She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[Ravynscroft]

I worm as a precaution too, but we are really wet here naturally... if your area stays drier, probably no need to worm, but if you have lots of moisture then it's recommended to worm... better safe than sorry... also, usually by the time they show symptoms or have worms in their poo, it *might be* too late for them... if worms show up in poo then it's usually because the wormload is already to much for their system... not every time, but a lot...
Safeguard is great, Valbazen is better... lol... but choosing a wormer is also based on number of birds you have... I have a lot, so Safeguard is one I use, but Valbazen is easier to use... and I switch off... use one one time then the other the next...
The Z Gold may work just fine for you though... I do suggest asking Kathy directly as she knows more about the different active ingredients and their strengths... just make sure you include not just the active ingredient but what % it is per mg/ml, etc...

Just my 2 cents...

ETA: I use Ivermectin/Ivomec Pour On for external bugs... seems it's effectiveness for worming is questionable, but I've seen it wipe out feather lice quite well, lol...

 

[Ravynscroft]

Ok, yes, I'm going to keep a close eye on her and see if it heals, if not she'll just be a layer for eating (for eating eggs, not her, lol) Btw, the oxytetracycline has already made a big difference in the aspirated chick. He is running circles around all the others and he just seems generally healthier and happier already (may be just a coincidence, I don't know). I'm going to continue that for 7 days and then go from there.
ETA: Sorry, I had quoted you Ravyn, but I forgot to hit the quote and reply button before I responded... duh, lol

All good... I keep seeing posts and forgetting to respond... :/

Glad the other one is doing better... hope the eye issue clears up too... you did great considering the uphill battle you had with those eggs...

 

[meganhundley]

I worm as a precaution too, but we are really wet here naturally... if your area stays drier, probably no need to worm, but if you have lots of moisture then it's recommended to worm... better safe than sorry... also, usually by the time they show symptoms or have worms in their poo, it *might be* too late for them... if worms show up in poo then it's usually because the wormload is already to much for their system... not every time, but a lot...
Safeguard is great, Valbazen is better... lol... but choosing a wormer is also based on number of birds you have... I have a lot, so Safeguard is one I use, but Valbazen is easier to use... and I switch off... use one one time then the other the next...
The Z Gold may work just fine for you though... I do suggest asking Kathy directly as she knows more about the different active ingredients and their strengths... just make sure you include not just the active ingredient but what % it is per mg/ml, etc...

Just my 2 cents...

K, I'll PM her first thing tomorrow. It's not normally really wet around here but lately it's been a little more damp than usual. The Silkie's pen especially has a lot of dampness and moisture, not to mention they are just dirty little birds, lol. All my other birds are fairly clean animals but these Silkies are just disgusting, lol. I did notice the other day that their poop looked questionable, it didn't have any worms in it that I could see but it just looked... off. We're getting ready to switch them to a fresh run this week with alot more room and a bigger, better coop, the Welsummers are next to be moved, they've been in a temporary run since I got them. Anyways, thanks for pointing torwards that thread, you've been a God send for me for so many things, lol.

 

[meganhundley]

All good... I keep seeing posts and forgetting to respond... :/

Glad the other one is doing better... hope the eye issue clears up too... you did great considering the uphill battle you had with those eggs...

Thank you so much, that means a lot coming from you, seriously. I just feel like I failed all the way around with that batch of eggs. I did SOOO many things wrong and a lot of them quit because of it, it was really discouraging and disheartening and very frustrating for me and I had no one to blame but myself. I mean, I know the breeder should've known better than to sell dirty eggs and there was alot of other things she shouldn't have done also, but I realize now that most of the damage was done after I got them. I felt, and still feel, so bad about all the things I should've known better than to do, or not to do for that matter. It's a learning process I suppose, I guess you've got to make mistakes sometimes to learn what not to do the next time. But really, thank you for saying that, it makes me feel better

 

[meganhundley]

I worm as a precaution too, but we are really wet here naturally... if your area stays drier, probably no need to worm, but if you have lots of moisture then it's recommended to worm... better safe than sorry... also, usually by the time they show symptoms or have worms in their poo, it *might be* too late for them... if worms show up in poo then it's usually because the wormload is already to much for their system... not every time, but a lot...
Safeguard is great, Valbazen is better... lol... but choosing a wormer is also based on number of birds you have... I have a lot, so Safeguard is one I use, but Valbazen is easier to use... and I switch off... use one one time then the other the next...
The Z Gold may work just fine for you though... I do suggest asking Kathy directly as she knows more about the different active ingredients and their strengths... just make sure you include not just the active ingredient but what % it is per mg/ml, etc...

Just my 2 cents...

ETA: I use Ivermectin/Ivomec Pour On for external bugs... seems it's effectiveness for worming is questionable, but I've seen it wipe out feather lice quite well, lol...

I read something on that thread about that, I didn't even know they had a pour on for external parasites. I'll have to look for that the next time I'm in TSC or Southern States.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Thank you so much, that means a lot coming from you, seriously. I just feel like I failed all the way around with that batch of eggs. I did SOOO many things wrong and a lot of them quit because of it, it was really discouraging and disheartening and very frustrating for me and I had no one to blame but myself. I mean, I know the breeder should've known better than to sell dirty eggs and there was alot of other things she shouldn't have done also, but I realize now that most of the damage was done after I got them. I felt, and still feel, so bad about all the things I should've known better than to do, or not to do for that matter. It's a learning process I suppose, I guess you've got to make mistakes sometimes to learn what not to do the next time. But really, thank you for saying that, it makes me feel better

"To err is to be human..." there's a reason for that old saying... we are human so we will make mistakes...

The difference we make is whether we learn from those mistakes and change our ways so we don't make the same ones again...

Some mistakes come at small costs, and some have bigger costs... all we can do is learn and continue on from there... if we stop learning or think we won't ever make a mistake again, that's when we're mistaken ourselves...

Feel the guilt, morn the losses and then move on... if you cycle the guilt or "what if's" then you become too afraid to try new things... to afraid to live... I know this one intimately... did it for a long time... in one thing, I still do...

Don't let mistakes rule your life... but don't be cavalier either... it's a tough lesson and one not easily learned, but it is necessary...

Life goes on whether we live it or not... so live it...

 

[IceAngel]

"To err is to be human..." there's a reason for that old saying... we are human so we will make mistakes...

The difference we make is whether we learn from those mistakes and change our ways so we don't make the same ones again...

Some mistakes come at small costs, and some have bigger costs... all we can do is learn and continue on from there... if we stop learning or think we won't ever make a mistake again, that's when we're mistaken ourselves...

Feel the guilt, morn the losses and then move on... if you cycle the guilt or "what if's" then you become too afraid to try new things... to afraid to live... I know this one intimately... did it for a long time... in one thing, I still do...

Don't let mistakes rule your life... but don't be cavalier either... it's a tough lesson and one not easily learned, but it is necessary...

Life goes on whether we live it or not... so live it...

Wise words!

 

[meganhundley]

"To err is to be human..." there's a reason for that old saying... we are human so we will make mistakes...

The difference we make is whether we learn from those mistakes and change our ways so we don't make the same ones again...

Some mistakes come at small costs, and some have bigger costs... all we can do is learn and continue on from there... if we stop learning or think we won't ever make a mistake again, that's when we're mistaken ourselves...

Feel the guilt, morn the losses and then move on... if you cycle the guilt or "what if's" then you become too afraid to try new things... to afraid to live... I know this one intimately... did it for a long time... in one thing, I still do...

Don't let mistakes rule your life... but don't be cavalier either... it's a tough lesson and one not easily learned, but it is necessary...

Life goes on whether we live it or not... so live it...

I have definitely learned many lessons with this batch. I am afraid to try again but I am also determined to not let that fear take hold and prevent me from doing something that I know I will enjoy immeasurably once I get it right. So... this coming spring I'm setting some more eggs. Local, inexpensive eggs, lol. By then I should also have a few of my own to hatch as well. I'm not counting on replacements from the breeder, she won't even answer my emails. I've gotten 1 response out of over 10 emails I've sent her. I'm really leary about getting replacements from her anyway as it's obvious she doesn't want to keep her word so theres no telling what she would send to me just to be hateful :/ I'm sticking with cheap, local eggs til I get some from my girls and then I'll stick to my own.

 

[meganhundley]

I hate to run on this convo but I'm falling asleep with my phone in hand, lol. See you tomorrow. Thanks for the kind words and also the words of wisdom, I really do appreciate it See ya tomorrow, G'nite

 

[lazy gardener]

K, how much water to feed did you say to use?

No, I wasn't around to hear about those accidents, lol, I'd definitely remember if I'd heard about that, lol.

Those poor chickens over there, that's sad. But yes, I can't wait to experience my first ever broody

That's going to be awesome, and even better, I won't be able to candle as much so it'll teach me to refrain from candling everyday

(I'm sure I'll drive myself crazy trying to think of a way to do it though, lol)

I've given them a little bit of cucumber and some banana the last 2 evenings so I hope it's ok too, lol. I know it can give people gas and gas is very bad in a bird since they have no way of... expelling it.

I just toss the whole cuke in the run. Over ripe is good, they love the seeds. It may take them a few days to decide to eat it. With a lot of cucurbits they seem to prefer to eat them when they're somewhat rotted/fermented and mushy.

I read alot on that thread and from what everyone was saying there, the best wormer (broad spectrum wormer anyway) is falbendazole. So like Valbazen or Safeguard (liquid for goats or paste for cattle or horses) would be best if you want to worm for several different worms. My question now is do y'all think I should worm for all kinds of worms or just roundworms? I dont really have any reason to believe any of mine have any worms, I'm just doing it cause it hasn't been done since I've had them and I know my Welsummers have never been wormed cause the woman I got them from didn't believe in worming or medicating for any reason (she was in to holistic medicines, which is very intriguing to me), and the silkies were still too young to have been wormed when I got them (the white 1's anyway, not sure about the 2 blacks). Basically I'm just doing it as a maintenance type thing. From what I read on there (I didn't finish the whole forum, I'll read the rest tomorrow) ivermectin is only effective against roundworms. I'm not sure but I think I heard that Zimecterin Gold would work for a couple different worms. What do y'all think? I may PM Kathy tomorrow morning and get it straight from the horses mouth so to speak, lol, but I thought I'd also ask y'alls opinion since y'all have never let me down before.

IMO, if it ain't broke, I'm not going to try to fix it. It's normal for an animal (including human, sounds gross, but true) to have a light parasite load. When it gets out of balance, that's when it's time to cull or treat. Weak animals are more prone to heavy parasite loads. Not to mention, you have the egg withdrawal time, as well as the issue of the parasites perhaps building resistance to the med.