Scared to worm my silkies - do you?

[gritsar]

I wormed both of my flocks last night - the adult flock because it was time for their yearly worming and the juvenile flock because I had some concerns about gapeworm. I use valbazen (albendazole) to worm.
We do the wormings at night because I've found that to be easiest. Just pick them up off the roost, dose them and return them to the roost.
The two sets of birds that we didn't worm last night were my two silkies and the meat birds. I plan to do them today, but now I'm having doubts about worming the silkies. They are so tiny!
So my question is twofold. Is it safe to worm tiny silkies? (I don't know their actual weight, but could do that today) And, is it okay not to worm them when the rest of the flock is being wormed? I don't want the silkies to re-infest the others if they do indeed have gapeworms. I'm not seeing any evidence of worms in the silkies.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

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[gritsar]

Quote:
Thanks. I don't have any eprinex on hand and it's very expensive, but I could ask my cattle farmer neighbor for some.

 

[dawg53]

gritsar. I know I recommended regular dosage last evening (1/2 cc valbazen.) Why dont you dose them as you were alluding to...1/4cc for bantams...cut the 1/4 in half and give it to your silkies, you can even cut that dosage down if you wish. It's really up to you. If it were me and were really worried and not sure if they have gapes or not...I'd give them half of the 1/4cc, for the health and well being for the silkies and of ALL your chickens and piece of mind for yourself.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Thanks Dawg, I really appreciate your input.

That's kinda what I was tossing around in my mind, dose them with an 1/8 of a cc for now. At least till they get a bit bigger. Say, three months from now, I could worm them again with a higher (1/4 or 1/2 cc) dose.

I worry way too much about these silkies.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Thanks Dawg, I really appreciate your input.

That's kinda what I was tossing around in my mind, dose them with an 1/8 of a cc for now. At least till they get a bit bigger. Say, three months from now, I could worm them again with a higher (1/4 or 1/2 cc) dose.

I worry way too much about these silkies.

I understand and dont blame you. I dont know how often you worm your chickens, but I think within 6 months for the silkies...I'd only increase it to 1/4cc. Dont worry, it'll all work out.

 

[gritsar]

I've been worming my adult flock since they were seven months old, once a year. I wouldn't have wormed the juvenile flock this young if it wasn't for my concern about the gapeworm. Unfortunately no poultry vets around here, but I do have a neighbor that has worked in every department of Tyson for the past 30 years or so. He didn't think my diagnosis was unreasonable, thus they got wormed.
I'll do the silkies and the (non-edible

) meaties this evening.