[mad mark]

When should you start with all this gear? My birds are about 16 weeks and not started laying yet as just arrived on Sunday. The house is clean and we have not used any of the above kit yet. When should we? Red mite? Louse Powder? Wormer? Cider Vingegar in water? There is so much information out there? Dont want to make mistakes as the ladies look so lovely and healthy at the moment.
Thanks for your help. Appreciated.

[andreadon]

red mite powder every six weeks - you can get stuff in a white sprinkle tub (looks like talc) that has instructiosn on it - just called red mite powder. (try a farm shop)
we haven't used louse powder yet, but i don't think that they're a huge problem cos you can see them. (someone will tell me i'm wrong - i usually am....)

worms - try vermex as a preventative measure (prevention - if they get worms (heaven forbid) then use flubenvet.
ours comes in a tub with a handy scoop - one scoop per hen per day for 3 days: just dump it in their feeder - once every month.
i got mine from wells poultry (you can google that)

if they have a good diet (pellets/mash, grit, the occasional treat and cabbage/grass) then they shouldn't need ACV: you'll find that's most helpful for when they get the sniffles.

[mad mark]

Thanks for that will do the red mite powder when I clean out fully at the weekend. Whats ACV? Cider vinegar? Got some red mite powder but will get some vermex to put in the water to keep the worms away.
Are there any particular things I should look for when I check them in a morning? They seem to be getting along ok with each other no pecking etc yet. 
Appreciate the advice.

[andreadon]

Whats ACV? Cider vinegar?

yep!

but will get some vermex to put in the water to keep the worms away.

put it in the food - i don't think they'd like big lumps in their water!

Are there any particular things I should look for when I check them in a morning? They seem to be getting along ok with each other no pecking etc yet. 
Appreciate the advice.

i'm not sure about specific things, but if you handle them regularly and keep an eye on them, it should be easy to spot anything wrong - spend some time with them everyday if you can, then you'll learn their normal habits.

[treacleminer]

With worms - if they have come from a reputable dealer, they should be ok for now, and unless the ground they are going on has had chickens on recently, or loads of pheasants wandering over it, there is unlikely to be a problem.  You may prefer not to subject them to doses of unnecessary medications? - I know the jury is out on this one, some prefer to worm them periodically and some just when signs of worms are spotted.

[andreadon]

it is a tricky one, treacleminer!

we didn't worm ours at all to start with - then a lot of people on this forum worm them regularly - i think the consensus is that if you let them free range, then it's a good idea as a precaution.
(now you've said your bit - we do have pheasants on our land, so phew!)
the lady at our local farm shop said not to bother, but i think theirs were always inan enclosed run.
but what about pigeons and other wild birds?

[Kate and her Ducks]

but will get some vermex to put in the water to keep the worms away.

put it in the food - i don't think they'd like big lumps in their water!

Think you can get soluble stuff for their water as well as pellets to go in their food.

[andreadon]

urgh!

ours won't touch water that's had anything added!
(except mud - they seem to love muddy rainwater puddles)

[richyrich7]

I'd rather not over medicate TBH it seems a bit OTT, mine are wormed about every 4 months or so. I use an organic redmite/louse powder called "gold label get rid"  when and if they need it.  I always wonder if you routine dose will the thing your dosing become immune to it over the years like the use of antibiotics on us .
It's something that you will have to decide personally on to what suits you. There's no hard and fast rules that I know of.