Worming and inoculating my chicks/chickens???

[CocoPopz]

Hey, someone told me that when my chicks reach 2-3month they will need worming and inoculating, I know what wormer to buy, Flubenvet is apparently the best! The man said that I can buy some kind of liquid form of medicine type thing that you put in their water, and you can buy this off the Internet, he didn't know a name of brand, but I've been typing in inoculating chicken on the web and have found nothing, just something or the other on vaccination? Does anyone know any brands for liquid inoculator thing? And if that's true? And if I need to? I can't see the point in taking all my chickens (alot) to the vets for vaccines every year as they're a rip off, like £48 pound for one vaccine, it's not like they are pets, just egg layers, helps???!

 

[CocoPopz]

I've always wormed my chickens every 6 week? Is this to much/not enough? They've always been fine, never known them to have worms, it's jut the inoculating I'm confused about as I have never done it?!

 

[sumi]

Deworming every 6 weeks is too much. I personally prefer to deworm twice a year as a precaution and of course, immediately if I see any signs of worms. Here's an interesting discussion on deworming that you can look at:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...nd-piperazine-dosage-for-bantams#post_2525157

To vaccinate or not is a personal choice. I'm a firm believer in "prevention is better than cure", especially for some diseases like Mareks, but it's not a disaster if you don't. If you do not plan to keep a closed flock, take your chickens to shows and other events where they can potentially be exposed to disease and live in an area where there is a history of disease outbreaks, I would recommend vaccinations though. Here is some more information on vaccinations to help you decide:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps030

 

[CocoPopz]

Thank you I don't think ill vaccine any, they're only on my garden, for go anywhere

 

[nan4848]

Personally, I prefer to get a fecal test done at the veterinarian if I suspect worms, to avoid unnecessarily putting poison in the birds. Doesn't cost much. I use good preventative measures. Sanitation, DE, and cider vinegar and cayenne and a garlic clove in the feed and water. I've had chickens for 3 years, and have had fecal tests twice, which came back negative for parasites.

 

[CocoPopz]

Okay thankyou for your advise so what do you add to their feed to avoid putting worming products on? You ad vinager?

 

[sumi]

Okay thankyou for your advise so what do you add to their feed to avoid putting worming products on? You ad vinager?

There are things such as vinegar, garlic, DE etc, that people believe will help prevent internal and external parasites, but the natural products, beneficial as some of them are to the chickens' overall health, does not help much to stop parasites. See this member's experience:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ts-is-not-coryza-or-crd-parasites-are-rampant

 

[nan4848]

There are things such as vinegar, garlic, DE etc, that people believe will help prevent internal and external parasites, but the natural products, beneficial as some of them are to the chickens' overall health, does not help much to stop parasites. See this member's experience:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ts-is-not-coryza-or-crd-parasites-are-rampant

I agree. To an extent. There are a lot of extenuating factors such as environment, etc. that will contribute to worm infestation in the best kept flocks. But it's not a given that every flock will develop parasites. May be I should have left the part out about preventatives..

My main point was that we are over medicating /poisoning our pets, food sources and ourselves all in the name of prevention. Good for the bottom line on pharmaceutical/chemical companies, not so good for those receiving the pharmaceuticals/chemicals. The fecal exam, at least where I am, is low cost, results the same day, and much much easier on the birds.

I wouldn't willingly ingest poison on the chance I may or may not contract something. I won't do it to the birds I use as a food source unless I know they have parasites.

 

[CocoPopz]

Okay thankyou all