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Adelochick

Worms!

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Some advice please folks. I have 9 pekin pullets, 5 about 23 weeks old, 4 around 19 weeks today, they are kept in two separate runs at present, and none are laying yet.

 

Today my pekins have started a week of growers pellets mixed with 'flubenvet' worming powder as per a previous post by The Dogmother, as I think one or more of the younger ones have roundworms.

 

Having thoroughly cleaned out their eglu go last Tuesday, I was a little horrified to find three white tapered 2-3 inch worms in some diarrhoea inside the doorway when I let them out on Wednesday morning. So after trawling through the forum looking at various posts I ordered the recommended flubenvet 1% powder, from greenfarmhealth.co.uk at a reasonable price of £14.40 (inc. Vat) I feel. Anyway yesterday I found a further three 'blighters' in the auboise in the eglu go, so hence the pullets started on worming today.

 

Now all the 'worms' appeared to be dead (no movement from them at all, and I don't think they were trying to kid me!) so I assume them to be adults. I haven't seen any obvious signs previously with either group of pullets, but maybe I wasn't looking hard enough! All pullets had been wormed before I got them. So have I just missed noticing worm eggs being excreted, or is it usual for adult worms to be expelled like this? Or does it mean that at least one of the pullets is 'infested' with worms for me to find 6 of them in a matter of a couple of days? I have been giving them citricidal in their water regularly, could this have affected the worms? :(

 

As my pekins are housed in runs that stay put, (eglu go + 2m run/2mx2m WIR + eco hen loft) what is the best way to control the worm problem please?

 

After reading quite a few worm identification pages, I just hope that I don't come across worms in an egg ever!! :vom:

 

Many thanks.

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You are doing the right thing by feeding them exclusively on the flubenvet feed for a week. Worms in the faeces is a good sign that the medication is working. The eggs are invisible to the naked eye.

Regular cleaning and removal of droppings will reduce the risk of reinfestation. You will also need to sanitise the ground if they are on the same ground all the time, otherwise they will continue to ingest eggs from the soil of their run. It is unlikely that you will be able to keep them completely worm free - but regular worming with flubenvet will keep the worm load to a level that is not harmful to their health.

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My thanks for your reply Snowy.

 

The worms appeared earlier this week, and I only started them on flubenvet today (as it was delivered yesterday), so not sure why they were dead but glad so!

 

I use the ground sanitising powder from omlet shop in the run areas, after cleaning out the coops usually each week, and have done since having them. Also I use diatomaceous earth in both dustbaths and in the eglu go and eco hen loft when replacing the auboise, but haven't used it in the feed ever, so I'm trying to avoid problems.

 

Once this 'medication' week is over, will it be wise to repeat the flubenvet for a second time in three weeks to try and break the worms cycle? Then should I use the Verm-x herbal liquid in the drinking water for 3 days each month thereafter, until six months has passed (when flubenvet could be given again)?

 

I suppose that I thought all was well with my chooks, as they seem bright-eyed and bushy-tailed so to speak, these worms have taken me by surprise!! :anxious:

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I'd stick to just Flubenvet as it's licensed and you can be sure that it works. Worm them every quarter and sanitise the ground regularly too. As Snowy has said the object of a wormer is to keep the level of parasites in the gut to manageable levels so that the hens' health isn't compromised.

 

Some gardens are on 'wormy ground'; perhaps they were farming land at one stage, so it pays to keep up a regular routine without getting too obsessed about it :wink:

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