Chicken Memorials

[BeckyBoo]

hi there, how do you know when to worm your chickens? We got two from Omlet and three from a local breeder but I've read on here that they should be wormed regularly. So should I just start now then do it 4-6 monthly after that or are they wormed already?

Also, do you put poulty spice in their food every day or just when they're under the weather?

Do you always dust down the roosting bars with mite powder as a preventative measure?

Do you guys ALWAYS put garlic or vinegar in their water or is that only when they're poorly too?

How much corn per day - we're just putting a few handfuls in each day as a treat to go with their pellets.

They've kicked over their grit and their dust bath, I guess that's just what chickens do?

AND (sorry, loads I know but it's a STEEP learning curve and I want to do the best for them) how long did you guys leave it before you let them out to free range? Ours are so friendly already, they're up by the run as soon as you go out the back door, they already know the sound of the treats rattling in the special bowl (don't read this if you're a veggie - our treat bowl is an old metal tray that came with a roasting chicken!) they stand next to you just looking at you - Rainbow is the noisiest, she does this gentle little baaaaawwwwk whilst she looks at you.

God what a ramble Thanks if you got this far

 

Mrs Bertie

[Hen Watch]

Mrs B, I am new to this too, so any info from me is just what I do so far, not necessarily what is best. I'm sure others with more experience can add to this.

 

1. how do you know when to worm your chickens?

Can't help on this one but I'd like to know the answer too.

 

2. Do you put poulty spice in their food every day or just when they're under the weather?

I only add it now and then. I only put it ontop of treats that it will stick to, such as cooked rice, pasta or potato.

 

3. Do you always dust down the roosting bars with mite powder as a preventative measure?

Haven't done yet but I'm sure it is a good idea.

 

4. Do you guys ALWAYS put garlic or vinegar in their water or is that only when they're poorly too?

I've just started using a really tiny amount of Garlic Powder daily in their water. Not sure if their poo smells less or not?

 

5. How much corn per day?

Mine have a small handful each night to get them back into the run at bedtime. I use mixed corn (big 20kg bag from same place as poultry food) as I'm too mean to feed them tinned sweetcorn.

 

6. They've kicked over their grit and their dust bath, I guess that's just what chickens do?

I guess so, they are messy little things.

Edited June 20, 2007 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

There is no such thing as a daft question on this forum MrsB....never be afraid to ask.

 

1. how do you know when to worm your chickens?

I do it every 4 months routinely...I use Flubenvet.

 

2. Do you put poulty spice in their food every day or just when they're under the weather?

I only add it occasionally, if I think they might need a boost, if they are moulting etc.

 

3. Do you always dust down the roosting bars with mite powder as a preventative measure?

Yes, I alternate between Barrier Red Mite powder and Diatom.

 

4. Do you guys ALWAYS put garlic or vinegar in their water or is that only when they're poorly too?

I've never used garlic, but I do use cider vinegar one week a month.

 

5. How much corn per day?

One Tesco Value tinfull between eight hens almost daily to lure them back into the run if they have been playing out.

 

6. They've kicked over their grit and their dust bath, I guess that's just what chickens do?

Yup. You'll never be tidy with chickens!

[Jaime]

2. Do you put poulty spice in their food every day or just when they're under the weather?

 

The man at Garden Poultry told me on Monday the best time to use Chicken spice is 1. If they are off colour or moulting 2. During the winter. He said the spice raises the body temperature so they keep laying longer in the winter.

 

He said an old wives tale/secret was to boil up carrot and potato peelings and add it warm to the feed every morning for breakfast through cold months and chooks are more likely to lay all winter because the body stays warm

[Laura & CTB]

They've kicked over their grit and their dust bath, I guess that's just what chickens do?

 

Mrs Bertie

 

I use a stainless steel bowl which fits into a holder that will clip over the mesh of the run so the grit is off the floor.

 

What are you using as a dust bath? When I had the eglu run I used a wide heavy terracotta flower pot filled with sand - no problems with kicking over (just kicking all the sand out instead )

[Gallina]

I have never wormed my chickens (and they have never had worms). I don't believe in dosing animals when they are not ill, and would not want to eat their eggs after such treatment. But I think I might be very unusual here, so ignore me.

 

Similarly with lice: I have never found any, so have never treated them.

 

I don't use garlic or vinegar: they won't touch their water if I add it.

 

Diatom on the ends of the roosting bars (which stays on if you don't submerge the bars in water) seems to have solved my red-mite problem (caused when I removed a nesting box that was situated right over their run: it was absolutely heaving with starving red mites).

 

I don't know anywhere that sells corn, so mine don't get it. I suspect they would like it more than pellets, and pellets are more important. They eat a large tin of sweetcorn between six of them for an occasional treat.

 

(You may suspect that this minimalist approach is the reason for my lack of eggs: but that was caused by prolapses in two hens, and old age in the third.)

[BeckyBoo]

Thanks everyone, I'll put some mite powder on the bars when I wash them (which will be soon as the girls seem to be able to produce COPIOUS amounts of poo! )

 

I don't really like dosing animals (or my kids) unless they're ill either, or myself for that matter altho I might worm them every 6 months or so as I'd hate them to get worms.

 

I had a flower pot tray in the run so might change that and slightly sink a pot instead, and will definitely find another feeder for the side of the run to put the grit in!

 

By the way, my house is a mess now never mind their run as I always seem to find a reason to go and talk to chickens instead of hoovering, doing the washing, tidying toys ..........

 

Mrs B

[Tina C]

Re woming I have been using Verm X in liquid form, which is a natural product. I will only use Flubnenvet as a treatment - I am like Gallina and avoid medication unless needed, for myself and my pets. Can't say if the Verm X works or not as I have not been using it long enough, but no sign of worms yet.

[Jill]

I use VermX too and have not seen any sign of worms. I dust about every other week with red mite powder and sometimes Diatom. I am sure mine get too many treats but it is so hard to be strict I did have a hen with a prolapse a few years ago and she had to be put down but the vet did not seem to have an opinion on why it had happened. He said "it was just one of those things" but she had sometimes laid huge eggs and i wondered it that had caused it.

[Kathy C]

How do you know when to worm your chickens? I assumed they had been wormed when we got them. I have just wormed them after 2 months using Verm-x. I plan to repeat this every 2 months.

 

Also, do you put poulty spice in their food every day or just when they're under the weather? I haven't used poultry spice yet. I have used Battle's Poultry drink/ Poultry tonic in their glug when they seem down.

 

Do you always dust down the roosting bars with mite powder as a preventative measure? No, got it but haven't used it yet. I am spraying the inside of the eglu and both sets of bars ( I have a spare set) with Poultry shield once a week. Available from horsey places.

 

Do you guys ALWAYS put garlic or vinegar in their water or is that only when they're poorly too? We add tiny garlic granules (5) to their water every day to keep the poo smell away. Now the yellow droppings are the only smellies. This is also available from horsey places (to keep away flies). We haven't used cider vinegar.

 

How much corn per day - we're just putting a few handfuls in each day as a treat to go with their pellets. So do we, we also bribe them back to the run with corn, or raisins, or grapes.

 

They've kicked over their grit and their dust bath, I guess that's just what chickens do? We had the same problem with the grit so I put it in another grub, where I put their greens and treats. Ours wont use dust baths. They prefer to dust bathe in their wood chippings.

 

AND (sorry, loads I know but it's a STEEP learning curve and I want to do the best for them) Ask away, we've all done it or read others' posts.

 

how long did you guys leave it before you let them out to free range? We got ours on a Thursday morning and let them free range on the Sunday. We held a Hen party to share the event with our curious neighbours. Its now all on video, thanks to one of the neighbours.

[beach chick]

can I add a question about worming?

 

how do you know if they have worms? I would rather not dose them unless I have to, but have been wondering about worms in general...

[Christian]

Sometimes you see them in the droppings, but generally you don't. the chickens will eat a lot more and will lose lots of weight.

 

I have had my chickens since July 2006 and have never wormed them. I am thinking of using Verm-x in pellets form, available form Omlet shop. It is 100% natural, as I am not too keen on dosing them with chemicals unneccessarily.

 

It is personal choice, some worm them religiously every few months, others don't.

[beach chick]

thanks Christian, I have a list of things to get from Omlet when I next get paid!

[Christian]

I have just called them. They are out of Verm-x at the moment, but will have more on order in a few days

 

C x

[Olly]

I have never wormed my chickens (and they have never had worms).

 

Similarly with lice: I have never found any, so have never treated them.

 

Gosh, Gallina - you've made me feel much better! obviously to some extent it's luck whether you get lice/worms or not, but I keep wondering if I am missing something, as (touch wood) my chickens seem entirely healthy and vermin-free!

 

I have bought Verm-X, but it's hard to make sure they each get the right dose - how do other people give it? I'm afraid I gave up after the first time, as they don't appear to have worms anyway.

[The Dogmother]

I worm mine regularly anyway, but when I used to use Flubenvet, I mixed it with a dab of water until it was liquid, then syringed it into their beaks (take care to trickle it onto their tongues so that they swallow it instead of inhaling). This needs to be repeated for 7 days, needs two people and isn't a problem so long as you are confident handling your chooks. This ensures that each chook gets the recommended dosage, otherwise it's a bit hit and miss.

 

Vets also sometimes recommend using Panacur (not sure whether this is licenced for poultry in the UK), which is dosed once, then repeated after 5 days. My understanding is that this covers a wider spectrum of worms. They suggest using one sachet per kg of chicken.

[Tina C]

Olly - I bought the liquid Verm X as I wasn't sure about how to ensure they all got some with the pellets..

 

I soak a not too small piece of toast and marmite for each chicken in the correct dosage and give them all their bit at the same time - it takes them a while to eat so that helps prevent one pinching another's share!

 

So far its worked well - but if I saw one missing out I would put her in the run and give her another 'treat'.

[Olly]

hmm, I've got the pellety stuff and it's too big to 'hide' in a grape; you are just meant to chuck it in with their food I think, but that way they might not get equal amounts.

 

Thanks for the advice Claret. Unfortunately as I am (a) not very confident, and (b) on my own, I don't think I could cope with what you've described!