Worming question

[polo]

Hi everyone,

I started all my girls on flubenvet on Sunday. This morning, I had a look around the hen house and there was about 2 or 3 dead/dying roundworm in each poo. Is this a normal amount of worms to see when worming or is this a heavy infestation?

My girls are in a large run - Just putting chicken wire on the roof and part is covered from the weather. I have also just put bark down to stop the mud a bit! I got the first 5 in April and wormed them in May and I only saw a couple of worms in total. The second 5 came in August and were kept seperate and wormed before I introduced them.

Any comments welcome....Thanks

[RichmondHens]

I would say if you can actually see worms in the poo then the infestation is fairly heavy. I don't actually see any worms in my chickens' poo but just worm as a routine thing each time their pens are moved, usually about three times a year.

If yours are in a fixed run year round and you cannot move it to fresh ground you should be worming four times a year. Cut out all titbits when worming so they only eat the medicated pellet and nothing else.

[polo]

Thanks for that - I did wonder. The girls are in a fixed run but this run has only been in use since August so I would worry that this will only get worse. There are lots and lots of slugs and snails, wild birds and squirrels so perhaps this is something I will just have to keep on top of with Flubenvet.

Thanks for the advice.

[Snadger]

I would say if you can actually see worms in the poo then the infestation is fairly heavy. I don't actually see any worms in my chickens' poo but just worm as a routine thing each time their pens are moved, usually about three times a year.

If yours are in a fixed run year round and you cannot move it to fresh ground you should be worming four times a year. Cut out all titbits when worming so they only eat the medicated pellet and nothing else.

Thanks for the reminder RH. I've just bought 20Kg of Marriages Flubenvet coated layers pellets off the net and intend starting to feed it tomorrow.
I am a bit of a bugger for giving them titbits though so I'll need to restrain myself for a few days!

[polo]

Just had another thought. I'm mixing up a teaspoon of flubenvet into 4.5kg of feed using a little oil and mixing really well. Does this sound right to you all?

[Suechooks]

If you're using the 1% Flubenvet (thats the small tub for domestic poultry keepers) you use a scoop(the one provided in the pot) which is 6g per 2KG of feed. It tells you on the carton and inside.

[polo]

Sorry- didnt give you all the info. I have the 2.5% version. Thanks