Pumpkin seeds for worming?

[speckledhen]

It's true that the curcurbit in the pumpkin seeds paralyzes the worm and they can expell it. It is more of a preventative type than something for a bad infestation, sort of keeps the worm load from becoming a health risk for the bird.

I always made soupy oatmeal, cooled it down with buttermilk and put chopped pumpkin seeds in it. They made it disappear in about 5 seconds flat. Now, the seeds are so expensive, as is the buttermilk, I rarely do it anymore.

 

[colebarnhart]

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illia, do you crush up the seeds 1st or just give them straight?

 

[colebarnhart]

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What do you do now instead, if anything?

 

[dawg53]

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Mix it in their feed, or cornbread! LOL

Dawg it seems like you do the deworming thing a lot (every 3 months vs 6), did you have a bad experience, do you do any of the pumkin seed/ red pepper flake things also? I just haven't done anything and wondering if I should and if so how should I go about it. But I don't see any signs that my chix have any issues, so was thinking abou the "natural" alternatives, if there is such a thing.

Our soil is warm and moist most of the year, condusive for worms. I've tried the organic stuff long ago; cayenne pepper, DE, pumpkin seeds.....they still got worms...lessons learned by experience. When chickens get worms, it weakens their immune system opening the door for many types of diseases. Then a simple worming issue turns into a complex problem especiallty if it's CRD.

 

[City Chicken Lady]

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Mix it in their feed, or cornbread! LOL

My daddy loved buttermilk and cornbread but I didn't know chickens did too!

 

[speckledhen]

Now, if I suspect an issue, I just worm them with invermectin or whatever I have on hand or can afford. I'd rather use Valbazen, but need to be able to buy some and it's more than twice the price of generic invermectin pour-on.

I never used to worm mine when I had one flock that free ranged regularly, but now that I have several and they are, of necessity, penned up more, I do worm them about once every 9-12 months. Penned birds are more susceptible to worms than free ranging birds.

 

[colebarnhart]

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Oh thanks, I thought it would be the other way around free range vs penned. Will invermectin and/or Valbazen kill all or at least most types of worms?

 

[speckledhen]

Valbazen kills every single worm a chicken can get. Invermectin kills most of them as well as lice/mites.

 

[City Chicken Lady]

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Is there ivermectin for chickens? I know you can use the one for horses on dogs.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Is there ivermectin for chickens?

Ivomec is Ivomec no matter what animal they put on the label

Injectable is the easiest to use and measure, and it can be given orally​