[wenhen]

At the moment they don't like/eat the pellets, but they love the mash - does it matter if they only eat mash? Is it a matter of taste? Would it be worth trying a different brand of pellets (any recommendations) at the moment they have the Small Holder Brand.

Our Amber one seems to have a bit of a cough - well she sounds like she is trying to make duck noises and then has a little shake of her head. She has also had some very runny poos. I've read that this might mean gapeworm, but she isn't tame enough yet to check in her throat to be sure. The lady at the farm said that they would need worming in Spring and Autumn, would it be worth me getting some Flubenvet for all three of them? Would I still need to give them the Verm-x stuff to? And it is ok to give this to the other 2 as well?

They also hav a litter tray full of compost, but just seem to peck at it - is therre anything else we should put in it to encourage them to use it as a dustbath?

[Aunt Sally]

They are probably used to eating mash but it would be best for you to swap them over to pellets as soon as possible.  There are two ways to do it.  Gradually mix more pellets in with their mash until they eat the pellets. Give them no choice and they will eat pellets within 2 or 3 days (they won't starve themselves).

Verm-x is a very inefficient wormer, that's why it has to be given every month.  It does NOT treat gape worm anyway and makes them a bit squirt !  Get some flubenvet now and treat them all immediatly.  Gape worm can kill chooks quite quickly by asphyxiation - not nice

I'd put the verm-x in the bin and use flubenvet every six months or so.

They will dust bath bathe when they need to.  You could add some sharp sand to the compost.  I use a deep tub rather than a tray.  Gives them more room to splash about   I add diatom to their dust bath to discourage lice and mites.  I dust their house with it as well to prevent red mite.

[wenhen]

Hi Aunt Sally

Lots of great advise - thank you.

I've found some Flubenvet online (http://www.petmeds.co.uk/p-3359-flubenvet-medicated-premixture.aspx
) is that the right stuff?

When you say putting the Verm-x in the bin do you mean in with the food? (Sorry if that's a daft question). It interseting to hear all the different suggestions for the worming treatment - some have been saying worming twice a year or every 3 months etc.

Is there any benefit for them from eating the pellet over the mash? Might try giving them no choice as it would be easier to give to them, but as they are so new and we are new to chicken keeping we didn't want to upset them!  :roll:

[Lemon]

I read that mash takes the hens longer to eat (being powdery, they pick up less in their beaks) so it means:
1)it occupies them longer and are less bored,
2)they can't gorge themselves silly on it as they can only pick up so much at a go...

I was considering getting mash to you can add garlic powder to it (as I hear it neutralises poo smells) also diatom to it.

I'm not sure how I would add that to pellets?

But advantages of pellets is that it's less messy for them to eat.  Being in pelleted form, it's easier to see when they chuck it about out of the feeders.

..........taht's what I read anyway...haven't got any chooks yet...

[wenhen]

Hi Lemon

Yes I have been adding the garlic powder to the mash, you can kind of add it to the pellets it's very powdery so it just coats the outsides.

I like the idea of them not getting bored and having something to do during the day.

[poultrygeist]

Hi Aunt Sally
When you say putting the Verm-x in the bin do you mean in with the food? (Sorry if that's a daft question).

Is there any benefit for them from eating the pellet over the mash?

I hope I'm not speaking out of turn, but I'm sure Aunt Sally meant the dustbin because it's not as effective as flubenvet. I know many people on here use it but I trust Aunt Sally to know about such things and she always recommends flubenvet over any herbal based remedies.

We've always fed pellets and I agree with what Lemon says. The mash is supposed to be a good distraction but the pellets are much easier to feed and less messy.
The garlic powder will coat the pellets ok if you just mix it into a handful and then mix into the hopper.
I used the same method to mixgive them flubenvet.

Rob

[wenhen]

Oh I see   yes reading it as "throw it away" does make more sense!

Have ordered flubenvet, so hopefully that will be with me tomorrow. So can start treating them as soon as possible.  

[Miller]

Not used Verm-X on chooks but a friend used it from when it first came out on her horses - when we all did a routing worm count hers came back as v high and the rest of our horses were in the low category - prior to this they all had the same result

[poultrygeist]

I can't comment personally, because I've never used verm-x, but I have read a lot of comments. Some people use it routinely and see it as a good product, possibly because they prefer herbal over pharmaceutical.

But if I suspected my hens had worms, I wouldn't hesitate to use flubenvet. After all, I've got about 99% of a tub to get through in the next couple of years  :shock:  

Rob