Newbie Question RE: Preventing Parasites

[PamB]

Hi Everyone! I am brand new to this forum. My first post!

Our family just got 12 silkie chicks that are about 2-3 weeks old! They are adorable. We are currently building a coop for them and I have a question (the first of many I am sure!)...Is there a product/products that I should apply/give to the silkies once they are moved to their coop to prevent parasites (i.e., mites, lice, worms)??

I appreciate any advice you have! Thanks!

Pam

 

[midget_farms]

mites are pretty common. I've found the best way to prevent them is with 'seven dust'. Its meant to be used on vegitables, but works great for chickens. Isn't toxic either. I've heard of them eating large amounts of it by accident & not having any ill effects.

Another way to prevent parasites is to protect the water & food from wild birds. Wild birds have worms & that is spread through droppings. If you hide the food inside the coop they won't be tempted to eat any - thus reducing the amount of wild bird droppings your chickens can get to.

If your birds do get mites - a little vaseline on the feet & legs will get rid of them. Worms have to be dealt with via medicine in their water. Neither treatment is invasive - but better to prevent.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
That is only true if you are dealing with scaly leg mites. I agree with regularly dusting them with poultry dust, you can also use diatemaceous earth in their bedding to keep external parasites under control. Deworming a couple of times a year with Ivermectin or Eprinex (no egg withdrawl with eprinex) will keep internal parasite loads to a minimum. If your birds go outide on dirt, they will get internal parasites, it's just the way it is. There is no surefire "preventative" but regular deworming cycles, and checking them often for external parasites will go a long way!

 

[Dar]

I use DE in the food to help prevent worms and i feed table scraps with garlic

I use DE in a dust bath to prevent lice/mites

i dust my nests to prevent critters there too

 

[Tigerjane]

Trying to keep everything as natural as possible, and I think I read on here about using pumpkin for deworming. How effective have you guys found feeding pumpkin to be for deworming purposes? How often should chickens be dusted with Sevin Dust, and how do you "dust" them?

I'm new too, thanks for the help!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I have to say that I'm not a big proponent of the "natural" method. If you think about it, we've bred the "natural" out of most domesticated animals a long time ago. Not to open a can or worms or anything, but it's kind of like feeding dogs a raw diet, or meat only diets - some can handle it fine, but some can't, the dogs just aren't "made" that way anymore. I've heard of using pumpkin, but I've never heard of it being proven to actually work.

 

[PamB]

How old should the chicks be before using the deworming solutions?

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I feed the medicated starter, and don't usually "deworm" with Eprinex until they are around 4 months old, which is usually about when I switch them to a different feed as well.

 

[PamB]

My chicks have been on the medicated starter also. So, when they are 4 months, I should use the dewormer as a preventative. How often do I do that? Every few months?

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I usually do it 3 times a year.