Sponsored Post Why should you care about worms in your birds? What can you do about them?

[Lazy Farmer]

Cleanliness is the key to prevention.

 

[redblack10]

Have you had fecals done on any of your chickens poo ever?

No fecals have been run - what is your experience?

 

[casportpony]

What medicine can I buy at a Tractor Supply or a Sourhern States store that will kill tapeworms?

You can buy Equimax horse paste, it has praziquantel and ivermectin.

Dose is 0.03 ml per pound orally. Repeat in 14 days.

One can also use the dog and cat pills, but they are expensive. Praziquantel dose for chickens is 4.54 mg per pound, so a 5 pound chicken would need ~23 mg of praziquantel.

Neither are approved for use in poultry, so withdrawal is probably 14-28 days.

 

[chickengr]

You can buy Equimax horse paste, it has praziquantel and ivermectin.

Dose is 0.03 ml per pound orally. Repeat in 14 days.

One can also use the dog and cat pills, but they are expensive. Praziquantel dose for chickens is 4.54 mg per pound, so a 5 pound chicken would need ~23 mg of praziquantel.

Neither are approved for use in poultry, so withdrawal is probably 14-28 days.

I have a question: is withdrawal meant only for medicines that can interfere with human medicines?

I have noticed that we have different withdrawal. in europe there is no withdrawal for tylan for eggs, and I think 1 week only for meat (could be 2 weeks, I don't remember)>

 

[nenebynature]

Tisqua: I'm a huge fan of chicken-grade DE too! But, I read many articles by experienced chicken farmers, etc., of the additional benefits of using the correct type of SAND in the coop, so we put a good 8" sand foundation down in the lower part of our coop AND I also put sand in the bottom of the roosting drawer so each a.m, I use a kitty litter scoop to quickly and easily de-coop the poop and I also mix DE into the drawer and the bottom of the coop so when they do their sand baths they get it all!

To keep them cool in summer, I remove the normal shavings from their nests and replace it with the special sand with a touch of DE...they love it!

Sand keeps their coop clean, pleasant smelling and their feet nice and clean too! Just make sure you get the correct type or your birds will die...literally.

I'm now going to use an Igloo, 2-gallon, thermos with a new device attached to it called BriteTap! (see pics). It will be on top of a large, inverted plastic bin to elevate it and they will enjoy ice water from that all summer - nipple system, of course! I can put tepid or warm water in it during the winter as well, but I'm also adding ACV to it (by recipe) to keep them healthy AND to keep the water from getting hinky!

Additionally, I'm going to mix ACV, dishwashing liquid & water in a large, spray bottle and will clean the coop, etc., with this a few times each week to kill and prevent lice, etc., from setting up a home!

Some put me down for holistic/natural/homeopathic remedies, but the lady who I learned this from has a website online and has decades of hands-on experience with these things and has NEVER had health issues from parasites!

Also...Tractor Supply sells packets of electrolytes & vitamins you add to their water as well and it's not only dirt cheap, but 1 pkg lasts forever if you have two hens like we do!

My girls will also get a large area of their 14-foot run of pure, hardwood ash from our firepit (no chems) along with a bit of DE added for their sooty-baths!

Lastly, I'll be adding fresh, minced garlic to their diet each day to get mites, etc., from staying on them and returning to them

Check out these pics of the new drinking system and thanks for posting your message. It's nice to know there are a few DE fans out there...lol!

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How did you get your girls to use the nipple waterer? My girls ignore it. Loved all the information you provided thank you!

 

[casportpony]

I have a question: is withdrawal meant only for medicines that can interfere with human medicines?

I have noticed that we have different withdrawal. in europe there is no withdrawal for tylan for eggs, and I think 1 week only for meat (could be 2 weeks, I don't remember)>

It depends on the country. Here in the US, Tylan and Denagard are not approved for use in laying hens.

 

[chickengr]

It depends on the country. Here in the US, Tylan and Denagard are not approved for use in laying hens.

I am even more confused now. in both, US and EU people eat eggs. I wonder if it is all about politics and money making...

btw, a vet from the veterinary pharmacy told me that doxycycline and tylan given together would heal almost any chicken disease. do you know anything about that?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Nine ways to help prevent parasites in your flock

Taking proactive steps to minimize internal parasites is easier than treating sick birds.​

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Lancaster, Pa. [May XX, 2017] – Do you find yourself throwing away eggs after treating your flock for internal parasites? Although it’s nearly impossible to keep your chickens completely worm-free year-round, proper management can help prevent parasite issues in your flock.

Why should you care about worms in your birds?

Worm, or parasite, infestations can cause poor growth, decreased egg production and in severe cases, death. Internal parasites can also make a flock more susceptible to diseases or make existing diseases worse.

Backyard birds can easily ingest internal parasite eggs while scratching the ground and foraging for bugs, including snails, slugs, grasshoppers, ants and earthworms. Insects can also harbour parasite eggs, which infect your birds when ingested.

If your birds are not behaving normally and seem distant from the rest of the flock, it could be a sign of parasites causing illness. Pay close attention to your birds for additional symptoms of internal parasites:

 Appetite loss

 Weight loss

 Watery droppings

 Dehydration

 Hens stop laying

 Separation from the rest of the flock

 Balance and coordination loss due to weakness

 Poor feather quality

 Dull combs, wattles and eyes

1 Tellez, G., Pixley, C., Wolfenden, R.E., Layton, S.L., Hargis, B.M., 2011. Probiotics/direct fed microbials for

Salmonella control in poultry. Food Research International. 45(2012):628-633.

While parasite infections can be serious, being proactive can help prevent parasites from ever
becoming an issue. Here are nine ways to help keep your birds happy, healthy and parasite-free:

1. Avoid overcrowding – Give birds plenty of room to be comfortable. Overcrowding can cause an abundance of germs in a small area.

2. Clean coops at least once a week – Cleaning and adding fresh bedding prevents infected droppings from accumulating.

3. Avoid introducing infested chickens to the flock – Purchase your chickens as newborn
chicks. If you purchase adult birds, quarantine them for a minimum of two weeks to monitor their health and assess for potential disease and parasite symptoms. 2

4. Avoid giving feed or treats on the ground – Ground pecking for feed and treats increases
the risk of your flock consuming parasitic bugs and encountering droppings from contaminated birds.

5. Keep chickens off freshly tilled ground – Chickens love to eat bugs and freshly tilled ground turns up insects possibly hosting parasite eggs. Keeping your flock away from freshly tilled areas can help limit their exposure to an overabundance of tasty bugs.

6. Keep wild birds away from your flock – Wild birds could be infected with parasites and shed parasite eggs through their droppings.

7. Use integrated pest management (IPM) practices to control insect populations – IPM practices are an eco-friendly way to eliminate or control factors required for pests to survive.

8. Test and sanitize drinking water – One sick bird can infect the rest of the flock simply by contaminating the waterers. Test and sanitise the water, and keep waterers and feeders cleaned to help control or reduce the chance of spreading infection.

9. Target worms – Use an all-natural supplement to help breakdown the natural defences of intestinal worms and their eggs. This makes parasites more susceptible to attack by the bird’s immune system, stomach acids and bacteria in the gut.

Naturally preventing diseases before they start is the best strategy to support the immune system of your birds, prevent expensive, time-consuming veterinarian visits and maintain a happy, healthy flock. For more information about poultry health, visit http://www.dbcagproducts.com and “like” the HealthyFlock Face Book page.

2 Agriculture Victoria. 2011. Quarantine advice for small poultry flocks. [Accessed April 24, 2017].
http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agric...ry/quarantine-advice-for-small-poultry-flocks

DBC Ag Products delivers innovative, natural solutions that target intestinal health to overcome animal agriculture’s toughest challenges. Its unique, proprietary formulas focus on the optimal combination of new and proven technologies to prevent disease, save animals, improve feed utilization and deliver profitable results to customers. The Backyard Chicken® Health Pack, including Zyfend® A, has been successfully used for over 30 years in daily heath programs at modern operations, including organic-certified and natural-certified production systems.

I am bookmarking this page! Awesome!

 

[casportpony]

I am even more confused now. in both, US and EU people eat eggs. I wonder if it is all about politics and money making...

btw, a vet from the veterinary pharmacy told me that doxycycline and tylan given together would heal almost any chicken disease. do you know anything about that?

Doxycycline and tylan work quite well together on some bacteria.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

It's interesting the different approaches people take. My chickens drink out of the creek and nasty looking puddles, come running whenever I disturb the ground with my tractor or move wood piles, love digging through the chicken poop pile for fly larvae and whatever else they can find, think feed on the ground tastes better than feed in the feeder. I think it's pretty cool how immaculate some people raise their chickens, but I could never do that.