Feeding advice for bantams (one broody, one moulting)

[Sammy]

Not only am I experiencing my first broody (14 days and counting) I thought it might be an idea to worm all 7 girls as the breeder recently sent me some Flubenvet.

 

They are now on the 3rd day of treatment, which I was doing only as a precaution given the wormer had been sent to me. They were last done end June and there have been no signs or symptoms of the wriggly things.

 

Anyway my girls have been free-ranging all morning (except broody Vimto) and when I poo-picked early I found 1 poo with a stringy thing (approx. 2 inches in length). You can't see it all as it's wrapped round the poo. I didn't think anything of it, but have just put the girls back in their run and found another poo with one in.

 

Given the photos I have seen on the Omlet forums they look suspiciously like a worm.

 

I'm convinced this is only from 1 hen at the moment (although don't know which one).

 

Is this pure coincidence? Is the Flubenvet expelling them and I just didn't know previously?

The girls all seem healthy and are laying well (expect 1 girl who we are still waiting for?)

 

Can someone confirm via this photo that I am correct and this is worms?

 

Does anyone know what kind they are and if they are dangerous to my girls?

 

Should there be an egg withdrawl period and can the worms appear in the eggs?

 

I only cleaned the hen house out yesterday - should I be doing anything else?

 

I have to admit I feel somewhat queasy at the thought!

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Edited September 3, 2009 by Guest

[Chucky Mama]

It looks suspiciously like a worm to me. It is a common misconception that you will see worms in poo if your animals have worms. What is usually present in poo if your animals have worms are microscopic eggs. If there are actual worms they probably have quite a heavy burden. You need to finish the 7 days of Flubenvet and then do them again in 3 weeks which is the advise for 'high infection' thereafter tehy should be OK to be treated either every 8-10 weeks which is for 'low infection' or 10-12 weeks for 'control'.

[Sammy]

Thanks Chucky Mama

 

Should we refrain from eating the eggs?

 

Anything else you would suggest I do at this stage?

[Egluntyne]

No need to refrain from eating the eggs whist she in on Flubenvet, or before you start her on the course.

[Sammy]

Thanks Eglutine.

 

I've ordered more Flubenvet for 3 weeks time as per Chucka Mama's advice.

 

I've also just wormed my 2 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels as a precaution as they do like chicken poo!!!!

 

Should I be cutting free-ranging time down whilst they are being treated?

 

Sorry for all the questions - each is a new experience for me at the moment

[Egluntyne]

Strictly speaking yes, you should cut down their freeranging time whilst they are being treated, so that they are only eating the medicated feed.

[Chucky Mama]

It's all good advise from Egluntine. The worms wont cross over from your chickens to the dogs as they are host specific but it is still wise to worm them as a routine. The thing to remember with worming is that they are only clear until they next pick up an new infection. Worming does not provide protection. The best way to think is to assume that your animals always have worms and that your regular worming is ensuring that the amount that they have is never great enough to cause illness. I know this may not always be the case but unless you do regular microscopic examination of their poo you will never know what their worm status is.

[Sammy]

So things just got a whole lot worse.

 

Cleaning out the hen house just 1 hour ago I came across this which panicked the life out of me and made me call the Breeder.

 

He's assured me that the Flubenvet is doing its job of expelling the critters, and much better this than in their gut, although I still don't know which girl it is and I'm worried I'm going to lose one of my girls although the Breeder has assured me it's doing exactly what it should.

 

Whichever it is I feel very sorry for her.

 

 

I will never eat chow mein again

 

Can someone please attempt to calm me down as I'm a jibbering wreck at the moment

[Redwing]

O

 

M

 

G

 

Calm you down? no chance, I am too busy freaking out myself

 

Seriously, that can only be a good thing. You won't lose the girl now they are gone. It may be worth doing it again in a few weeks though just to be sure they are under control

 

You'll be having nightmares for weeks

 

I'm reaching for the Flubenvet as we speak..

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Yuck .

 

Bet they're glad that's out .

 

(Guess what we're having for tea? Tagliatelle .)

[Space Chick]

 

I honestly don't know what to say, thank goodness you are Flubenvetting them.

 

(Enjoy your tea ANH )

[Redwing]

(Enjoy your tea ANH )

 

Not after that she wont!

[Sammy]

Thanks a lot guys - you are supposed to be calming MY nerves not wretching yourselves

 

I fear walking in the run / peering into the house now in case there's more.

 

I think I've been traumatised for life!

[Sammy]

O

 

M

 

G

 

Calm you down? no chance, I am too busy freaking out myself

 

Seriously, that can only be a good thing. You won't lose the girl now they are gone. It may be worth doing it again in a few weeks though just to be sure they are under control

 

You'll be having nightmares for weeks

 

I'm reaching for the Flubenvet as we speak..

 

 

Thanks Redwing. Already ordered my Flubenvet for 3 weeks time. Still only on day 3 so just wondering what else might be in store for me.

[Chucky Mama]

 

(Guess what we're having for tea? Tagliatelle .)

 

you have to otherwise you'd

 

Thank goodness you wormed them! It just goes to show that they need worming regularly to avoid this sort of worm burden. I would definately suggest that you do them again in 3 weeks time. A burden that large could well have finished them off

[Sammy]

 

(Guess what we're having for tea? Tagliatelle .)

 

you have to otherwise you'd

 

Thank goodness you wormed them! It just goes to show that they need worming regularly to avoid this sort of worm burden. I would definately suggest that you do them again in 3 weeks time. A burden that large could well have finished them off

 

 

It's already ordered - thanks Chucky Mama - and I've diarised the date and the one after that! I don't want to have to see this again.

[HENthusiastic]

[Egluntyne]

The breeder is right. That is the Flubenvet doing its job and no need to worry.

 

Just crossed bean sprouts off my shopping list.

[Sammy]

Update: Day 4 of Flubenvet

 

Let the chickens out of their house this morning (into their run, going to reduce free-ranging for rest of their treatment). Opened up with a bit of anxiety, not knowing what to expect from their overnight antics.

 

We made a note of who perched where....... opened up....... 1 poo with 1 worm

 

I've narrowed it down to 3 girls and will continue watching today unless they moved around overnight which I don't believe they would have done once they perched.

 

I did find 1 other worm on their floor in the house but I think I probably missed that from the explosion of worms I had to pick up yesterday as it didn't look fresh (so to speak).

[Chucky Mama]

Regular poo picking where they free range will help to reduce the number of worm eggs and therefore sources of re infection would be a good idea if you dont already.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Would putting Stalosan F down in freerange areas be a good idea too? Not easy if the area is huge but mine is quite small so I'm thinking it might be feasible .

[Sammy]

Regular poo picking where they free range will help to reduce the number of worm eggs and therefore sources of re infection would be a good idea if you dont already.

 

Yes, I do this regularly. I normally go out every hour and clear up. Fortunately I work from home so are able to go out frequently - good advice though, thanks.

[Sammy]

Would putting Stalosan F down in freerange areas be a good idea too? Not easy if the area is huge but mine is quite small so I'm thinking it might be feasible .

 

I had wondered about this. I do their run every week, and after yesterday's episode the Diatoms and Stalosan F came out in full force ahead of the weekend when it would be due to be done again.

 

Their free range area however is the whole of my garden, including lawn. Whilst not acres of land I wasn't sure if Stalosan F would kill anything off. I know it's not harmful to animals (I have 2 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels to consider aswell) but I was more worried about this also being a garden that my 3-year old son and rest of the family uses (when the chickens aren't out and it's poo free) and the suitability of having Stalosan F covering this whole area?

 

It's very rainy here today and I've noticed the slugs are out in full force, so I'm keeping the girls in for the best part of the day. Should help as I'm also hoping to figure out finally who has the problem.

Edited September 2, 2009 by Guest

[Sammy]

Update 2:

 

I know for sure now that Horlicks has them as I just watched her do a poo and there was a worm.

 

This makes sense as I got my birds on 29 June (all 7 of them) and were told they were 18.5 wks. Horlicks is the only one not to have laid to date and I now suspect this is why. Although I'm pretty convinced she was younger than we were told and I just put it down to that at the time. Having said that in the last week her comb has gone very red, she's eating more (that could be the worms though!) and she's become much more affectionate and finally letting us touch and stroke her and yesterday crouched for the first time when I went to her.

 

Do you think worms would be why Horlicks has not laid to date? As you saw from the photos if these were from her it was a very heavy worm burden.

 

I'm hopefully going to have some time later to watch them all poo! to see if she's the only one.

[Chickendoodle]

I know that a lot of people on this forum are anti Vermx (or pro Flubenvet) but I thought I would pass on my recent experience.

 

We had our first girls over a year ago and since we had them they have had a squirt of apple cider vinegar in their water daily and monthly treatment with Vermx - a full 3 days treatment starting on the first day of the month.

 

They have never looked poorly and never shown any signs of worms but I panicked recently when reading the various posts thinking I was doing the wrong thing so treated them with Flubenvet for 7 days.

 

There was no sign at all of any worms so i can only think that what we have been doing up to now has prevented any outbreak.

 

Perhaps it depends if they are alreay infected with worms from the breeder? Presumably Vermx would not have treated an existing infestation but it certainly seems to have stopped any appearing.

 

We are going to keep on with the monthly Vermx and use Flebenvet every 4-6 months as it has worked for us