Treating chickens for worms?

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I just noticed one (assuming all?) has/have worms. I've never had this problem with chickens. I guess it's the tremendous moisture and warm winters, I'm seeing _way_ more parasites all the way around. So, how do you treat them? I've got some "herbal wormer" I put in with their feed, but I'm sure that's not going to do it. Do they have something I'm not familiar with to mix into the ration?

(Tapping lip, and imagining syringing teensy amounts of medication in resistant lil' beakies! ....Um....no. Gotta be a better way.)

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), August 24, 2002

Answers

Patty, the farm stores do carry poultry wormers that are added to the drinking water although it's not herbal or organic. I've never had a parasite problem but then I mix DE in the feed on a continuous basis. I read in a poultry book that slugs will give poultry worms and with the warm,wet summer there's probably an excessive amount of slugs. I will look in my natural vet care books and see what else you could use. As for that little syringe in the beakies-be glad you don't need to use suppositories. :):) LOL

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), August 24, 2002.

I've heard some claim that the purple berries of polk weed are natural dewormers for chickens . I don't know if there is truth to this.

-- SM Steve (Unreal@home.com), August 24, 2002.

Patty, I found three sites that talk about chickens & worms. I haven't had a chance to check my books yet but I will. The last site has the best explainations & remedies in my opinion.

http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/poultry_worms.html

http://www.farmsteadhealth.com/restoresustain.html

http://webusers.warwick.net/~u1015576/page2.html

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), August 24, 2002.


Oh, no. I didn't mean I wouldn't use "the big guns"! I try to stay away from "overmedicating", but I'm not all all adverse to using meds. when I feel it's appropriate!! Slugs, ah! That makes sense, who wouda thunk it? I'm a bit causious of DE, I know a lot of folks swear by it, and I have a ton. But, I think I was noticing adverse affects...I don't know. I'm using it a lot, but not orally, a spread it, and lime as well. My daughter had a poultry judging class, and we did look at many chicken butts(!!!), but suppositories, no thanx. ;-)

I'll check out the feed store. Appreciate the info.!

Steve, I know folks say different things about polk, but count me out! No toxic plants for me or the critters, lol.

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), August 24, 2002.


piperzine....-is an approved wormer for large roundworms...... with a large margin of safety .....phenothiazine is approved for cecal worms only, and has a narrow margin of safety.....to ensure a wormers effectiveness ( especially if you're battling tapeworm, withhold feed for 18 hours before worming. About an hour after worming, feed a moist mash,which causes hungrey chickens to eat slowly.This is information from a book called : The chicken Health Handbook By Gail Damerow. There are more wormers listed that are designed to kill specific species of worms that chickens get .I don't know if I should post all . I'm wondering how would someone know which worms their chickens have without a fecal check ?The piperzine is the one I've seen in my feed co-op.

-- SM Steve (Unreal@home.com), August 24, 2002.


So, piperazine is safe for chickens. I read that and thought, I think I have some cat wormer with that...so I checked and yup. This says it is very safe, even for kittens. But for cats you would dose directly, so I'm wondering if I can just put it in the water at the per pound dosage? Seems like I could, if the mg/ml was the same or similar...? So, Steve, I wondered if that book had that info.? This is 250mg piperazine per 5 ml, (piperazine citrate).

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), August 24, 2002.

Patty, what "adverse effects" were you seeing with DE?

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), August 24, 2002.

Like I was saying...it's probably just a weird coincidence, but after we started mixing DE in the ration, we had 4 or 5 cases of just...crazyness. Renal, gut,....just unexplained. One goat, became neuro, and they never could figure that one out, even with an extensive necropsy. So, I don't know, we tested the ration..everything! That was the only thing I could think that we changed. So, that's why I'm leary. Most likely unfounded, but.....

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), August 26, 2002.

Patty, just a thought on the DE. Were you using food grade DE or agricultural grade? The Ag DE has other impurities that can cause illness & even death to animals & humans. There has even been some Ag grade that was found to have Lead in it! Once it was found to be contaminated they supposedly quit producing it from that facility but you never know if a few tons slipped through or was already out on the market and not recalled.

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), August 26, 2002.

Oh my gosh! No! It was definately the good stuff.....I know, I know, but think about it... The reason it kills parasites is because it's like teensy shards that cut them up...mucous membranes or no.... I'm wary....need more info.

That's ok, I'll load em up on Ivomec! ;-) Just kidding!

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), August 26, 2002.



I came to wean myself from here by just lurking and I see this DE being mentioned. I can't sit back without sharing this . a friend who has his goat herd ( registered French Alpine)being supervised by the university or Tennessee , they do all his worming ,told me not to give my goats DE . He said it cuts up their intestines.And will cause permenant harm to the goat.

-- SM Steve (Unreal@home.com), August 27, 2002.

Wow that is so weird. I've known dozens of people over the years who have always used DE, and I've never heard of such a thing before! I personally used it for 15 yrs on cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, horses, donks, deer, dogs, cats, hogs, and all manner of poultry. I also used garlic and herbal wormers, and never found a need to use chemicals. Interesting, eh?

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), August 27, 2002.

I have no knowlege of DE .I was told this by a breeder,friend , who the University of Tennessee , in their efforts to bring knowlege of goats to the agriculture industry is working with a couple of dairy herd goat breeders.One of the herds is his .Universities get money from chemical industries also .The Universities may lie to promote chemical use of the companies products that give them money .I'm just passing what I heard.A phone call to UT may shed light on the subject.My goats have eatin poisoness plants and trees , that others swear killed their goats.Non of my goats have ever died from eating those plants ?

-- SM Steve (Unreal@home.com), August 27, 2002.

Earthmamma, I have dozens of friends that swear by DE, as well. One gal I know is a Vet., who has been raising and showing goats since she was a wee thing, and that's all she says generally ever needs for parasites!

I realize my situation could have been anything, from a chronic ailment progressing, to Lepto, or Listeria, allergic reactions, poisoning...whatever! We even thought meningial(sp?) worm. So, Like I said, no real "factual" basis at all! But, there is not really any "factual" data that it is completly safe either. That I'm know of, anyway. I'm certainly aware it probably _WASN'T_ anything to do with DE. I just go with my gut, many times. :-)

In regards meds. You must be a much finer stockwoman than I! Seriously, I know you are way more experienced!

To be honest I can't imagine not using meds preventatively, as well as for treatment. From my stance this is due to many factors, in my situation, anyway. Management is indeed an issue, even rotating pasture and species, they are often in close quarters. And I choose a pretty invasive style. (I could certainly be accused of micromanagement!) My area is very moist, and with the mild winters and hot humid, rainy conditions, many folks are having problems. Also my dairy goats are genetically bred for production, just as cows in a large dairy, the girls can't browse the amount they need to maintain good overall health during lactation because they literally pour themselves into being milky (often being precocious), at the expense of their own bodies. So, I have to throw excellent quality hay, and a high protien ration at them. I have a hard time knowing what exactly is in the hay and feed, as it's almost impossible to find anything organic. That complicates things, as well. Then, there is the situation that survival of the "fittest" isn't happening. Perhaps breeding for show quality and production, but at times traits like thriftyness or aggresive immune systems goes out the window. This a problem that is discussed extensively, because "form" as dictated by breed standards, should follow function..it often is not the case. I know I don't cull nearly hard enough. And many more issues.

This isn't to say, I'm always medicating. I try hard not to, and also use herbal wormer, garlic, echinachea, kelp(if I could find it again), free chioce soda/min, etc., etc. But I do practice cocci prevention on all kids, immunize, worming program, and will give things like benedryl, and antibiotics if I feel I need to.

Mostly it's the goats....to be honest. I raaaaarely have to treat a different species, except for biannual worming.

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), August 27, 2002.


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