[TeaPots]

I've not wormed my 3 girls before, they seem very healthy and I'm reluctant to fill them with chemicals if not really necessary, so what's the general opinion on this? I have looked in the places where I buy their feed and not seen flubenvet anywhere, so if you all agree I should be doing this can anyone recommend a web site to buy it from?

You are not doing them any favours tho. They can be carrying a heavy worm burden, and reluctance to use chemicals is in this instance rather short sighted. Better to treat unnecessarily than for the girls to be be suffering.

 I measure 25g of flubenvet (as per instructions on MY tin....strengths vary) and mix it with a 25Kg sack of pellets, which I keep in a plastic tub. I feed all the choox from this tub exclusively...no extras or treats or corn etc for 7 days. If my tub runs out before 7 days are up, I do another sack load). Any food not eaten after 7 days, I save in the tub until next time. It is very easy, inexpensive and can save so much heartache later on. My lot free-range, so can easily pick up these parasites.

I worm mine every 3 months, as I also have quite a turnover of girlies. I recommend they are done every 6 months. 

Good luck, dont give up, keep us posted. Once all those horrid wrigglers have gone, she'll pick up really quickly.

[joyfull]

if you have only a few girls then with the 1% strength of flubenvet you can mix 1 scoop (provided in the tub) with 2 kgs of feed and keep this in an air tight tub. Unfortunatly the non medicated wormers do not work on all worms so it is best to use a proven wormer IMO. Flubenvet can be obtained either from a vets or over the internet through specialists poultry suppliers.

[themagicaltoad1]

Thanks for the advice, I guess I'll be worming them then.
Bexybeck- sorry I jumped on your thread, hope your girl gets better soon.

[bexybeck]

Thanks Zak!

And don't worry about it Magicaltoad, just get those chooks on the flubenvet - you don't want to end up like me and Zak - medicating them afterwards is so much worse than prevention (for us and the chooks!).

[bexybeck]

Lawks, Dave has developed two flat white blisters on her comb now! Surely she can't have fowl pox too? It's getting worse and worse...

Her crop also hasn't emptied again this morning so I might have to assume she is impacted and manually empty it Having said that, she's still pooing so some must be going down.

I'll keep you posted.

[bexybeck]

Oh boy! Definitely sour crop - what a stink! I nearly threw up myself  :blink: Weird because her breath didn't smell? There was some grass mixed in there too and a couple of pieces of cabbage so maybe she was a little bit impacted like I thought, since she hasn't had grass for over a week now.

She wasn't very happy about my interference, but I feel better if they struggle a bit - if they don't I know they've really given up!

I'll just have to wait and see now.

*twiddles thumbs*

[bexybeck]

Ok, Davy's crop has been filling evey morning and I've been tipping her up to empty it but this morning it felt more full than ever!

I switched to using a mixture of oil, yoghurt and crushed garlic with a bit of chick crumb thrown in because I read about good results from using garlic, it being anti-fungal. I'm also giving her poultry drink rather than plain water. But, I also read on my forum travels that you should never give them yoghurt because they are lactose intolerant and it makes them worse. The thing is, most people recommend using yoghurt so I'm a bit confused  I also read about oral daktarin being used effectively, has anyone tried this?

I'm getting really worried now, because this morning she was reluctant to stand up (although she is standing now) and her toes were curling. She's also closing her eyes more. She seemed a little perkier when I'd emptied her crop and syringed in the gunk (honestly, Dave, myself and the whole bathroom stink of garlic - why do they have to shake their heads at the crucial syringy moment?) but she still won't eat by herself.

I've given her the second dose of ivermectin this morning but I'm worried she won't live long enough for the final dose in a week's time 

If anyone is still reading this, I'd love some advice. I don't want to lose her, she is the last of the first battery hens we rescued and even though she has no tail and one of her toes is crooked, she's everyone's favourite!

[joyfull]

It is true they are lactose intollerent but you can give them probiotic yoghurt in small quantities. All I can say is just keep trying, fingers crossed for you and her xx

[Jeanette]

You are doing a fantastic job just keep up the good work

[bexybeck]

I'm beginning to think the vet was right, and she may have blockage beyond her crop. I thought it had emptied yesterday morning but when I got back from work she was unable to stand and her crop was full this morning. She has gone from looking peaky for two weeks to looking near death overnight. I didn't expect her to be alive when I got home from work today, and had a good cry and said goodbye this morning but she's still here. She's extremely weak, her eyes are closed and she's just lying there rather than sitting. If I try and stand her up she falls forward and I have to catch her. I swear she's skinnier than she was two weeks ago but I can't bring myself to weigh her to find out.

Thankyou for all your help and kind words but I know me and Dave have lost this battle. When we first got hens, a lady I met said they bring you nothing but heartache. I'm looking at Rita and Lucy trying to shelter from the rain (all my hens have Beatles names) and I have to say I don't wholeheartedly agree. I love watching them pecking about, and I'm proud they have all been rescued from battery cages - but when they die the heartache shows itself.

At least Davey got to see the sun.

[grumpydad]

sorry you have been through this, but the lady was right, they do give you lots of heartache.
we lost 7 out of 9 in a year, so i know what you are going through.

our bantam has gapeworm, so the 2 of them have been on flubenvet and coxoid for the last week, neither is eating much, but it is their last day tomorrow, back on normal food for a week, then see how it is.

dont give up, we are going for some more next week, if we can do it so can you.

martyn