Worm Medicine

[RyRe2010]

I've been reading on here that Valbazen is the best wormer to use. Can you also put it in the water for the birds? Or is there one that you can. I have 36 birds and it will be hard to dose each one individually. Thanks for the help!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I've been reading on here that Valbazen is the best wormer to use. Can you also put it in the water for the birds? Or is there one that you can. I have 36 birds and it will be hard to dose each one individually. Thanks for the help!!

What type of worms are you trying to treat?
Have you had a fecal float to confirm worms?

For roundworms only you can use Wazine 17 in the drinking water, follow the instructions on the bottle.

Valbazen has to be given individually to ensure your birds get what they need, it will settle out in water.

@dawg53 has great instructions for administering Valbazen to a large number of birds in this POST

 

[coach723]

The only wormers that mix in water are Wazine, which works only on large roundworms, and Safeguard Aquasol, which is pretty expensive. Other wormers will settle out of the water and the birds will not get the dose. Also if birds are sick or weak, or low in the pecking order they may not drink enough to get the appropriate dose. If you are unsure what worm you are dealing with then either Safeguard liquid goat wormer or Valbazen would be good as they are broad spectrum wormers and will take care of most worms. Do you suspect you have a worm problem, or have had a fecal done to confirm? I regularly worm my 20 to 24 birds direct dose, and it's not that bad. Lock them in the coop at dark, go out the next morning before sun up and take them one at a time off the roosts and dose, and put them in the run. When the coop is empty you are finished.

 

[Eggcessive]

Wormout Gel is another choice for worming. It is put into the water for 2 days, and treats most all worms in chickens. It also contains praziquantel for tapeworm which other wormers don’t. It is not approved for chickens, but most wormers are not, and used off label. I used it twice and tossed out eggs for a coullemof weeks. Here is a link where to buy it:
https://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/medications/worms-wormers/36-vetafarms-wormout-gel-100ml-cc

It may be cheaper to get a fecal float to see if your chickens have worms, and what type.

 

[RyRe2010]

I dont necessarily have any reason to suspect any...all the stuff I've read says to do it twice a year. I've honestly never done it in the almost two years of having chickens. I watch their poop and behavior and I didn't feel they ever needed it. Why give something they didn't need.
Now, my grow out pen with all my younger birds, my husband decided to add pigs to the other side of it...I didnt know if it's something I need to be worried about because we are supposed to worm the pigs monthly...they are feeder pigs...or should I wait till they are taken to slaughter? Or just do as I've always done?

 

[RyRe2010]

So now I have a reason :-[ tapeworm??
Valbazen it is. And I'll do it at night when they go to roost.

 

[coach723]

Praziquantel is better for tapeworms. You can use Equimax horse paste, or Zimectrin Gold horse paste which are generally easy to find. Dosing is here in post #6: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/tapeworms-that-wont-go-away.1130035/
The Wormout Gel recommended by @Eggcessive also contains praziquantel, I'm not familiar with dosing for that.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, I agree with Coach in that you may want to use a wormer such as Equimax which has praziquantel and ivermectin for tapes, which is what that looks like in the picture. Dosage for tapeworms is 0.03ml per pound of weight orally to each chicken. The Wormout Gel is praziquantel and oxbendazole. Dosage is 25 ml per gallon of water for 2 days.

 

[dawg53]

I echo what Coach and Eggcessive stated. Equimax equine paste wormer is what you need to get rid of tapeworms; the initial dose and a second dose 10 days later.
It would be best to give the paste to your chickens first thing in the morning while they are roosting. Your chickens will have empty stomachs and will be hungry, so will the tapeworms and they will be at their weakest. The Equimax will be more effective eliminating the tapeworms.

Valbazen will work but requires withholding feed for 24 hours, higher doses, and repeated treatments every 4th day with a total of 12 days altogether.
Keep in mind that infected insects are the vector for tapeworms in chickens, known as the indirect lifecycle. If you can isolate the tapeworm infected chickens and treat them separately from non tapeworm infected chickens, all the better.
However when dealing with any type of roundworms, it's always best to treat all your chickens, aka direct lifecycle.

 

[Eggcessive]

I just wanted to clarify that Wormout Gel is praziquantel and oxfendazole. The praziquantel is best for tapeworm, while the oxfendazole is similar to albendazole (Valbazen) which treats all othe chicken worms. I like that it can be used in the water for 2 days. But it is a bit pricey. Valbazen can be used for tapeworms, but it has to be given several times over days. Dawg53 is more knowledgeable about dosing.

But if I were treating tapeworms, I would elect to use the Equimax since it has a large enough amount of praziquantel to get the tapes. Dosage is 0.03 ml per pound to each chicken.