How do I deworm Chickens?

[ChickenyChickeny]

I'm going to give the chickens Diactamous Earth or whatever its called, also garlic, and also apple cider vinaegar. should I also give them a general antibiotic, or no? Also, I'm getting Wazine for the deworming, how should i give it to the chickens?

 

[ashlierami]

I'm going to give the chickens Diactamous Earth or whatever its called, also garlic, and also apple cider vinaegar. should I also give them a general antibiotic, or no? Also, I'm getting Wazine for the deworming, how should i give it to the chickens?

I wouldn't give antibiotics unless they are needed. If they are given as prevention when they aren't sick it can build resistance, so when they do need it it doesn't work or doesn't work as well. Also wazine treats I believe one type of worm or just a few. I use ivermectin pour on. Yes it's for cattle but I've had great results. My birds gained alot of weight after they were rid of worms. This also helps their external parasites, which has saved them from picking so much. Wazine I believe is added to their water. It should specify on the bottle how much per gallon of water and how often to change it. I put DE in my feed to keep bugs out of it and also the birds ingest it so it is useful in many ways. The acv will aid in a healthy gut and tell garlic will aid in healthy immunity. Good luck!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Antibiotics do nothing for worms. That is solely for bacterial infection. I agree with the first poster that it is best not to use antibiotics until necessary to prevent resistance.

It is also hard to get antibiotics without a vet script anymore for the very reason that strains are growing resistance to our common antibiotics.

As to de-worming, attitudes vary regarding the best treatments.

For prevention, as in slowing what many argue is the inevitable worm loading, some like to use DE. One or two studies show slight improvement with DE while others show the birds gained heavier worm loads on DE than the control group. Many on BYC, myself included, feel that DE does not offer enough benefit for the respiratory risks to birds as the silica from the diatoms (ocean plankton used for DE) is very irritating to avian lungs. It is the scouring effect of DE that is believed to remove worms, if it indeed is helpful. Many feel that is also scouring the lungs of the birds.

Garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar will not remove worm infestations. They improve the gut flora which in turn improves a bird's immune system, which in turn helps the bird keep ahead of worm build up as it flushes the worms from its gut.

The only thing that will remove worms is worm meds, and the different meds address different worm types. Having a fecal done at a vet's office can be very helpful in targeting the specific worm type that really needs to be addressed, although many on BYC do not chose to or cannot have a fecal easily done but instead worm seasonally as a matter of fact.

As to the worm meds, Wazine will only address round worms, which is the most common type. It should be dispensed according to the directions on the bottle and generally repeated in 30 days as that is the cycle of the round worm. Worm meds only kill adult worms but do not touch those still encased in eggs or cysts.

Ivermectin cattle pour on, as the previous poster commented, has shown effectiveness against external parasites such as mites and will kill the major worm types in chickens IF the population has not been overexposed to Ivermectin. Some areas in the US are showing significance worm resistance to it. Ivermectin will not treat tape worms or gape worms (thought both are much rarer in chickens). Ivermectin is about 5 drops at the base of the neck, skin level. Repeated in 7 to 10 days.

Fenbendazole (Safeguard) is another all round wormer that can be placed in the water, though it tends to settle. It too is repeated, I think in a 3 day treatment period.

Valbazon is another all round wormer in the US.

If FDA approval is of concern (ie you sell eggs or share them to other families), the only currently approved (2018) wormer for layers in the US is fenbendazole, in an expensive water soluble poultry formula. Many simply use the goat wormer Safeguard.

It is important to break the worm cycle of egg or cyst being ingested by the bird, then matured in the digestive system to produce the next generation of eggs or cysts to be passed in feces so the next bird can pick it up and continue the cycle.

That means poop build up typically means worm load build up in the soil, so keeping fields rotated or litter shoveled and replaced is an important part of maintaining a low worm load in a flock.

Killing frost in winter is a big help as it often kills the eggs or cysts left in the soil, so if you live in a warmer, moister climate, worm loads build much faster all year long. Those in harsh winters often do little worming if field and litter is kept clean.

And finally, it is best to rotate your wormer meds as the worms do selectively build resistance. It is best to use type A in fall and type B in winter, and possibly type C in spring.

Herbals, such as garlic, pumpkin seed, cayenne pepper, and apple cider vinegar can make the gut less hospitable for worms, but the worms are simply flushed out live for the next bird to pick up or re-pick up. That is why field and litter management is important.

HTH
LofMc