Parasites! If you can easily get an upset tummy don't click this!

[aart]

Agree to disagree, offer your opinion as just that, and move on.

Problem with that is.....birds can die of worms without proper treatment.

But I guess that is 'natural' in a way.

 

[centrarchid]

I actually did try DE on ants (like you, I bought a bag (small) of it when I first got chickens, because I thought it was a great idea... and then I didn't know what to do with it). Had a colony of ants in my wood chip pile, dumped the entire amount of DE on it and the ants did disappear.

Of course they could've just moved somewhere else in the yard, but at least they vacated the wood chips. Or maybe it's the sheer amount of DE I dumped that basically suffocated them, who knows.

Trial duration too short for DE. It may have been very effective on larvae and possibly pupae in brood chambers after workers tracked it in. You would have to watch colony longer to see effects of recruitment failure. DE could also reduce longevity of adults from the usual months to sometimes years they are capable of living. Anything that increases mortality / decreases effective lifespan can over time eliminate the problem. Many pest management tools take a little time to act.

 

[Trisseh]

Problem with that is.....birds can die of worms without proper treatment.

But I guess that is 'natural' in a way.

Oh believe me, I know. I deal with these kinds of scenarios on the daily and if someone is set in what they want to do, there’s no way to convince them otherwise. Doesn’t seem to matter that I’m giving them the information from the vet, who has the knowledge and the education.

I definitely snort-laughed at the “natural” comment.

 

[aart]

Doesn’t seem to matter that I’m giving them the information from the vet, who has the knowledge and the education.

That's not always a guarantee.
Recency read here of a vet that prescribed DE for worms.

 

[Trisseh]

That's not always a guarantee.
Recency read here of a vet that prescribed DE for worms.

That is a very good point.

Obviously can’t speak for all vets, haha, but mine is a staunch supporter of using science based, well documented treatments. he’s the one who told me he gives the calves DE to keep them off the manure on the wall, not because it does anything to the parasites.
But I guess there are some out there...

 

[rosemarythyme]

Trial duration too short for DE. It may have been very effective on larvae and possibly pupae in brood chambers after workers tracked it in. You would have to watch colony longer to see effects of recruitment failure. DE could also reduce longevity of adults from the usual months to sometimes years they are capable of living. Anything that increases mortality / decreases effective lifespan can over time eliminate the problem. Many pest management tools take a little time to act.

Well that was fine with me, as I had stuck my bedding fork straight into the nest without knowing and unearthed a bunch of pupae along attendant workers.

Either way we have not had ants in the wood chips since then (a few years ago), so it was a good way to use up the DE I had.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Problem with that is.....birds can die of worms without proper treatment.

But I guess that is 'natural' in a way.

That's one way to breed a hardier flock: full swing "survival of the fittest". I learn toward more holistic methods (I'm still a newbie), but I also don't shy from medicine if and when it's needed. I don't plan to routinely do any medication (I know some prefer routinely deworming) because I've heard it can build resistance. My sister dabbled in goats for a while and it sounded like one of the big debates: to routinely deworm or just as needed.

 

[dawg53]

That's one way to breed a hardier flock: full swing "survival of the fittest". I learn toward more holistic methods (I'm still a newbie), but I also don't shy from medicine if and when it's needed. I don't plan to routinely do any medication (I know some prefer routinely deworming) because I've heard it can build resistance. My sister dabbled in goats for a while and it sounded like one of the big debates: to routinely deworm or just as needed.

You're in southern Mississippi where your soil is warm and moist/wet most of the time...worm soup. I recommend that you set up a routine worming schedule. There's plenty of available wormers to use to keep your birds healthy.

 

[MIgardengal]

I'm curious what did farmers do for worms/parasites in the "old days"? Obviously many of the breeds we have now were developed in the late 1800s early 1900s. And I doubt some of these chemicals were available then?

I like growing produce the natural way, -where possible- using pest management products found in nature. I'm not a chicken expert by any stretch. But when it comes to organic gardening at least, there are options for ridding pests in a way that's non toxic for the environment.

A few natural possibilities? I would love any input on if anyone has tried these!

-Neem oil has been used as a natural pesticide in India for centuries. Its popular in organic gardening. It kills human lice, and also kills spider mites... so based on this I have been treating my hens with it every month. I put 1/2 T on their neck, then additional on their combs, legs and under wings. It gives them a funky smell, but after they preen it through a bonus is glossy shiny feathers and conditioned comb!

Not sure if its safe for chickens, but I have done several missions (Nicaragua, Ecuador, Honduras, Nigeria) we were told its not "if" we were going to get parasites its "when" we were going to get them. And medical supplies can be in short supply in some of these places.

-We were told to eat papaya seeds (they taste like toxic waste!) when I started to have issues, it did seem to clear it up.
-On my next mission I got wise and prepared knowing I would "get" a bug no matter how safe I tried to be. So I brought Grapefruit seed extract. I put it in my water every day, and I never got any nasty's.

Maybe these could be used for chickens as well?

 

[MIgardengal]

Also just another little interesting tidbit (again based on what I know about organic gardening...I work for a green house)

And because I use Pyrethrum often in organic gardening...
Someone mentioned using Permethrin to treat their chickens on page 3...

The main difference between these two insecticides is that permethrin is a synthetic chemical made in laboratories while pyrethrum is a completely natural substance acquired from chrysanthemums. Permethrin and other pyrethroid insecticides are a modified form of pyrethrum. The effects of both pesticides are quite similar, but, as permethrin is synthetic, it is more stable and effective when exposed to sunlight. For this reason, synthetic permethrin is used in agriculture more often than pyrethrum to protect crops from unwanted insects. Altogether, the main difference between permethrin and pyrethrum is the way they are produced. One comes from flowers while the other is synthetically manufactured in laboratories and persists longer in the environment.