Topic of the Week - Deworming chickens

[SunHwaKwon]

I feel the same as Queen Misha. I support willy nilly worming as much as willy nilly antibiotic use (and pesticide use), which is not at all. I plan to do a fecal on my flock this winter and worm them if needed. I'll probably use eprinex for this round since I already have it on hand. I'm not sure what I'll alternate with, though. The ones that you add to food or water are convenient but I hate keeping my birds confined for days to ensure that is their only fiid or water. Individual dosing is time consuming but probably the better way. Individual fecals would also be the best approach but that's expensive and time consuming well so I'll just have a group fecal done first.

 

[QueenMisha]

Did you know that Wormout Gel is a water soluble wormer that contains praziquantel and oxfendazole? Dose is 47 ml per gallon for two days.

-Kathy

Edited to add: Neither drug is FDA approved for use in laying hens. Withdrawal time is probably 2 weeks or more.

Kathy - you are a lifesaver, as always. Thank you. I'll try that and see how it goes.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Oh, and I got distracted... one can also purchase praziquantel for fish. They are 170 mg praziquantel capsules that are allegedly water soluble. Not sure if this is less expensive than Wormout Gel, but thought I should mention it. Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook says that the dose is 4.55 mg per pound, and I think other books say to repeat in 10-14 days.


-Kathy

 

[Chook Newby]

Howdy

I worm my 5 x pet bantams every 6 months with Kilverm [Active Constituent: Levamisole]. There is no withholding period on eggs.

Why? Because I figure there are already enough ways that I could lose one of my gals and if I can reduce the risk by using a preventative, that is a positive in my book; I could never forgive myself if I lost one of my gals to something I could have prevented.

I also use ACV daily in their water for a number of reasons:
* It apparently maintains a good pH balance in their digestive system and makes it a little uncomfortable for worms to live in. So while not an actual wormer, it can be a deterrent.
* It can act as an antiseptic killing bacteria in their throat and is reported to keep bacteria out of their water. I know it is recommended to people with sinus issues also.
* Some think it increases egg production but I can't comment on that because I only have bantams who spend more time broody than they do laying

Hi Teila

I discovered my girls had worms about 1 month ago. I used Kilverm in their water and the worms seemed to go away. I just discovered this morning that they are back. I put more Kilverm in their water and have my fingers crossed now! I also wormed the dogs just to be safe.
Can I please ask you how you adminster the Kilverm? The same as I do, in their water?
Although my ladies have shown no signed of being sick, I hate when they have worms

 

[Teila]

Howdy Chook Newby

Yep, I add the Kilverm to their water but the little munchkins try very hard not to drink it

I take away their water supply at night when they roost and replace with the medicated water early the next morning. Before they are let out for free range in the afternoon, I ensure that their outside water has also been medicated.

The last time I wormed them the little munchkins raced out of the run at free range and made a bee-line for the outside water container and all drank it. They thought they had fooled me

I retreat in 10 days because I have been advised that the wormer only kills the existing worms not their eggs, which may be why you discovered worms only one month after treatment.

 

[Chook Newby]

Thanks so much Teila

I hate when there is something wrong with my pets (4 light sussex hens and two puppies), although they are happy little chickens

.

I will be off to the stockfeeds place this afternoon to get some more Kilverm. Can I ask, have you ever given your girls garlic as a preventer for worms?

 

[casportpony]

http://bestbirdfoodever.com/home/wp...ng-parrots-never-feed-garlic-onions-or-leeks/

 

[Teila]

Thanks so much Teila

I hate when there is something wrong with my pets (4 light sussex hens and two puppies), although they are happy little chickens

.

I will be off to the stockfeeds place this afternoon to get some more Kilverm. Can I ask, have you ever given your girls garlic as a preventer for worms?

No problemo Chook Newby

No, I have not tried garlic and by the looks of that post from casportpony probably a good thing

I just stick with the ACV [the jury is still out on whether it does aid as a preventative and as always, a personal choice] and the 6 monthly worming.

 

[bluebirdlane]

I'm kind of glad that I didn't spend the money to put in an outdoor run, because now I can see that the chickens would be MUCH happier to go free outside. An outdoor run would give them about 100 sq ft of extra space and I could dress it up with logs and perches, but it wouldn't have grass and millions of bugs and all the variety of the great outdoors. It would be so cool if the chickens could graze in our orchard and keep the bugs down below the fruit trees we planted this year.

I was thinking that when (or at this point what feels like "if") we get this worm problem cleared up, I would put them outside. Do you think it is worth waiting for that, or will I never have the worms 100% cleared up so I may as well accept that there will be some worm eggs in the environment, and I can go ahead and let them out now?

Another issue is getting my dog trained to leave the chickens alone. A very good thing about this dog is she does care what I think. So she's quite trainable. She is a herding breed, Australian Shepherd, but leaves the horses alone at all times. But I taught her this as a young dog. Does anyone have any tips for how to proceed with dog training for free ranging chickens?

Also I am looking for help with pop-door design. On the other side of the back wall of the chicken pen is a large covered 3-sided run-in shed for the horses. I thought the chicken door could go there, because the shed doesn't fill with snow and the chickens could go out and scratch amongst the horses basically all year round and then choose to venture out from there if they desired. The wall itself is 9" thick including the planks on both sides. The door needs to not stick into the horse area or have anything the horses could fiddle with. So I was thinking of something that operated from the chicken side. I would put a lip of about 6" at the bottom to keep their bedding from spilling out. Other than that I'm not sure what the best approach is. Ideas?

Thanks everyone!
Lori

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I'm kind of glad that I didn't spend the money to put in an outdoor run, because now I can see that the chickens would be MUCH happier to go free outside. An outdoor run would give them about 100 sq ft of extra space and I could dress it up with logs and perches, but it wouldn't have grass and millions of bugs and all the variety of the great outdoors. It would be so cool if the chickens could graze in our orchard and keep the bugs down below the fruit trees we planted this year.

I was thinking that when (or at this point what feels like "if") we get this worm problem cleared up, I would put them outside. Do you think it is worth waiting for that, or will I never have the worms 100% cleared up so I may as well accept that there will be some worm eggs in the environment, and I can go ahead and let them out now?

Another issue is getting my dog trained to leave the chickens alone. A very good thing about this dog is she does care what I think. So she's quite trainable. She is a herding breed, Australian Shepherd, but leaves the horses alone at all times. But I taught her this as a young dog. Does anyone have any tips for how to proceed with dog training for free ranging chickens?

Also I am looking for help with pop-door design. On the other side of the back wall of the chicken pen is a large covered 3-sided run-in shed for the horses. I thought the chicken door could go there, because the shed doesn't fill with snow and the chickens could go out and scratch amongst the horses basically all year round and then choose to venture out from there if they desired. The wall itself is 9" thick including the planks on both sides. The door needs to not stick into the horse area or have anything the horses could fiddle with. So I was thinking of something that operated from the chicken side. I would put a lip of about 6" at the bottom to keep their bedding from spilling out. Other than that I'm not sure what the best approach is. Ideas?

Thanks everyone!
Lori

For the door you can make it slide up or to the side inside of a track, which very simple to make. You can operate it directly or through the use of pulleys and a chains or rope. For the sake of keeping the thread on track, visit the coop building section for ideas on that and perhaps "managing your flock" for discussing the dog.