Author Topic: What should I use to worm my girls (Read 9737 times)

Merlins Mum · « **on:** November 02, 2006, 10:17:40 »

Would welcome any advice on what and how to worm hens. I have got some apple cider vinegar as I was told by the supplier of the organic pellets I give them that it is a good way of worming them. They free range for most of the day so I am a bit worried about them getting worms. If any one out there uses ACV can you tell me how often you give it to them and what ratio to water.
I only have 3 girls (all ex battery) but one is laying a soft shelled egg all the time now. There is always grit and oyster shell in their run but I don't think they take much as they are free ranging. Would it be better if I kept them in for part of the day?
Any help and advice welcome as I want to do the best for them. :)

MM

teresa · « **Reply #1 on:** November 02, 2006, 12:11:18 »

I heard a cap full in fresh water daily, now how long 1 week or 1 month cannot remember.
Also a crushed garlic clove in the daily water ?
It is said that rhubarb leaves worm them and they will eat it if they have worms seems the chickens know best.
Rhubarb does not affect hens mine have eaten it ( helped themselves through the fence) this was before I knew about it being good for worms. It is said that you should plant a crown or two where they can get free access to it.
Let your girls free range as long as they like, they will decide if its too cold to go outside, put some straw on the floor of henhouse and throw some bird seed in it so they can scrat in it this will help to keep them warm and give them something to do inside especialy in the bad weather.

bombus · « **Reply #2 on:** November 02, 2006, 18:08:29 »

Hi MM, there is only one licenced poultry wormer available, FLUBENVET you can buy it from www. domesticfowltrust.co.uk or you can buy layers pellets already treated with FLUBENVET from Marriage feeds and give this to your Hens for 7days twice per year, spring and autumn.A good layers ration should provide all the calcium your hens should need. Hope this is of some help. Regards Bombus :)

teresa · « **Reply #3 on:** November 02, 2006, 18:33:47 »

Bombus is right the only thing UK gov and I think EU recomends is a vets perscription ( if your vet knows anything about hens/fowl) is FLUBENVET.
Yes I was told I had to have it, its not cheap and the tub will last me X amount of years.
Previous by another vet in the practice I was given cat and dog worming syrup to syringe down their throats each morning for a week.
My 6 girls put up with me and our vets bless them .
I would like to see someone with 1000 hens syringe them each morning.
The layers pellets treated sounds good if you can buy it lose?
Buy a good plant of rhubarb and let them help themselves.

Merlins Mum · « **Reply #4 on:** November 02, 2006, 20:04:08 »

thanks teresa and bombus. I have a couple of small rhubarb plants I want to put in the garden so I will do that at the weekend.
bombus how is the flubenvet administered.
Also would you know if loose droppings means they have worms?
Sorry for all the questions but this is my first time at keeping hens.

MM

teresa · « **Reply #5 on:** November 03, 2006, 01:02:40 »

Sorry about the previous post, stressfull day burst pipe in attic house is now drying out and me a bit calmer.
So to Bombas I am sorry did not mean it to come out so abrupt. I am a nice person realy.
flubenvet is a white powder which is sprinkled over the food in the morning feed ( when they are most hungry) and as Bombas said for 7 days twice a year.
loose droppings can be a few things. like mine if they get too much greens lettuce wiz through mine, but in the summer with it being hot they loved it .or a change in the food, even a fright can do it. try giving them porrage oats dry in the afternoon see if that helps the droppings.
How long have you had the hens, If they are new it could just be them getting use to eating different stuff.
If your hens are busy , scratching around they are fine. watch out if they go quiet and puff up the feathers and dont want to leave the house thats a sign they are not well.

bombus · « **Reply #6 on:** November 03, 2006, 06:53:31 »

all is forgiven,i've a tough skin ::)

OliveOil · « **Reply #7 on:** November 03, 2006, 07:00:29 »

I used Flubevet and it works a treat!!!

Its easy to administer - weigh out the doses of flubevet, weigh out 1kg of feed PER BIRD. mix the two together and the feed will last exactly 1 week.

Merlins Mum · « **Reply #8 on:** November 03, 2006, 08:38:52 »

thanks again for all your help.
I will give flubevet a go. will order some from the domestic fowl trust.
I have been giving them poultry spice with their pellets but so much of it seems to end up at the bottom of the feeder. this morning I have given them some cooked tatties and cauliflower stalks and they loved it, so will mix the poultry spice with that in future. on a previous thread jerry had said he gave his hens mash and cooked veggies warm on frosty mornings.

teresa I had heard hens liked porridge but will try giving it to them dry. I've had Henrietta about 8 weeks and her droppings are fine but they were more or less from the day I had her. got yet anothere soft shell from her this morning. :'( the other two have been with us 3 weeks on sunday but they hadn't come straight from the cages as john the rescue co-ordinator had taken them in from previous rescues so have no idea how old they are or how long they have been having a better life. as he has 150 hens plus, I doubt if he can remember either, lol

If you think of anything else I would be grateful, thanks again one and all

MM

teresa · « **Reply #9 on:** November 03, 2006, 09:55:40 »

Cooked vedges are great, mine love pasta sister in law cooks porrage for hers. Someone told me to chop a onion fine up hers love that ( there was a reason will find out) any left overs bread, cake ,fruit etc. and bacon rine chopped.
I know layers pellets contain everything they need but they do enjoy the extras for a change, I have 6 pt milk carton I fill with water in the evening so when I change the water in the mornings they get room temp water instead of ice cold from the tap.
Have you tried woodshavings in the nest box for Henrietta, may be softer for the shell less egg?

Merlins Mum · « **Reply #10 on:** November 03, 2006, 14:29:47 »

thats a good tip about the water, thanks teresa, will do that tonight.
can understand about the onion as they are very good for us so why not for hens. I've also heard you can give them garlic which also makes sense. mine wont be getting bacon rind as we're veggies but will be trying them with some bread and a little milk.
they have straw and wood shavings in the nest boxes but Henrietta seems to lay her eggs at night and so is on the perch. when she did lay one in a nest box that got broken too as you only have to touch them and you've lost it. if they are still whole, I use a table spoon and I just roll them into that.
they have a forsham ark so the floor area is covered in a perch section, if that makes sense. this means they can't actually walk on the floor. sounds a bit odd I expect but if it was constructed like a house it would make it all rather crowded. it is supposed to be big enough to house 5-6 laying hens or a trio of orpingtons but tbh I wouldn't put more than 4 hens in.

I gave them porridge oats with just a tiny bit of hot water mixed in at mid-day and they loved it. will try tomorrow without the water.
thanks for your help teresa

MM

slyfox-mal · « **Reply #11 on:** November 03, 2006, 19:02:42 »

IF YOU WANT AN ORGANIC ALTERNATIVE YOU COULD TRY THIS STUFF
Diatomaceous Earth its had good things said about it also kills mite and alsorts of other stuff have a read about it cheers mal

Leonnie · « **Reply #12 on:** November 03, 2006, 19:58:25 »

Yep, Diatom (diatomaceous earth) is what I used, my hens never showed signs of having worms. You don't need to withdraw eggs whilst they're being treated. You can use it as a powder sprinkled in their nest boxes and dust baths and it keeps mites etc away. Brilliant stuff. btw, you can use it to worm other animals too including dogs and cats.

RW · « **Reply #13 on:** November 04, 2006, 01:45:52 »

It seems difficult to tell if hens need wormed - done mine once a year with some flubenvet but dont know if they need it.

Interesting to hear about Rhubarb - I thought it would poison them but will give it a try.
Thanks

OliveOil · « **Reply #14 on:** November 04, 2006, 10:12:33 »

There is no need to withdraw eggs with flubevet.

I've read some contradictory stuff re: dichotomus earth... so I'll give that one a miss.

Having children and a dog that like to eat chicken poo... I will always worm my girls as you cant be sure if your chooks have worms without looking at the poo under a microscope - or getting your vet to do it. The last thing i would want to do is pass on worms to my family or friends who buy my eggs.

Merlins Mum · « **Reply #15 on:** November 04, 2006, 10:17:40 »

"Interesting to hear about Rhubarb - I thought it would poison them"
that's what I thought RW, particularly as I knew a chap who used a solution made from Rhubarb leaves and water to kill aphids and of course the leaves are poisonous to us too.

MM

teresa · « **Reply #16 on:** November 04, 2006, 10:35:32 »

Well last year my hens got to the rhubarb and must admit thought they had had it but no all fine. Thats when I started looking into it took a while, asked a friend who's doing a organic course ( the chap doing it is very cleaver by all accounts) well he said its great as a insect killer cooked up in water and diluted into a spray kills bugs but ok for us.
Doing the spray use old utencils do not use what you cook for your fam :o
One thing he did say was during the war the gov said it was ok to eat rhubarb as well as the leaves. He remembers a lot of people dying after eating the leaves.
but hens seem to know what they can eat and what they cannot for some reason? and will only take what they need.
This year on a poultry site again it was mentioned about rhubard and said let them eat what they want and plant a crown or two next to their runs so they can help themselves.
Of course UK gov will not agree because EU wont just like the jeys fluid but ?

Merlins Mum · « **Reply #17 on:** November 04, 2006, 11:27:34 »

oh please don't get me going on the EU >:( I am so fed up with them dictating to us what we can and can't do.
I guess hens are no different from other animals and birds who instinctively know what they can and can't eat. A lot cleverer than us on the score.
I can remember not long after I was married I thought about cooking some rhubarb leaves for OH as he loves rhubarb. Never did get around to it and then someone told me they were poisonous. Ooops close call ;D

MM

teresa · « **Reply #18 on:** November 04, 2006, 11:50:52 »

Ooops close call indead one way to get rid of someone you dont like,
Oh MM the EU, our gov reg's and vets tell me about it. In USA they give cat food to hens as a quick pick me up if not well thats banned in UK I nearly got chucked off a site for mentioning it the lady who replied was a GOVERMENT VET got my fingers slapped.

check this site out its US but they LOVE their chickens.

http://p072.ezboard.com/bbackyardchickens

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #19 on:** November 04, 2006, 18:08:23 »

Rhubarb contains oxalic acid which is fairly poisonous; in the body it forms calcium oxalate which is insoluble in water. The fine crystals clog up your kidneys and kill you that way. The story about people dying from eating rhubarb leaves during WWII is perfectly true, as the leaves contain a lot more of the poison than the stems, and the stupid government failed to check up.

News:

Author Topic: What should I use to worm my girls (Read 9737 times)