Topic of the Week - Deworming chickens

[cree57i]

Thank you Kathy for posting the info on oral dosing. We will study up before the Valbazen arrives. The kennel supply says they shipped it yesterday by post so here's hoping there are no glitches at the border.

Should I strip out the litter and start fresh after deworming with Valbazen?

Here are some pics of my chickens housing. They have a south facing window so it is bright and there is good ventilation and a high ceiling in the barn so it's airy. They have a roost at 2 and a half feet and another at 5 feet where they sleep at night.


















Thank you everyone for your help and let me know if you have any other advice for me.

Lori

I have never seen a coop this awesome! It is fantastic. Your girls are lucky to have you and it!
It sounds like they are getting to be so much work you aren't enjoying them as much as you could. I would encourage you to let them get out and do chicken stuff. They will come back to their lovely home in the evening and hopefully to lay eggs.

 

[newhamplover]

Also I was going to add that being outside, in the dirt, also plays other important roles. Coccidiosis is parasite that chickens can get that can be prevented with medicated feed when they are chicks & raised in the house or brooder because they are not exposed to native cocci & won't naturally develop immunity. Chicks raised on the ground will be exposed early to native cocci & will develop immunity naturally. When I hatched my 7 within a couple of days I had a container of dirt in with them to roll & play in to develop their immunity. I did not feed medicated, I wanted them to develop their own immunity as mother nature intended. By the time they were 2 weeks I was taking them outside daily. I am not saying AT ALL you could have coccidiosis only how the outside, sunshine,

& dirt plays such a part in preventing it & in their overall health.

 

[casportpony]

Thank you Kathy for posting the info on oral dosing. We will study up before the Valbazen arrives. The kennel supply says they shipped it yesterday by post so here's hoping there are no glitches at the border. Should I strip out the litter and start fresh after deworming with Valbazen? Here are some pics of my chickens housing. They have a south facing window so it is bright and there is good ventilation and a high ceiling in the barn so it's airy. They have a roost at 2 and a half feet and another at 5 feet where they sleep at night. Thank you everyone for your help and let me know if you have any other advice for me. Lori

It's a lovely coop, and very clean! Maybe someday you can find a way to give hem access to a run outside. -Kathy

 

[bluebirdlane]

It's a lovely coop, and very clean! Maybe someday you can find a way to give hem access to a run outside.

-Kathy

The quote I was given to construct a run was very costly, because it will need to be built horse-proof as the area around the barn is a horse turn-out area. Horses will rub on everything and I don't want anyone hurt. I didn't want to spend $2,000 on a run if I can't even keep the chickens alive or if it's commonplace that chickens "just die sometimes" (as my organic friend said) because it really takes the fun out of the experience. I am accustomed to knowing what I am doing or knowing who to call if I don't.

I had thought of just letting the chickens loose in the day as I can tell they would love it. We have tons of grass pasture and it's hopping with crickets. But we live on a 50 acre farm surrounded by a forest which is owned by the conservation authority so it's pretty wildlife-y, including raptors. Our dog keeps most everything away from the immediate vicinity but I also don't trust my dog not to go after a chicken as she is nine years old and not trained to ignore them. Also I thought there is no point letting them out if they are shedding worm eggs which will contaminate the ground which up to this point has never had chickens on it so it's clean. I'd also like to get a couple more chickens but similarly I don't want them to pick up worms from these ones. So I'd like to get this problem fixed before going on. It's all so frustrating.

Thanks again,

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The quote I was given to construct a run was very costly, because it will need to be built horse-proof as the area around the barn is a horse turn-out area. Horses will rub on everything and I don't want anyone hurt. I didn't want to spend $2,000 on a run if I can't even keep the chickens alive or if it's commonplace that chickens "just die sometimes" (as my organic friend said) because it really takes the fun out of the experience. I am accustomed to knowing what I am doing or knowing who to call if I don't.

I had thought of just letting the chickens loose in the day as I can tell they would love it. We have tons of grass pasture and it's hopping with crickets. But we live on a 50 acre farm surrounded by a forest which is owned by the conservation authority so it's pretty wildlife-y, including raptors. Our dog keeps most everything  away from the immediate vicinity but I also don't trust my dog not to go after a chicken as she is nine years old and not trained to ignore them.  Also I thought there is no point letting them out if they are shedding worm eggs which will contaminate the ground which up to this point has never had chickens on it so it's clean. I'd also like to get a couple more chickens but similarly I don't want them to pick up worms from these ones. So I'd like to get this problem fixed before going on. It's all so frustrating.

Thanks again,

Simply run an electric wire around the chicken run to keep the horses from rubbing on it.

 

[casportpony]

It's a lovely coop, and very clean! Maybe someday you can find a way to give hem access to a run outside.


-Kathy

The quote I was given to construct a run was very costly, because it will need to be built horse-proof as the area around the barn is a horse turn-out area. Horses will rub on everything and I don't want anyone hurt. I didn't want to spend $2,000 on a run if I can't even keep the chickens alive or if it's commonplace that chickens "just die sometimes" (as my organic friend said) because it really takes the fun out of the experience. I am accustomed to knowing what I am doing or knowing who to call if I don't.

I had thought of just letting the chickens loose in the day as I can tell they would love it. We have tons of grass pasture and it's hopping with crickets. But we live on a 50 acre farm surrounded by a forest which is owned by the conservation authority so it's pretty wildlife-y, including raptors. Our dog keeps most everything  away from the immediate vicinity but I also don't trust my dog not to go after a chicken as she is nine years old and not trained to ignore them.  Also I thought there is no point letting them out if they are shedding worm eggs which will contaminate the ground which up to this point has never had chickens on it so it's clean. I'd also like to get a couple more chickens but similarly I don't want them to pick up worms from these ones. So I'd like to get this problem fixed before going on. It's all so frustrating.

Thanks again,

We have horses, so I understand the logistics of making a horse proof/safe pen.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Hot wire would help, but the pen would still have to be horse proof and horse safe.

-Kathy

 

[Fancychooklady]

The quote I was given to construct a run was very costly, because it will need to be built horse-proof as the area around the barn is a horse turn-out area. Horses will rub on everything and I don't want anyone hurt. I didn't want to spend $2,000 on a run if I can't even keep the chickens alive or if it's commonplace that chickens "just die sometimes" (as my organic friend said) because it really takes the fun out of the experience. I am accustomed to knowing what I am doing or knowing who to call if I don't.

I had thought of just letting the chickens loose in the day as I can tell they would love it. We have tons of grass pasture and it's hopping with crickets. But we live on a 50 acre farm surrounded by a forest which is owned by the conservation authority so it's pretty wildlife-y, including raptors. Our dog keeps most everything  away from the immediate vicinity but I also don't trust my dog not to go after a chicken as she is nine years old and not trained to ignore them.  Also I thought there is no point letting them out if they are shedding worm eggs which will contaminate the ground which up to this point has never had chickens on it so it's clean. I'd also like to get a couple more chickens but similarly I don't want them to pick up worms from these ones. So I'd like to get this problem fixed before going on. It's all so frustrating.

Thanks again,

Nice stable conversion. Over a period of 16 years here on our farm I've only lost 2 roosters to being trampled by a horse. In both occasions the rooster was in the horses feed bucket.
Keeping horses contained is much easier than keeping chickens in , but generally chickens get out of the way. Keeping your birds confined for a week or so is a good idea as it helps them become accustomed to the ' safe ' place and where to lay their eggs ( when the time comes )
Its good practice to worm and delice any newly introduced birds during the quarantine period and before they are introduced to your existing flock.

 

[Teila]

Sorry, it is a little off topic but still part of the overall health of chickens discussion and ‘free ranging is good for them’ thoughts.

I live smack bang in the middle of suburbia on a standard residential block with 5 x bantams.

Because of neighbourhood dogs and cats, the girls get supervised free range for a couple of hours every week day and pretty much all day on the weekend. While they certainly have the opportunity to do so, they never wander out of sight of their coop/run or jump the low fences into the neighbours' gardens.

So, my question is .. how far do others’ chickens free range?

I read that they 'free range all day', eating bugs and stuff but surely if they are free ranging in the same area every day, the bug numbers will diminish over time as they have in our back garden?

Or do others’ chickens venture far and wide looking for fresh supplies?

 

[Fancychooklady]

Sorry, it is a little off topic but still part of the overall health of chickens discussion and ‘free ranging is good for them’ thoughts.

I live smack bang in the middle of suburbia on a standard residential block with 5 x bantams.

Because of neighbourhood dogs and cats, the girls get supervised free range for a couple of hours every week day and pretty much all day on the weekend.  While they certainly have the opportunity to do so, they never wander out of sight of their coop/run or jump the low fences into the neighbours' gardens.

So, my question is .. how far do others’ chickens free range?

I read that they 'free range all day', eating bugs and stuff but surely if they are free ranging in the same area every day, the bug numbers will diminish over time as they have in our back garden?

Or do others’ chickens venture far and wide looking for fresh supplies?

With the exception of my breeding pens, my birds could roam but choose to stay within a 100m of the coop. I'm guessing that has something to do with the constant threat of overhead attacks from the sea eagle.

The silkies will come into the garden , but rarely venture through the back gate and into the horse paddocks.