The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[thechickenflock]

Hi everyone. I have a question on worming. I have never wormed my chickens before and decided to because I think one may need it. I ordered a natural poultry wormer that is call EZ Natural. The ingredient is Kieselguhr, and after googling learned it is a heated form of DE. Has anyone used this? Does DE work for worming? I use food grade DE all the time to keep mites under control. What I've read about using DE is that it does not work when it gets wet. The Kieselguhr is in a liquid solution. Thanks for any help.

DE will not work when wet, it is the abrasive quality that affects insects, it dissolves when wet therefore making it useless.

Raw squash and especially raw pumpkin seeds (whole or ground) are an excellent natural wormer as well as nasturtium and garlic.

Kocci Free can also help, though not totally intended for worming.

The solution you already have cant hurt to try though! I hope this helps!

 

[JanetMarie]

DE will not work when wet, it is the abrasive quality that affects insects, it dissolves when wet therefore making it useless.

Raw squash and especially raw pumpkin seeds (whole or ground) are an excellent natural wormer as well as nasturtium and garlic.

Kocci Free can also help, though not totally intended for worming.

The solution you already have cant hurt to try though! I hope this helps!

Thanks. I have pumpkins in our garden that will be ready soon. Every year they do get squash seeds, which they love. I have read that black walnut hulls are a natural wormer also, which I may read up on and make a solution for their drinking water if I think it won't harm them. I believe there are a lot of natural options. This EZ Natural stuff I purchased was probably a waste of money. I may return it.

 

[thechickenflock]

Thanks. I have pumpkins in our garden that will be ready soon. Every year they do get squash seeds, which they love. I have read that black walnut hulls are a natural wormer also, which I may read up on and make a solution for their drinking water if I think it won't harm them. I believe there are a lot of natural options. This EZ Natural stuff I purchased was probably a waste of money. I may return it.

Pumpkins are great, especially when its a really big one and they peck a tunnel through and play in it. Check out Fresh Eggs Daily, they usually have some very good information on this stuff.

 

[lalaland]

Statewide Weekend's chook guru Paul Healy recommends making your own worming and winter mash for healthy birds.

Worming Mash
1 kilo of mash (commercial ground meal or 7 parts wheat,2 parts barley, one part oats or other grain),1 litre of milk, one knob of dark purple garlic, 3 hots chillies, 1 tlbsp tumeric, 1 tlbsp parika, 1 tlbsp cayene pepper, 1 pinch seaweed meal per bird
Put the milk in a pan.Crush garlic and add immediately along with chopped chillies and spices and seaweed meal.Warm up and stand overnight. In the morning warm up again at the crack of dawn and add to the meal. Feed to chooks while your breath is still cloudy. The chooks should be starved for the 24 hours previously and the meal should be given on the last weekend before the full moon.
Winter Mash
1 kilo mash (as above), 1 litre milk, garlic (as above) and a pinch of seaweed meal per bird.
Prepare as above and serve warm. Feed each bird 100 grams each morning for two weeks. ​

 

[lalaland]

I've also used Molly's herbal wormer with success, you can find a link by searching this thread. my internet is spotty right now or I would search for you....

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Also cayenne pepper. I mix it up with some yogurt

 

[lalaland]

Must be that time of year. Kept putting off doing anything for worms and found a roundworm to.nite . So I will start adding a small amount of castle soap to the water. I have some of Molly's supportive worm herbs and will start that too. I ordered just now the stronger herbal worker from her but she is gone til Sept 20. So will do a modified Paul Healy mash too.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Here are links for Molly's:

http://fiascofarm.com/files/Worm-Formula-Instructions.pdf
http://www.fiascofarm.com/herbs/mollysherbals.php/categories/herbal-wormer


And Susan Burek has a worm solution designed for poultry part way down the page:

http://moonlightmileherbs.com/herbaltonics.html

 

[JanetMarie]

Here are links for Molly's:

http://fiascofarm.com/files/Worm-Formula-Instructions.pdf
http://www.fiascofarm.com/herbs/mollysherbals.php/categories/herbal-wormer


And Susan Burek has a worm solution designed for poultry part way down the page:

http://moonlightmileherbs.com/herbaltonics.html

Thank you! I checked it out. I'll probably place an order with Molly's to start, then work on regular supportive herbal or food mixtures.

 

[JanetMarie]

Thanks for all replies on the worming information. I'll have to start using some of these herbs right away, before ordering from Molly's. I already put turmeric and kelp in their food each time I mix it up. Thank you again everyone.