Half a bag of Layers pellets with Flubenvet

[veggiechicken]

Advice please
I have a 10kg bag of Marriages Layer's pellets with Flubenvet and only need half of it to treat my chooks. The Best Before date is 22 June (6 weeks).

Should I:-
1. Feed it again in 6 weeks
2. Ignore the Best before date and keep it for 3 months
3. Mix the remainder with untreated pellets (as suggested by the supplier)

Any other suggestions?

[Guest]

I would go option 3 personally. I find once feed is open it can go iffy fairly quickly (not always but there doesn't seem to be a way to be sure) and I would rather use it up in one go.

[Scarlet]

if you can reseal the bag and keep indoors it I'd be tempted to keep for 3 months. I've been stuck several times finding Turkey crumb for my turkey chicks and have used out of date food with no problem. Though it needs to be kept dry.

[Zelenina]

Actually I think option 3 is the worst, because feeding a regular, small, non-fatal dose is generally the best way of building up wormer resistance in the worm population. Do you know anyone else with chickens in your locality who would buy the extra half bag from you?

[frias]

I dosed my lot in March with Flubenvet. Egg production has gone down this week and I have one with a runny bum so have started worming again. My Flubenvet is now out of date but have already found dead round worms under the perch so it is working. I think if the pellets are stored in a dry place they will be fine. Whatever did we do before sell by dates?

[veggiechicken]

Thanks everyone! Interesting how many different views there are.
I can keep the remaining pellets dry and cool, that's the easy part. I have 6 weeks before I have to decide what to do with them!

[Snadger]

Are you not supposed to double dose with flubenvet a couple of weeks later anyway as part of the recommendations?

[Scarlet]

I never have although on my tub (not the feed) it says:

Birds kept on ground known to be heavily infested with worms are susceptible to reinfestation. In such cases, re-treatment is advised for a further 7 days, at 3 weekly intervals.

I've always wormed mine feb, June & oct. If they are free ranging around the garden and not enclosed in a very small run 24/7 and being cleaned out/ topped with wood chip etc I can't see them needing anymore. I also worry about "worming resistance".

Though if you can see evidence of loads of dead ones on the first round I'd be tempted to do it again to stop the cycle. I know KathyD had a problem with gape worm and had to do it twice.