Worming advice. Chickens not taking to the water.

[coach723]

Most people use a two week withdrawl for worming meds. There are very few studies for chickens and eggs so when there is little info sometimes the recommendation defaults to 'forever'. Here is one small study for ivermectin, based on it I would think that two weeks of egg withdrawl would be safe. But everyone should do what they are comfortable with.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29378154

 

[dawg53]

I used to use Valbazen for treating tapeworms, but I found that it was losing its effectiveness in treating tapeworms. IMO over the years I found it was easier to use zimecterin gold or equimax. Yes, I tossed eggs for 30 days due to the ivermectin in both products. Ivermectin is the only wormer that I'd toss eggs. I dont use it anyway unless I'm dealing with tapeworms (Equimax.)

Valbazen is still my favorite wormer out of all the wormers and it will still treat tapeworms with adjustments: Ensure birds to be treated with Valbazen are penned for at least 2 weeks, you dont want them free ranging and grazing on grass or eating infected insects. Withhold their feed for 24 hours prior to using the Valbazen, water is fine. Time it that the 24 hour period is finished before sunrise. That way you'll be able to snatch birds off the roost while it's still dark and they're asleep.

Here's the key: You're going to have to double the dose per weight of the bird. Normally a 5 pound bird is given 1/2cc orally. For tapeworms, double it to 1cc, maybe a little more.

It would be best if someone held the hen for you. Preload your syringe without a needle with 1cc liquid wormer. Then pull her wattles down and her mouth will open. She might shake her head, but hang on and she will tire. Then grab your preloaded syringe with your other hand and only give her 1/2cc at a time orally. When you shoot the liquid in her mouth, you must IMMEDIATELY let go of her wattles so she can swallow the liquid on her own. If you dont immediately let go of the wattles, she could easily aspirate, then there would be big trouble.
Remember, you have to give her another 1/2cc orally (1cc total.) Simply repeat the above procedure and dont forget to let go of her wattles once you shoot the liquid in her mouth.
Valbazen stays in their system for 4 days. Repeat the above procedure again on the 6th day, that includes withholding feed on the 5th day (24 hours.)

When you withhold feed for 24 hours, that means not only are the chickens starving, so are the worms. The worms will be in a weakened state, making the wormer more effective.
Once you've completed worming, do NOT feed your starving chickens for at least 4 hours AFTER worming. When 4 hours are up, feed your chickens only a small amount of feed. If you feed them too much, they will gorge feed causing impacted crop and gizzard. Gradually increase their feed throughout the afternoon back to normal.

Dont forget, you'll have repeat the feeding procedure when you reworm later.

Tapeworms are difficult to get rid of due to infected insects being the cause of tapeworm infections. The Valbazen procedure above works. I have also done the same thing using Zimecterin Gold or Equimax with difficult tapeworm infections.

 

[RESQME49]

Ok. They didn’t have valbazen at tractor supply. They had safe guard (fenbendazole). So I got that and gave my hens a pea sized dollop on bread. It was the paste. So all I have to do is re administer in 10 days then wait 14 days for withdrawal?