What kind of preventative meds do you give your peas?

[MeepBeep]

Would you medicate for Cocidiosis even if the chickens didn't have it?

Unless your chickens have been fully isolated in a sterile quarantine their entire life they almost certainly have it, but due to their immune system and tolerance they don't show symptoms and are asymptomatic aka carriers...

 

[DylansMom]

Hi Kathy

I mean this in the nicest possible way, but what WILL do it, Jack.

I don't have worms now that I'm tying to get rid of. I'm just using preventative med. Or are you saying all peas have worms, some worse than others. Just tryin'ta understand.

Thanks for the advice. I mean it.

My vet once told me that every animal that is allowed to go outside will have worms, it is simply unavoidable. If they knew better than to drink from puddles, eat off the ground, could cook their food, etc..... they might not get them, but since they don't they will get worms. All it takes is a sparrow flying overhead and dropping some poop where your birds, cats, dogs, and anything else can reach it. The chances that the wild birds have worms are between 99 and 100%. They generally maintain a level of infection that doesn't cause them too much harm, but it does weaken them overall and make them more susceptible to secondary infections. Same will be true of your chickens, turkeys, Peas, guineas, ducks and whatever else you may have. Even if they seem perfectly fine they are probably carrying a parasite load of some kind. In medicating we are just trying to keep that load as low as possible so they remain as strong as possible and can fight off anything else they pick up. I have 37 Peas, 7 chickens, 3 guineas, and a turkey. I operate under the assumption that they all have some amount of worms and medicate accordingly and spend a lot of time just watching them very closely for any signs of distress or weakness.

 

[Chicken Keith]

Ok, Keith, first go read that thread that Kathy recommended about Safeguard. There you will find a chart that is very easy to read and will tell you exactly how much is needed per bird per day. In simple terms a fully grown peacock needs 3ml/cc per day for five days to get rid of four different kinds of worms. If you put 3ml/cc in a gallon of water the peacock would have to drink ALL of it to get enough of the med to work, my peas only drink four to six ounces per day, no where close enough water to get all the medication needed to be effective. The only sure way to administer Safeguard is to either drizzle it down the throat or mix it into their food, and then they still have to eat all that food.

Ha, ok, thanks for that spoonfeed. I honestly was having trouble weeding through where I was being directed, so your explicit information is very much appreciated. So what you're saying is the Safeguard does NOT need to be mixed, but can be squirted down their throats with a syringe, for 5 days straight, once a day. Hey thanks, I really do appreciate this info!

 

[KsKingBee]

Ha, ok, thanks for that spoonfeed. I honestly was having trouble weeding through where I was being directed, so your explicit information is very much appreciated. So what you're saying is the Safeguard does NOT need to be mixed, but can be squirted down their throats with a syringe, for 5 days straight, once a day. Hey thanks, I really do appreciate this info!

Remember to consult the chart for the proper amount for the size of your bird.