New Chicks :) I have MANY questions!

[kriket911]

Okie dokie...
So I have 2 mature White Silky Bantams (one rooster, one hen - they were supposed to be both hens lol...) but they're staying in one of my horse stalls at the big barn...
I got my shipment of 15 chicks from MurrayMcMurray Hatchery on July 7th 2014. Well it's July 26th 2014 and my chicks are beautiful! They are growing their juvenile plumage and they're loving their large coop - still under the heat lamp at night though... I'm not quite ready to take that away until they finish molting their down...

Anyways... When should I introduce the two adult bantams to the juvenile birds???

And when should I start preventative anthelmintic's? I'm pretty much deworming all my livestock every two months (miniature donkeys, miniature-nubian goats, etc...) and what is the BEST preventative measures to take with making sure these birds do not fall victim to parasites; internal and external.
I know about DE; I have a kitty-litter box in the coop that I've mixed diatomaceous earth and creek sand in and I leave that in with the new chicks so they have access to that. I've also been spraying the coop down with UltraShield EX Insecticide & Repellant and it says that it lasts a couple weeks -- that's what I spray my livestock with as fly spray so I don't have to do it everyday because they all hate it... but they don't mind oral deworming (well the goats do... but they're goats.)
I have also heard of mixing Garlic and Pumpkin flesh and leaving the pumpkin in the run or the coop as a natural anthelmintic and a good source of nutrients... And there is a produce called WAZINE at Tractor Supply that treats birds for internal parasites (I'd only use it if I saw worms, or as a biannual preventative -- I work at TSC so I know all their products lol But I don't know if they really WORK or not.)

Has anyone used WAZINE?

This is my first go with chickens... and they're already spoiled... brand new 8' x 5' chicken coop with gravity feeders... large run which I have fertilized and planted a clover / perennial blend deer plot in to add some much needed vegetation to prevent picking...
I've already got them on an organic, all natural crumble for chicks (Nature Wise), they get 1 hour of play time outside the coop for now because they're barely a month old but they're just learning to be chickens

I AM OPEN TO ANY AND ALL IDEAS! If you just have comments for a first time chicken owner... please don't be selfish




The breeds that I have are as follows...
- Golden Buff Orpingtons (3)
- Blue Andalusians (3)
- Barred Rock (1)
- Silver Leghorn (1)
- Columbian Wyandotte (1)
- Rose Combed Brown Leghorns (2)
- White Leghorn (1)
- White Silky Bantam (2)
- Welsummers (2)
- A Polish of some sort... it was my mystery rare chick from MMH (1)

If anyone is in the WNC area, I may be selling some of my chickens! They are all gorgeous with great personalities
I just don't want to over crowd the coops...

 

[Whittni]

1) When should I introduce the two adult bantams to the juvenile birds?
-The best time to introduce your birds is when they are approximately the same size as the birds they are being mixed in with. When you introduce them, do it threw a fence/cage for about a week then let them out together. You can expect pecking for another week while the birds establish a pecking order (basically who eats/roosts first).

2) When should I start preventative anthelmintics?
-You can start vaccinating your birds the day they hatch by feeding them medicated chick starter. You can dust your birds with "Poultry Dust" or DE every few months to rid of any external parasites. It sounds like you already know your stuff! An alternative measure is to provide ashes for them to take dust bathes in, sand works just as well. You can start dusting your birds when they are a few months old. Dewormer can be added to your flock's water every few months as well and it doesn't really matter when you start.


It sounds like you have a lovely variety of chickens and a nice coop for them don't forget pictures! They get big quick! Keep the forum updated on your chicken adventure and best of luck!

 

[Judy]

Wazine is the only wormer officially approved for poultry, but it only kills roundworms. PersonallyI wouldn't waste m money. The only sign of worms you are likely to see in the poop is the rice shaped segments they excrete if they get tapeworms. Otherwise, you need to have a vet or lab do a fecal smear, not an expensive test if they will do it for you. Or you can simply worm them routinely, maybe once or twice a year. Valbazen is a cattle wormer that kills all adult worms that infest chickens. It is given 0.5 ml to each bird (via dropper or on a scrap of bread) in 2 rounds 10 days apart as the second round is needed to kill eggs that have hatched. Safeguard is a goat wormer that gets all but tapes. Actually, if you see tape segments, they may need a hgher dose or more than 2 treatments. Most people do not start a worming program til they are about a year old.

And some people don't give commercial wormers at all. They use things like pumplin seeds, "natural worers," which may or may not cut down a bit on the populatio but wll not give a good kill. Of course it's possible that free range birds in certain areas eat plants that keep the population in check. In the end, we should each do our research and make our own choices. For me, I am comfortable with once a year with Valbazen, living as I do in what I nkow is "wormy soil" and in a worm-prone area, being on the wet and warm side.

Keep an eye out for lice and mites, too. Just check them periodically, or you may decide to sprinkle a bit of Sevin 5% garden dust around. (With DE, please be sure neither you or the chickens inhale it; it is highly irritating to the respiratory tract.)

If you do decide to sell some chickens, please list them in the Buy Sell Trade section of our forum.

I'll give you a few links that I hope you will find informative. Good luck!

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...r-crd-parasites-are-rampant/0_20#post_7474233

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...solated-rarely-moving-bird/0_20#post_13176194 (esp. post #7)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-i-wait-after-using-wazine/0_20#post_12410869

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...peworm-or-any-worms-really/0_20#post_11670181

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...rd-parasites-are-rampant/160_20#post_10149787 (post #167 has a great pic of tapeworm segments)