strengthen their immune system (as recommended by my Vet Tech daughter).

I'm not crazy about the neighbor's chickens in the yard either. However, whatever illnesses they might have (other than parasites and bacteria, ie viruses) would travel on the wind, so you'd be exposed anyways. I would see if you can't somehow convince the neighbors to be more diligent (maybe a dog out in your yard might start to dissuade them)? Your greatest risk is from the neighbor chickens rather than wild life as most pathogens are species specific (Vet Tech daughter again).

I'll pass along a piece of advice I've gotten from a number of reputable breeders...keep clean...do regular checks...and keep the meds down to breed for sustainability. If an animal gets sick (other than parasites) cull it, unless you consider these pets. If you are breeding, it's best to simply eliminate weak genes and definitely the weak member of the flock who will forever be a vector for illness to the flock.

Since you've had chickens on this property for 4 years, you likely are starting to see some parasite build up, which is almost inevitable. FDA has made it harder to get good quality meds for parasite build up (which we'll discuss below). Herbs can hold down the numbers, for a time, but only for a time.

If you are still seeing fat, healthy, parasite free (no bugs, lice, mites at vents, no dirty vents), then you can go herbal. I recommend Molly's Herbals on her rotation schedule for chickens. It won't kill parasites, but it will flush them (into the ground, which will eventually build up). Otherwise my research shows making a crumb from pumpkin seeds, fresh garlic, and hot cayenne pepper, also helps flush internal parasites. Provide once a week. (Molly uses a different rotation...every 6 weeks for 3 days if I remember right...she uses a wormwood concoction.)

Once you begin to see signs (dirty vents, pale combs, skinniness, worm signs in poo, bugs at vents), then you need "real" meds. Be aware that you can have a substantial build up without a lot of signs...again because it is almost inevitable the longer you have poultry on your land due to the life cycles of the parasites using the soil and poo to perpetuate their numbers.

On the market we only have fenbendazole or ivermectin left for internal parasites. I like to use ivermectin as it is so easy to insure each bird gets the exact right dose plus it also addresses the common external parasite northern mite. Others like to use a fenbendazole mash for 3 days straight (using Safeguard goat wormer). The best plan is to alternate meds to prevent parasite resistance. You can find dosages by searching BYC.

For external parasites a periodic body check is recommended. Also do it at night with a flash light. Fast moving dark specks on the body will be northern fowl mites, which you will also see in the day time. They live on the bird. If they are absent in the day but in the coop building itself, (black and red small "bubbles" in crevices) then it is the notorious red roost mite which is harder to get rid of. Slower crawling straw colored bugs with white nits at feather base is lice.

To help prevent build up of external parasites, make sure to provide an ample dusting area of clean, dry dirt. You can add some fireplace ash and permethrin (pyrethrin is the natural form) and let them dust themselves. This goes a long way to hold down northern fowl mites and lice as well as regular coop maintenance and a sprinkling of poultry dust in the nest boxes.

If you see build up on the birds, then dust each bird with permethrin (pyrethrin) dust especially at vent and under wings (or you can "shake but not bake" by putting dust in a small garbage bag and placing bird in bag with head out, then shaking gently.) Another trick is to fill a nylon stocking with dust and "powder puffing" their vents and underwings. Be sure to wear a mask to prevent inhaling the dusting powder (though it won't drop you...I skip mask and hold my breath while I do it.) Some like to use a permethrin spray and spray bird and coop. For bad external parasites (NFM, some lice, scaly leg mite), use the Ivermectin...about 1/4 to 1/2 ml per average 5lb to 6lb bird (Ivermectin 5mg per ml). This will also address a number of common internal parasites as long as there is no resistance built up.

Skip the DE (diatomaceous earth). It is of questionable efficacy and is very harmful to lungs (both man and beast). It is ground up silicon from diatoms and breathing it causes silicosis.

If you have red roost mites (which feed at night but live in coop), you will have to really clean and spray the coop in every corner and crevice with permethrin spray. In severe infestations, you'll need to burn the coop down, they are THAT persistent. RRM can live for months between feedings. Thankfully, most of us don't deal with RRM but the pesky NFM.

That's an overview...cleanliness...checks...herbs to hold back....meds when needed....cull if an animal is truly sick unless pet.

My experiences and training,
LofMc

https://fiascofarm.com/herbs/wormer.htm

 

[Sono]

Cleanliness is the best thing...keeping the litter changed out and picked up...then clean and plentiful nutritious food and water. Organic farmers (like my daughter and SIL), use field rotation to keep parasites down, but most of us backyarders have small acreage, so rotating your bark dust or pine shavings helps rotate the soil.

I like to put some apple cider vinegar (raw, with mother) in a non-metal waterer to help keep the water fresh and acidify their guts to strengthen their immune system (as recommended by my Vet Tech daughter).

I'm not crazy about the neighbor's chickens in the yard either. However, whatever illnesses they might have (other than parasites and bacteria, ie viruses) would travel on the wind, so you'd be exposed anyways. I would see if you can't somehow convince the neighbors to be more diligent (maybe a dog out in your yard might start to dissuade them)? Your greatest risk is from the neighbor chickens rather than wild life as most pathogens are species specific (Vet Tech daughter again).

I'll pass along a piece of advice I've gotten from a number of reputable breeders...keep clean...do regular checks...and keep the meds down to breed for sustainability. If an animal gets sick (other than parasites) cull it, unless you consider these pets. If you are breeding, it's best to simply eliminate weak genes and definitely the weak member of the flock who will forever be a vector for illness to the flock.

Since you've had chickens on this property for 4 years, you likely are starting to see some parasite build up, which is almost inevitable. FDA has made it harder to get good quality meds for parasite build up (which we'll discuss below). Herbs can hold down the numbers, for a time, but only for a time.

If you are still seeing fat, healthy, parasite free (no bugs, lice, mites at vents, no dirty vents), then you can go herbal. I recommend Molly's Herbals on her rotation schedule for chickens. It won't kill parasites, but it will flush them (into the ground, which will eventually build up). Otherwise my research shows making a crumb from pumpkin seeds, fresh garlic, and hot cayenne pepper, also helps flush internal parasites. Provide once a week. (Molly uses a different rotation...every 6 weeks for 3 days if I remember right...she uses a wormwood concoction.)

Once you begin to see signs (dirty vents, pale combs, skinniness, worm signs in poo, bugs at vents), then you need "real" meds. Be aware that you can have a substantial build up without a lot of signs...again because it is almost inevitable the longer you have poultry on your land due to the life cycles of the parasites using the soil and poo to perpetuate their numbers.

On the market we only have fenbendazole or ivermectin left for internal parasites. I like to use ivermectin as it is so easy to insure each bird gets the exact right dose plus it also addresses the common external parasite northern mite. Others like to use a fenbendazole mash for 3 days straight (using Safeguard goat wormer). The best plan is to alternate meds to prevent parasite resistance. You can find dosages by searching BYC.

For external parasites a periodic body check is recommended. Also do it at night with a flash light. Fast moving dark specks on the body will be northern fowl mites, which you will also see in the day time. They live on the bird. If they are absent in the day but in the coop building itself, (black and red small "bubbles" in crevices) then it is the notorious red roost mite which is harder to get rid of. Slower crawling straw colored bugs with white nits at feather base is lice.

To help prevent build up of external parasites, make sure to provide an ample dusting area of clean, dry dirt. You can add some fireplace ash and permethrin (pyrethrin is the natural form) and let them dust themselves. This goes a long way to hold down northern fowl mites and lice as well as regular coop maintenance and a sprinkling of poultry dust in the nest boxes.

If you see build up on the birds, then dust each bird with permethrin (pyrethrin) dust especially at vent and under wings (or you can "shake but not bake" by putting dust in a small garbage bag and placing bird in bag with head out, then shaking gently.) Another trick is to fill a nylon stocking with dust and "powder puffing" their vents and underwings. Be sure to wear a mask to prevent inhaling the dusting powder (though it won't drop you...I skip mask and hold my breath while I do it.) Some like to use a permethrin spray and spray bird and coop. For bad external parasites (NFM, some lice, scaly leg mite), use the Ivermectin...about 1/4 to 1/2 ml per average 5lb to 6lb bird (Ivermectin 5mg per ml). This will also address a number of common internal parasites as long as there is no resistance built up.

Skip the DE (diatomaceous earth). It is of questionable efficacy and is very harmful to lungs (both man and beast). It is ground up silicon from diatoms and breathing it causes silicosis.

If you have red roost mites (which feed at night but live in coop), you will have to really clean and spray the coop in every corner and crevice with permethrin spray. In severe infestations, you'll need to burn the coop down, they are THAT persistent. RRM can live for months between feedings. Thankfully, most of us don't deal with RRM but the pesky NFM.

That's an overview...cleanliness...checks...herbs to hold back....meds when needed....cull if an animal is truly sick unless pet.

My experiences and training,
LofMc

https://fiascofarm.com/herbs/wormer.htm

Ive only had them on this property a tad over a year... 3 years at the old house. Im always adding and changing the bedding so the coop/run is really clean amazingly and once the larger coop/run is finished it will be much more tidy. My daughter is a Vet tech as well but she has also done lots of surgeries as her Boss wanted to promote her as a full on Vet. ( She is debating it still ) as she iscurrently working for a Dental office for better pay, cant blame her LOL But for the most part my girls are all safe and healthy, I was just wondering as I never really give them much more than top of the line feeds, treats and scratch, occasionally Watermellon and other fruits/veggies scraps and dried critters with vitamins. Everyone loves the eggs and they are rather large too !