Newbie

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Bailz

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Newbie
« on: March 17, 2011, 21:25 »
Hi again how often do i need to worm my chickens and also what other if any supplements do i need to give them?
Cheers Bailz

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Chrysalis

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2011, 21:51 »
We worm ours every three to four months and dust them for mites/lice etc. every three weeks.

Welcome to the forums and I hope the mods can answer your question better than I (I have sooo much to learn!).  Chrysalis

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daisy1990

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2011, 21:57 »
worming depends I think on whether you have previously had hens on the same land (more frequent in this case).  We worm ours every four months.  I dust their coop each week with powder which treats mites (not that we have ever had any!)  I put cider vinegar in their water as a tonic
3 dogs, 8 chickens, 4 rabbits 2 guinea pigs, 10 quail, 2 fish and a demanding daughter who has gone to uni and left me with 29 animals to care for!!=)

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Bailz

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2011, 21:59 »
cheers guys cider vinegar in water? and what powder do you use and were do you get it from?

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Fisherman

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2011, 06:10 »
Cider vinegar can be bought from horsey supply places and dosed at about 25mls per litre of water. Probably not best to use it all the time say 2 or 3 weeks out of every 4. Crushed garlic can also be used in the water as that is a mild antibiotic.

The powder referred to will probably be Diatom but this is best applied in a slurry. Enter Diatom slurry in the search box at the top of the forum page and you will get some good threads on the subject started by Hillfooter. Any dust from powders can cause the birds respiratory problems and should be avoided.

The best wormer to use is Flubenvet and although lots of people seem to have problems with the mixing quantities it is pretty simple if you read the instructions.

For lice Frontline for cats / kittens is good but not licensed to be used on hens although loads of people use it. Easy to use if you got just a few hens but might be a bit tricky if you have a few hundred :wacko:

Use the search function on any of the above as there are loads of threads containing good info.

To buy the products it probably easier going online and searching for the cheapest. The larger amount of Diatom you buy the cheaper it gets and take note of whether VAT is included and also whether carriage charges are. Some places aren't as cheap as what they appear to be ???

If you do buy online it might also be worth buying some disinfectant like Poultry Shield for cleaning your coop.


 


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Casey76

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2011, 07:08 »
Hi Bailz, welcome to the henhouse.  Why don't you pop over to the Welsom section and introduce yourself?  We're a friendly bunch, and rarely bite ;)

If you use a chemical wormer, such as flubenvet 1%(available from your vet or online without a prescription) you can worm them once a quater.  With flubenvet there is no egg withdrawal so you can carry on enjoying your eggs.

Personally I don't use any supplements on a regular basis, and only during a moult would I increase the protein in the diet.  I do this be mixing their layers ration with chick or turkey starter.  Very occasionally they will get some tinned (in water) tuna if their moult is very bad.

Of course grit and oystershell should be available (in separate containers) all the time.

Good luck, and welcome to the mad world of chickeneering!

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joyfull

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Re: Newbie
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2011, 07:20 »
My chickens are all registered with a vet just in case I need some antibiotics so one of the first things you should do is find a poultry friendly vet.

I worm my chickens every 3-4 months as they free range and are in contact with wild birds. I get my Flubenvet from my vets as my vets are cheaper than on line but not all vets are.
I don't dust mine for mites or lice however I use frontline spray - this is not licensed for poultry and therefor I get it from my vets and sign for it.

Poultryshield (as has been mentioned) is great and goes a long way and diatom can be bought in large quantities which you can either dust into all the cracks or make into a slurry.

If you want to add apple cider vinegar (the rough stuff with bits floating in it not the purified stuff from the supermarket) to their water make sure you don't have a galvanised water container and don't give it all the time.
You can also add a smashed garlic clove or two to their water - as garlic is said to be good for humans and therefor may be good for your birds.

If you follow Caseys advice check that the chick crumb does not have anti coccidiosis treatment in it (I believe in France none do but over hear most do) as you cannot eat the eggs if a bird is eating this.
Staffies are softer than you think.



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