Pine tar and brittle feathers

[HillsideEstate]

Albendazole is 14 day withdrawal from last dose. The recommended dosage for chickens is .08 cc/ml per pound of bird, so an 7 lb bird will get .54 cc, an 8 lb. bird will get .64 cc, etc.

It has been below freezing since I started this thread so I haven't been able to use the permectrin II on the birds and coop as was suggested earlier but I did dust them heavily with sevin. I didn't see any new nits, but saw the old ones we tried to suffocate with coconut oil.

However, I am seeing more and more bare butts and poopy butts. Also they just seem generally dreary and our biggest girl was the worst. So I have decided to halt the egg consumption and de-worm. So I did a mock run to see if I could do hold them the right way and open their beaks to administer and it wasn't pretty. I am afraid the medicine will go in their breathing hole and I will drown them. Do you know of another successful but gradual option or do I need to man-up and try it?

I was thinking we were just dealing with the aftermath of an ectoparasite, but is it common to see both worms and lice concurrently? Do most folks work preventativly?

 

[HillsideEstate]

I know it's not indicated for poultry. It's a little chicken-keeper secret.

It's perfectly safe for poultry, as long as you follow the dosing instructions.

Dosage for standard size birds is 1/2cc given orally undiluted, 1/4cc for smaller birds. Repeat dosing in 10 days unless dealing with tapeworms (if tapeworms, you dose again in five days).

Valbazen kills all known types of worms that chickens can get. It slowly kills worms over several days preventing toxic dead worm overload that other wormers can't.

There is a 14-day withdrawal time, but I'm not sure if that means 14 days from first application or the last. @dawg53 might know.

Here is a handy little thread on giving a chicken liquid medicine. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/886914/how-to-give-a-chicken-liquid-medicine

You're doing great.

MrsB

Mrs B - I replied but I think I put this in the wrong spot. ..........

It has been below freezing since I started this thread so I haven't been able to use the permectrin II on the birds and coop as was suggested earlier but I did dust them heavily with sevin. I didn't see any new nits, but saw the old ones we tried to suffocate with coconut oil.

However, I am seeing more and more bare butts and poopy butts. Also they just seem generally dreary and our biggest girl was the worst. So I have decided to halt the egg consumption and de-worm. So I did a mock run to see if I could do hold them the right way and open their beaks to administer and it wasn't pretty. I am afraid the medicine will go in their breathing hole and I will drown them. Do you know of another successful but gradual option or do I need to man-up and try it?

I was thinking we were just dealing with the aftermath of an ectoparasite, but is it common to see both worms and lice concurrently? Do most folks work preventativly?

I called the closest store to our house because I am getting so worried and wanted to do something tonight, but they only had wazine and he couldn't tell me if it worked gradually or not and I do not want to hurt my ladies. They have been through so much already.

If the snow stops, I am going to worm tomorrow and will do what ever you say is best.

 

[Michael Apple]

It has been below freezing since I started this thread so I haven't been able to use the permectrin II on the birds and coop as was suggested earlier but I did dust them heavily with sevin. I didn't see any new nits, but saw the old ones we tried to suffocate with coconut oil.

However, I am seeing more and more bare butts and poopy butts. Also they just seem generally dreary and our biggest girl was the worst. So I have decided to halt the egg consumption and de-worm. So I did a mock run to see if I could do hold them the right way and open their beaks to administer and it wasn't pretty. I am afraid the medicine will go in their breathing hole and I will drown them. Do you know of another successful but gradual option or do I need to man-up and try it?

I was thinking we were just dealing with the aftermath of an ectoparasite, but is it common to see both worms and lice concurrently? Do most folks work preventativly?

When you syringe or tube feed a bird, stay to the left, facing the bird, and go past that middle hole (tracheal opening) like this picture demonstrates:

No rules with parasites. They are anarchists and opportunists. Ecto or endoparasites can be a problem at the same time. A weakened or stressed bird is a perfect victim for them. I clean out coops every 3-4 months, removing litter, disinfecting with Oxine, and using a residual premise spray. I have not seen lice, Northern fowl mites, red mites, etc. for many years using this routine. I've found myself having to deworm twice a year, and at times 3-4 times a year. I always deworm before breeding season and before moult in late fall/early Winter. Chickens can become very stressed during moult, so they need to be healthy.

 

[HillsideEstate]

UPDATE -
Hello all -
I wanted to let you know what we are doing here. I did dose with Valbezen and have been withdrawing eggs. I had a small syringe, but need to find one with a small tube on the end so I can really make sure to bypass the trachea. It was close a couple of times. But they have it! I haven't seen any white worms, but thought I saw something that looked like a regular reddish/brownish worm, but it disintegrated so easily it might have been something else mucousy.

I dusted with Sevin to cover my bases until it gets warmer and I can treat all girls and the coop with Permectrin II.

I ceased with the coconut oil just in case it was too tempting for them.

I also spied on them one night at roosting time. It didn't sound terrible, but it did sound a little rougher than the usual shuffling/moving to find the right spot. So I hung a sheet perpendicular to divide the 2 roosts in half. It helped a little. I am going to listen more and see if I might need to raise the lower roost. I bought the hardware am ready if needed.

I tried covering the bald spots with Iodine, but it looked reddish on my gals and I got worried they might peck since they are so sketchy already, so I re-covered the bald spots with Blu-Kote. I can't tell for sure if they are still breaking feathers or not, but if they are it is not enough to be super obvious.

So far I have seen a few girls that look like they have new feathers coming in on their saddles but then I also saw that 2 of those new feathers (one on each girl) were bloody. I re-sprayed and nothing since. Any ideas why that would happen?

I have not noticed any new feathers coming in near their vents (on the few that lost them their).

So, overall, no worse, thank goodness! And very possible that we are on the uphill swing.

I will keep you all posted, but want to thank you now for all of your amazing help and support!!
Kate

 

[Michael Apple]

So long as no feather picking/damage to tissue is going on, don't be concerned. The feathers will come in the next time they moult. A good moult supplement for feed is Avio-moult and a good one for water is Pre-Molt 100. With an average flock of 12 birds, a container should last a year. Large breeds, a roost 12-18" shouldn't be too high for birds with a nice 8" layer of shavings on the floor. Avoid shavings that have splinters. Eco-Flake is a brand I use which rarely has any splinters of wood in it. My experience has shown me that straw used instead of pine shavings breaks down fast, isn't absorbent, and harbors mites.

You may want to increase the size of the yard/coop, feed 17-18% layer ration, and give them more range time to alleviate boredom. Boredom and lack of quality protein increases the odds of feather picking besides lice/mites. Vicks vapo rub is also a product people use to repel feather picking.

 

[HillsideEstate]

Thanks!
My neighbor's dogs killed a couple of our chickens last year so we haven't been letting these new ones out as much. His dogs are free-range killers and the neighbor hasn't tried to keep them in. I am trying to get someone to put up an electric fence around the field so the girls can be free when we are home. But, in the meantime I am shopping around for a temporary electric fence if you have any suggestions

 

[Michael Apple]

Thanks!
My neighbor's dogs killed a couple of our chickens last year so we haven't been letting these new ones out as much. His dogs are free-range killers and the neighbor hasn't tried to keep them in. I am trying to get someone to put up an electric fence around the field so the girls can be free when we are home. But, in the meantime I am shopping around for a temporary electric fence if you have any suggestions

So long as they aren't flighty breeds, you might try some netting. I have used this netting for 5 or 6 years now and it definitely keeps the dogs out. My dog bumped his nose on it one day and wouldn't get near that yard for two weeks.
http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?species_id=6

 

[HillsideEstate]

So long as they aren't flighty breeds, you might try some netting. I have used this netting for 5 or 6 years now and it definitely keeps the dogs out. My dog bumped his nose on it one day and wouldn't get near that yard for two weeks.
http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?species_id=6

I will check it out. I have Barred Rocks, Black sex-links, and 2 aracaunas. I also just started reading the 70 pages of posts on feather picking and got terribly discouraged. I sat in the roost tonight and decided to raise the second perch. Even my littlest baby was pecking at the aracaunas. It seemed everyone wanted to be on the top. I will see what happens when they are equal height. This is torture on me!

Thanks for the link. I am heading there now.

 

[MrsBrooke]

I will check it out. I have Barred Rocks, Black sex-links, and 2 aracaunas. I also just started reading the 70 pages of posts on feather picking and got terribly discouraged. I sat in the roost tonight and decided to raise the second perch. Even my littlest baby was pecking at the aracaunas. It seemed everyone wanted to be on the top. I will see what happens when they are equal height. This is torture on me!

Thanks for the link. I am heading there now.

I feel like raising the roost to make it all the same height will relieve your chickens some.

MrsB

 

[HillsideEstate]

I feel like raising the roost to make it all the same height will relieve your chickens some.

MrsB

Thanks for your support. I am on page 59 of 70 of the 'feather picking' posts and want to cry. Some of those folks were dealing with it for years! Once I raise the roost, I will have literally tried everything I read about, except for fermented feed.