Need help solving mystery quickly!

[andreanar]

Please don't rely on acv and pumpkin to kill their worms. Just get a worm medicine please, you;ll end up losing your whole flock.

 

[Kusanar]

Please don't rely on acv and pumpkin to kill their worms. Just get a worm medicine please, you;ll end up losing your whole flock.

I agree, if you don't have a heavy worm load, you can use the pumpkin seeds to control the load you have and keep from getting MORE, but right now, the OP needs to drop the worm load and probably needs to drop it quite a bit. Pumpkin seeds won't cut it, or at least not fast enough.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

So which wormer do you all recommend that kills the most species of worms?

Do you sell your eggs at market (likely farm to consumer direct)? With only 45 hens you are well under the limit for required FDA regulation reporting. That does give you a little more latitude, however the FDA has also made it pretty impossible to get wormers over the counter now with the new 2017 regs. It also means if any residue is found in a consumer egg, you could be responsible for penalties.

If they are for personal use, no worries. You'll have to go to 'off label" wormers.

I am a fan of herbal methods, but they only help hold down worms. They don't kill worm loads. If you have an infestation that is causing death, your load build up is too heavy for herbals.

The FDA expects you to go to a vet and get a script, but for those who cannot afford to do so or do not have a poultry vet available, you must resort to over the counter meds. Since the 2017 crack down, that has become "off label" use of medications that once were on label for chickens.

Of the stuff you can use off label, fenbendazole (Safeguard) generally hits most of the types. You can find that as a goat wormer. I believe it is given 3 consecutive days in the water. Be sure to stir the water as it settles.

Wazine will only address round worms. It is a water additive. Not recommended as it is so limited in effectiveness.

If you suspicion tape worm, those are really hard to get rid of. Generally you'll need praziquantal which can be found in Zymecterin Gold horse paste (pea size given to each bird). That also includes Ivermectin which does a good job with external parasites like Northern Fowl Mite.

Generally you treat, then treat again in 7 to 10 days. Safeguard is given in 3 consecutive days. Toss eggs (or consume privately) for 10 to 14 days after last treatment (which can mean a month). It's not so much that the eggs are harmful to eat, as many of these meds are used in humans (though some could be sensitive), but you don't want any traces if you sell them.

I'll link a FARAD small flock witholding suggestion chart for poultry and off label use below.

LofMc

https://vet.osu.edu/sites/vet.osu.edu/files/documents/extension/Egg residue considerations during the treatment of backyard poultry 2015.pdf

 

[Kendrasueh]

Do you sell your eggs at market (likely farm to consumer direct)? With only 45 hens you are well under the limit for required FDA regulation reporting. That does give you a little more latitude, however the FDA has also made it pretty impossible to get wormers over the counter now with the new 2017 regs. It also means if any residue is found in a consumer egg, you could be responsible for penalties.

If they are for personal use, no worries. You'll have to go to 'off label" wormers.

I am a fan of herbal methods, but they only help hold down worms. They don't kill worm loads. If you have an infestation that is causing death, your load build up is too heavy for herbals.

The FDA expects you to go to a vet and get a script, but for those who cannot afford to do so or do not have a poultry vet available, you must resort to over the counter meds. Since the 2017 crack down, that has become "off label" use of medications that once were on label for chickens.

Of the stuff you can use off label, fenbendazole (Safeguard) generally hits most of the types. You can find that as a goat wormer. I believe it is given 3 consecutive days in the water. Be sure to stir the water as it settles.

Wazine will only address round worms. It is a water additive. Not recommended as it is so limited in effectiveness.

If you suspicion tape worm, those are really hard to get rid of. Generally you'll need praziquantal which can be found in Zymecterin Gold horse paste (pea size given to each bird). That also includes Ivermectin which does a good job with external parasites like Northern Fowl Mite.

Generally you treat, then treat again in 7 to 10 days. Safeguard is given in 3 consecutive days. Toss eggs (or consume privately) for 10 to 14 days after last treatment (which can mean a month). It's not so much that the eggs are harmful to eat, as many of these meds are used in humans (though some could be sensitive), but you don't want any traces if you sell them.

I'll link a FARAD small flock witholding suggestion chart for poultry and off label use below.

LofMc

https://vet.osu.edu/sites/vet.osu.edu/files/documents/extension/Egg residue considerations during the treatment of backyard poultry 2015.pdf

Thanks so much!!! Headed to town as we speak. How does one get paste horse wormer down 45 chickens??

 

[Kendrasueh]

Do you have any suggestions on which wormer I should go with. I have no idea whether they are tapeworms or round worms or…How long do I have to wait in between worming’s in chickens between different kinds of wormers and between same kinds of wormers. I know this is a whole course in chicken worming in college I’m sure

 

[Tlmcq]

Thanks Tom a! I’ll try these . What is “mother”

The bottle will say with the mother on side, Bragg's is a name brand, but some places have a store brand just make sure it's raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized. Here's a pic of Bragg's and you put a splash in their water with a garlic clove.

 

[theuglychick]

One at a time, on a small treat, or one at a time putting it down in their throats.

I dewormed with valbazen every 6 months and I dewormed between 25-30 birds by myself. It's not as bad as it seems.

I wait til they roost, go in with a head lamp, take them off one by one, gently flip the on their back (this is important, as they will flail about and pull their heads away if you don't hold them on their back)hold their head in one hand, gently pull their wattles open to open their mouths, place syringe back in the throat across the tongue, then quickly squirt it in there. Then all done!

Thanks so much!!! Headed to town as we speak. How does one get paste horse wormer down 45 chickens??

 

[theuglychick]

I order a box of 1 cc syringes and have the syringes all made up before I go in, one for each bird.

 

[Tlmcq]

http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/04/pumpkin-soup-nasturtiums-natural.html?m=1 here's another link if you decide to go natural route

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks so much!!! Headed to town as we speak. How does one get paste horse wormer down 45 chickens??

That's why the water wormers are nice. You put it in the water and let that be the only water to drink. Change daily to keep med fresh. If using Safeguard, stir regularly. (The bottom feed water container works better than a bowl type for that).

If you go with a paste, put it in a treat and feed one at a time. (Agree..that's a pain with that many birds).

Sadly you used to be able to get pellet type de-wormers that you simply added to the feed, but the FDA took those away in 2017.

So you are left with off label. Try to find Safeguard or Valbazen water additives if you can. Water type feeders are less accurate, as the best application is individually per bird, but in in larger flocks, it can make the chore much easier.

I highly recommend you do not attempt herbals at this point. Again, they can help reduce the number of times you worm, but they do not hold off eventual worm loads unless you can actively and regularly rotate your field. (Organic farmers, like my SIL, use chicken tractors that they rotate through the fields as they use the herbals to keep the loads down. But in a small field holding...like most of us here on BYC.. you simply have to begin to use meds at some point or when you begin to see losses.)