post your chicken coop pictures here!

[aart]

Need to correct my previous posts re Ivermectin paste wormer. It does not kill Tapeworm. However on a positive note from the research I managed to find Tapeworm is not a common occurrence with chickens.

I love Ivermectin for worming but also have read that wormers need to be rotated to stay effective. So after almost 3 years of using it on my hens I will consult with my vet for a rotation product. Then I can't wait to get back on rotation to use Ivermectin again as it is the easiest exact dosage wormer I have found. One reason I like it is because with other wormers that have to go in feeders/waterers some of my hens eat/drink a lot and others not so much so never know how much each hen has ingested for effective worming. But that's the breaks for chicken health maintenance.

As for "natural" or "organic" worming methods they are not as effective as commercial wormers to cover all parasites. Nothing is ever cut-and-dried easy with chickens - the more I learn the less I know LOL!

Are you worming whether or not your chickens actually have worms......or only worming when a fecal float shows it's needed?
What kind of egg withdrawal is there on the Ivermectin you use?

 

[JONNIEGIRL]

What is PDZ please?
thanks!!

 

[aart]

What is PDZ please?
thanks!!

advanced search>titles only>PDZ

it's the mineral zeolite can be mixed with clean sand for ease of sifting poops to absorb ammonia.

 

[Sylvester017]

Are you worming whether or not your chickens actually have worms......or only worming when a fecal float shows it's needed?
What kind of egg withdrawal is there on the Ivermectin you use?

Worming is on a regular schedule. I do 3x a year. Used to do only 2x a year but with so many wildlife birds coming into the yard they bring in all kinds of external and internal parasites. So, yes, we do a scheduled worming.

The fecal sample is for my own peace of mind whenever I take a bird to the vet and sometimes he suggests it before I ask. It runs me $35 plus $2.50 hazard disposal of sample. It's worth it to me at least once a year.

With most wormers it's recommended not to eat the eggs for 7 days but we go 2 weeks on the side of caution. We boil the eggs and feed them back to the wild birds - they really need it since they're the ones constantly bringing in the parasites! Even non-free-range chickens get exposed.

I'm doing a wormer rotation from Ivermectin next schedule. Always learning. Apparently wormers need to be rotated to stay effective at worming so I have to locate an alternative. Getting something effective that stays mixed in waterers or feeders is a challenge because you never know how much the chickens actually ingest and how much of the stuff sinks to the bottom where the chickens don't eat/drink. I'm looking for a direct oral wormer and have to do a little more research and vet consultation. There are so many opinions about what wormer brands to use that it will take me about a week to get it all straightened out. The only chicken-approved wormer is something that is mixed into the feed/water so I want to avoid that and find something directly dosaged either orally or on the skin.

Some owners use ACV or garlic water between treatments but these "natural" methods are not proven effective for serious worming though I guess they're ok as digestive aids. My chickens smell garlic and RUN! so that wouldn't work for me. My preference for digestive aids is Greek yogurt plain. The girls love it and it contains live cultures. Some owners feed Kefir to their girls. To each his own preferences.

 

[Aban]

They call it "Cluckingham Palace".... it still has a ways to go, but we are getting so excited to have it all done!! I would love all the suggestions that we can get!!

 

[Sylvester017]

They call it "Cluckingham Palace".... it still has a ways to go, but we are getting so excited to have it all done!! I would love all the suggestions that we can get!!

Is the crew working for money or pizza and beer! When can they come to MY place!

 

[Peggy O]

Finally got our coop in a box (well Ok, two boxes) put together. We set it on a home made frame of decking 2 x 4's...that has a skirt of 18 inch hardware cloth stapled to it's underside, buried in a trench. This weekend we'll be building the enlarged run, off the left side, and around the back. That will be 6 ft tall, 6 ft wide and we're not sure how long yet. Atleast 8 feet. Might go 10. It wil have a fence picket roof, on slant, just for shade. The coop is in full sun till the tree I planted to the right grows larger.

After we do the run, I have to get some sort of weather prooofing sealant for the coop. The website claims it is sealed with something, but I really don't think it was. Does anyone know what is OK to use? I am afraid the fumes will hurt them. (I will of course remove them when I do it).

I am REALLY having a hard time deciding who to keep. We plan to re home 2 of our chickens to a friend with a horse farm, where they will have lots of fun when they grow up.

 

[aart]

Quote: Seriously?!?!?? IMO it's incredibly irresponsible to indiscriminately medicate a wild animal.....
It's one thing to unnecessarily medicate your own animals (I don't think parasitic medication should be given if there no need for them and it seems you medicate before the fecals show any are needed) and possibly be creating resistant parasites.... but to extend that to wild animals....8-0(gobsmacked)

 

[Sylvester017]

Seriously?!?!?? IMO it's incredibly irresponsible to indiscriminately medicate a wild animal.....
It's one thing to unnecessarily medicate your own animals (I don't think parasitic medication should be given if there no need for them and it seems you medicate before the fecals show any are needed) and possibly be creating resistant parasites.... but to extend that to wild animals....8-0(gobsmacked)

Kindly sorry you feel that way but there aren't enough eggs to make a difference for the multitude of wild birds we get in the yard. As a turn-about they shouldn't be eating our organic chickens' feed either as it's formulated for layers and not wild birds. To each his own opinion.

Worming is a normal scheduled event if you have chickens just like preventative health maintenance from lice/mites/etc. Opinions fly and abound on any topic. If you choose not to do it, your choice.

 

[itstrist]

Is this a good coop for 2 bantam silkies? I will construct a completely enclosed run and better coop door if I get it. It is 8 in off ground
Main box is 24 in X 37 in
Laying boxes are 12 X 11in.