Worming Chickens?

[ChickenGirl 19]

I'm a new chicken owner. I have 6 mix breeds (5 hens and a rooster) who started laying in august or september, if I remember right. I also have 5 muscovy ducks(parents and three ducklings, the two male ducklings will eventually be sold so they don't fight or harass the females). They all live together, and the chickens are losing a bit of weight. I suspect it's the lowering temperatures (or that they ate all plants from the run), but just in case it is more, I'd like to know the best wormers for ducks and chickens? My family and I will be going to a feed and pet store tomorrow to get some higher protein food for them, and I might pick up a wormer if they have one. Speaking of feed, the store we normally go to doesn't have flock raiser or game bird feed. I'll see the other store, but what other feed would have higher protein the plain layer?

 

[cowcreekgeek]

I'm a new chicken owner. I have 6 mix breeds (5 hens and a rooster) who started laying in august or september, if I remember right. I also have 5 muscovy ducks(parents and three ducklings, the two male ducklings will eventually be sold so they don't fight or harass the females). They all live together, and the chickens are losing a bit of weight. I suspect it's the lowering temperatures (or that they ate all plants from the run), but just in case it is more, I'd like to know the best wormers for ducks and chickens? My family and I will be going to a feed and pet store tomorrow to get some higher protein food for them, and I might pick up a wormer if they have one. Speaking of feed, the store we normally go to doesn't have flock raiser or game bird feed. I'll see the other store, but what other feed would have higher protein the plain layer?

Gonna start w/ some links for your further study, before expressing my thoughts ...

Worming Chickens and Other Poultry
http://poultrykeeper.com/general-chickens/worming-chickens

Parasitic Worms in Waterfowl
http://www.callducks.net/worms.htm

Chicken & Duck Care at AvianWeb
http://www.avianweb.com/chicken.htm

Internal Parasites, Technical Manual [pdf format]
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/tech_manuals/internal_parasites.pdf

Common Helminths of Poultry, Merck Vet Manual
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/htm/bc/tpou05.htm


Now, my first defense against all things internal is the inclusion of Apple Cider Vinegar in the water at the rate of 4 teaspoons per 1 gallon of water. This will NOT worm them, but it WILL create an environment within that's far from friendly to parasites/diseases/etc. with the added benefits of improving their uptake of nutrients/vitamins, and the medicine you're gettin' ready to give 'em. And, can sbsolutely do not harm to your birds, whatsoever.

If any of your birds are molting, you're gonna wanna do a bit more research first.

I'm gonna use fenbendazole (Safe-Guard and Panacur are common Brands) on my own, because of all choices? It's the one that is proven to have been safe at 100 times the recommended dosage, yet is still a very effective treatment for eliminating Capillaria (capillary worms), Heterakis (cecal worms), Ascaridia (roundworms), and Syngamus spp. (gapeworms).


From the list of links in my signature, Solutions Used for Poultry:

PARASITE (INTERNAL) SOLUTIONS
The following treatments have been shown to be effective for eliminating internal parasites from poultry and game birds. Neither of these drugs (fenbendazole or leviamisole) has been approved for use by FDA, so the producer accepts all responsibility for their use. Both drugs have been very effective if used properly and will eliminate most types of internal parasites that affect birds. Caution: Do not use with birds producing eggs or meat destined for human consumption.
Fenbendazole Treatments
One-day Treatment

1 oz Safeguard or Panacur per 15-20 lb feed​

Dissolve the fenbendazole product in one cup of water. Mix this solution well into the feed and give to the birds as their only feed source for one day. When completely consumed, untreated feed can be given. Be sure that the commercial medication contains 10% fenbendazole.
Safeguard is a product of Ralston Purina, and Panacur is a product marketed by American Hoechst. One ounce of medication will treat about 1000 10-oz bobwhite quail. Adjustments of the amounts of medication and feed needed may be necessary depending on the number and size of the birds.
Three-Day Treatment

1.2 oz Safeguard or Panacur in 100 lb feed
-or-
4 oz pkt of "Worm-A-Rest Litter Pack" (Ralston Purina) in 50 lb feed
-or-
5 lb bag of "Worm-A-Rest Mix Pack" in 495 lb feed​

Feed all the medicated feeds free-choice for three consecutive days. The feed mixtures provide 75 ppm fenbendazole. Quail will receive about 1.7 mg/bird each day for adult birds or 2.75 mg/lb of bodyweight.
Fenbendazole has been shown to be a very effective treatment for eliminating Capillaria (capillary worms), Heterakis (cecal worms), Ascaridia (roundworms), and Syngamus spp. (gapeworms). Toxicity from overdosing with fenbendazole is very remote. Research indicates that amounts up to 100 times the recommended dosages have been given under research conditions without adverse effects to the birds. Use of this product during molt, however, may cause deformity of the emerging feathers.
Leviamisole Solutions

52 gram (1.84 oz) pkt Tramisol in 100 gallons water
-or-
13 gram (.46 oz) pkt Tramisol in 25 gallons water
-or-
52 gram (1.84 oz) pkt in 3 qt water (stock solution)​

Dissolve the 52 gram packet of "Tramisol Cattle and Sheep Wormer" or the 13 gram packet of "Tramisol Sheep Drench Powder" into the appropriate amount of water. If the stock solution is used with a water proportioner, be sure that the stock solution is dispensed at the rate of 1 oz/gallon in the drinking water.
Any of the solutions are effective at treating Capillaria (capillary worms), Heterakis (cecal worms), and Ascaridia (roundworms). The solutions contain .5 gram of leviamisole per gallon of water. Allow the birds to drink the solution for one day, then remove. In severe cases, the treatment can be repeated every 5-7 days.

 

[casportpony]

I'm a new chicken owner. I have 6 mix breeds (5 hens and a rooster) who started laying in august or september, if I remember right. I also have 5 muscovy ducks(parents and three ducklings, the two male ducklings will eventually be sold so they don't fight or harass the females). They all live together, and the chickens are losing a bit of weight. I suspect it's the lowering temperatures (or that they ate all plants from the run), but just in case it is more, I'd like to know the best wormers for ducks and chickens? My family and I will be going to a feed and pet store tomorrow to get some higher protein food for them, and I might pick up a wormer if they have one. Speaking of feed, the store we normally go to doesn't have flock raiser or game bird feed. I'll see the other store, but what other feed would have higher protein the plain layer?

If you go to a feed store and ask for "chicken wormer" they will probably try to sell you Wazine which only gets roundworms. You should see if they have Safeguard for Goats (fenbendaloze). My avian vet told me to give my chickens, turkeys and peafowl the wormer at the rate of .5cc/kg by mouth, but she never said anything about ducks, so please check.

For higher protein feed, see if they have any turkey starter or turkey grower/finisher.

 

[casportpony]

This link has very good info on the different wormers.
http://www.healthybirds.umd.edu/disease/deworming birds.pdf