Peafowl Worming Routine

[bravevline]

I am soon getting new PeaChicks and need a good worming routine from an experienced owner, since I've heard that worming is a very good idea, and I don't want to lose any of these expensive birds. All information will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

[casportpony]

My vet told me to worm with fenbendazole 10% (Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste) at 50mg/kg by mouth and repeat in ten days, but since then, I've been doing some research and I think that 20mg/kg for three consecutive days might be better.

-Kathy

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6750887

Efficacy of fenbendazole against helminth parasites of poultry in Uganda.

Ssenyonga GS.

Abstract

Fenbendazole 4% (Panacur, Hoechst) administered in feed was used to treat chickens infected with Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum and Railletina spp. It was also used to treat Syngamus trachea in broiler birds. There was a marked drop in helminth egg counts in the faeces on the second day of treatment and the faeces became negative by the seventh day after the last treatment. Post-mortem examination 15 to 21 days later showed that the drug was 100% effective against Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum at 10 mg/kg. However, for complete removal of Railletina spp. 15 mg/kg was required. Similarly 20 mg/kg fenbendazole was effective against Syngamus trachea. It was concluded that fenbendazole is suitable for the treatment of the important intestinal and tracheal worms of poultry, a dose of 15 to 20 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days being recommended for use under field conditions.
PMID:
6750887
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

[casportpony]

Here is another link:
http://www.unitedpeafowlassociation.org/MoreonWormingandDisease.html

-Kathy

 

[Yoda]

Peafowl are usually wormed 2 times per year once in the spring and once in fall. I worm all my birds at once. First I use SafeGuard for goats liquid and I add 3cc/ml (I use a needleless syringe or a baby eye dropper with cc/ml on it) per gallon of water. For example I have 4 one gallon waterers so each will get 3 cc/ml added to the gallon of fresh water. I do this for 3 days making a new mixture each day. Make sure there is no other water available to them. After the 3rd day I wait 14 days and repeat. I also do a follow up using Ivermectin pour on for cattle 3 days after the last treatment of safe guard. I use the same eye dropper/syringe and squirt .5cc/ml on young birds and 1cc on adult directly on the skin at the base of neck. Don't have to worry if the feathers get wet cause about .5 -.75 will get absorbed in the feathers. You just want to be sure the bird gets about half the shout absorbed into the skin. That is what I do. Now other people who do not have alot of birds will catch each one and give the wormer orally down the throat. I don't like to stress out my birds so I perfer adding to the water methed. As long as the birds do not have any other water source to drink from then they will get enough wormer each day to be effective. I currently have almost 50 peas and lots of chickens, 3 guinea hens, 6 ducks, 2 geese and 2 emu in my large pen that get wormed the water way twice a year

 

[CarlisleCluck]

Could you tell me what exactly you are worming for? Is it a specific type of worm, or something that the peafowl catch from a specific source? I am brand new to this and have 3 peas under 5 months. Their temporary cage is getting too small and their new coop has not arrived yet...I think I have no choice but to put them in their bigger cage and they will be standing on grass. I still don't completely understand the danger. Are they going to eat their own poop - is that the problem? Is it bugs they will eat? I don't see myself able to calmly catch them, hold them and put medication down their throats. I have done it with chickens, but these peafowl aren't very cuddly! I really like the idea of putting the medication in the water. I was given a list of 3 medicines to use: Safeguard liquid for goats, corid powder for coccidia and metro (fish zone) for blackhead. I could not find the last one. Do I really need 3 different kinds? If so, in what order do you administer, how (in their water), how often, repeat? And to top it off, I have talked with people who don't worm. Aarrgghh...it is so confusing! Thank you!

 

[casportpony]

The worms I worry about most are cecal and capillary and those can be controlled with Safeguard. I don't put it in the water, 'cause I need to know that they are getting the amount needed to kill the worms, so mine get wormed by mouth.

Here is an interesting thread about blackhead:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/804570/coping-with-blackhead

If you're lucky, you'll never have to treat for blackhead, but if they do get sick with blackhead, you'll want to have metronidazole on hand or your birds might die while you wait for it to come in the mail. You can get it as without a prescription online as Fish-Zole (250mg tablets) or Meditrich (100mg tablets). IMNSHO, this must be given orally as it is not palatable and most animals will not drink if it's in the water.




Coccidiosis can kill very quickly, so it's a good idea to have a supply or Corid or Amprol.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Have there ever been chickens on your property? If not, you don't have to worry as much.

-Kathy

 

[CarlisleCluck]

I am placing an order today for "stuff" so this is very helpful. Do you find that different areas of the country have more problems than other areas with certain worms/illnesses? I see that most people worm twice a year (spring/summer)...should I wait until, say, September and worm my 3 or worm them now when I put them on the ground? Or wait a couple of weeks? They are roughly 4 months old, but not more than 5.

 

[CarlisleCluck]

Kathy-yes, I currently have chickens and have had chickens for 4-5 years. There were chickens on the property when we bought it 14 years ago, and as it was a "Homestead" begun back in 1830 I have to imagine there were chickens here for a long time during the past 170 years. Not sure how long any problems linger from chickens. My chickens have free-ranged over the entire yard for the entire 4-5 years and still do. The peafowl will be enclosed for now, and not "mingling" with the chickens for a while.

 

[casportpony]

I am placing an order today for "stuff" so this is very helpful. Do you find that different areas of the country have more problems than other areas with certain worms/illnesses?
I didn't have any issues with blackhead when we lived 10-15 miles north of here, so who knows, maybe?

I see that most people worm twice a year (spring/summer)...should I wait until, say,
The ones that were sick with blackhead got wormed probably every two months, but the adults were only wormed twice.

September and worm my 3 or worm them now when I put them on the ground? Or wait a couple of weeks? They are roughly 4 months old, but not more than 5.
That's a good question... 'cause in theory, they haven't touched the ground yet, so they don't have any worms. I honestly don't know the answer to that.

FYI, from what I know, they are never too young to be wormed, you just need to be able to give them an amount appropriate for their weight.

-Kathy