Treatment advice for newly acquired flock

[Huxta]

So i recently acquired my first flock of 6 hens. They were previously kept in poor condition. Coop was tiny and was all rock hard caked straw/poo, appeared that only corn was fed, no calcium/grit provided. It's been about a week now in a properly set up home. I was thinking I should just go ahead and do a full treatment for lice, mites and worms to be safe and piece of mind that they will be in good health. The main problem I see is that they are pretty skittish and will be very difficult to try and catch them and hold them to do an oral or topical dewormer. Is there any on the market that can be mixed with feed or water? Or would it be best just to do my best and treat with ivermectin drop on? If I do that, should I do any other treatments to go along with it or will that take care of everything? I'm ok with the egg withholding.
Thank you

 

[slordaz]

@Eggcessive

Maybe they would know more about this than me

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I would recommend doing Ivermectin cattle pour on, 5mg per 250ml bottle.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JAL3AAW/?tag=backy-20

Get 6 plastic ml syringes. Often pharmacies will give them away for free or very cheap. You only need about 5 to 6 drops per bird (20 drops is 1 ml, so compute math on syringe, whether 3 ml or 5ml, to figure 5 drops is so many bars...usually 1 bar in 5ml, 2 bars in 3ml) to make it easy).

Prefill the syringes. After dark, when they are on roost, apply syringe drops at back of neck or base of tail or even above vent (but not inside vent), whatever you can get to most easily. Since you've got a pre-filled syringe for each bird, you can move through pretty quickly with the least amount of flock disturbance. If possible use a head lamp flashlight (or hold one in your teeth if you can't find your headlamp) to give you both hands free. Simply place the tip of the syringe at the skin level and push plunger. There's no need to fuss, just touch the skin gently with the tip, push syringe, it will work its way down into the skin fully.

Ivermectin has shown effectiveness for mites and several common internal parasites, as long as resistance hasn't been incurred from over use. Since your hens have had no treatments, this would be a good all in one start.

Repeat in 10 days.

Otherwise, purchase Gordon's permethrin spray and spray after dark on roost all birds wetting feathers and vents. It's stinky stuff, so I don't prefer to use it. That will address lice and mites.

For internal worms, if you have the $$$$ Aquasol is FDA approved chicken wormer that is applied to the water (fenbendazole). You can also use goat wormer Safeguard, but it doesn't mix with water well. If you choose the much cheaper goat route, put in a bottom gravity flow water container where the birds drink from the bottom.

Most stuff on shelf is now not approved for chickens due to FDA rulings in 2018, so it makes it hard to find easy stuff to use.

I find the Ivermectin, which is non FDA approved, the easiest and broadest med for chickens parasites, both inside and outside. Be sure to pull any eggs for 7 days from family use (if there are drug sensitivities...Ivermectin is used in humans, and the amount would be minuscule). Pull from sharing or selling eggs for a full month after last dose to prevent egg residue possibility. (Studies show it peaks at day 7).

LofMc

 

[Huxta]

Wow. Thank you for the in depth response. Very much apreciated. I think I may just go with the ivermectin method

 

[Mrs. K]

I think the above post is very good and well written. If you have vermin, that would be a good way of solving it.

However, I think I would wait. Moving birds is very stressful, total change of diet, and even water all add to the stress on the birds. Let them settle and see. If you don't have lice or parasites, no need to treat. Don't treat just to treat, look and see if you have a problem.

Mrs K

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
It's easiest to handle birds at night when they are roosting. using a small flashlight or head lamp. I prefer to use the permethrin spray for external parasites, which works well and has no egg withdrawal time.
Have a fecal exam done at your veterinarian's to check for internal parasites, rather than just treating them. No one product treats all intestinal parasites, so using an ineffective item, especially an unapproved drug, makes no sense.
Ivermectin is a very good drug, but may not be necessary, or effective for any intestinal parasite they actually have.
Fenbendazole is the approved wormer, with no egg withdrawal. Again, get that fecal run first!
Good for you, and enjoy your new flock. They should love their new home!
Mary

 

[Isabird]

Hi

I would recommend doing Ivermectin cattle pour on, 5mg per 250ml bottle.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JAL3AAW/?tag=backy-20

Get 6 plastic ml syringes. Often pharmacies will give them away for free or very cheap. You only need about 5 to 6 drops per bird (20 drops is 1 ml, so compute math on syringe, whether 3 ml or 5ml, to figure 5 drops is so many bars...usually 1 bar in 5ml, 2 bars in 3ml) to make it easy).

Prefill the syringes. After dark, when they are on roost, apply syringe drops at back of neck or base of tail or even above vent (but not inside vent), whatever you can get to most easily. Since you've got a pre-filled syringe for each bird, you can move through pretty quickly with the least amount of flock disturbance. If possible use a head lamp flashlight (or hold one in your teeth if you can't find your headlamp) to give you both hands free. Simply place the tip of the syringe at the skin level and push plunger. There's no need to fuss, just touch the skin gently with the tip, push syringe, it will work its way down into the skin fully.

Ivermectin has shown effectiveness for mites and several common internal parasites, as long as resistance hasn't been incurred from over use. Since your hens have had no treatments, this would be a good all in one start.

Repeat in 10 days.

Otherwise, purchase Gordon's permethrin spray and spray after dark on roost all birds wetting feathers and vents. It's stinky stuff, so I don't prefer to use it. That will address lice and mites.

For internal worms, if you have the $$$$ Aquasol is FDA approved chicken wormer that is applied to the water (fenbendazole). You can also use goat wormer Safeguard, but it doesn't mix with water well. If you choose the much cheaper goat route, put in a bottom gravity flow water container where the birds drink from the bottom.

Most stuff on shelf is now not approved for chickens due to FDA rulings in 2018, so it makes it hard to find easy stuff to use.

I find the Ivermectin, which is non FDA approved, the easiest and broadest med for chickens parasites, both inside and outside. Be sure to pull any eggs for 7 days from family use (if there are drug sensitivities...Ivermectin is used in humans, and the amount would be minuscule). Pull from sharing or selling eggs for a full month after last dose to prevent egg residue possibility. (Studies show it peaks at day 7).

LofMc

Do you treat the coop as well when you treat the birds using ivermectin? If so how do you treat the coop? I have sand as flooring. Thank you so much! I’m pretty sure my birds have mites or lice as three have bald spots and they have been lethargic.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Sprinkle poultry dust after a good clean out and replacement of bedding.

While lice and northern mites live on the bird, a few can gather in the bedding.