Is worming more than 6 monthly harmful ?

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dawn

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After the recent dog attacks (still escaping despite police, dog warden, game keeper and half the neighbourhood complaining and being verbally abused by the owner) things have settled a little. I've had to stop my chickens free ranging and they now live in an electric enclosure unless I'm watching.

I have two new pekins who have just started laying, the breeder had wormed them with vermex about four weeks ago. I wormed my existing ones with flubenvet about two weeks ago while the new ones were being kept separate. I've just noticed one of the new ones gaping, only occasionally but I would like to worm her with flubenvet as a precaution. I don't want to separate her as they are settling really well (my rooster has given up his place on the perch and sleeps with a little hen under each wing in the nest box).

I usually worm 6 monthly but wondered it if will harm my existing ones if they have another dose of flubenvet so soon and will it harm the new ones so soon after the vermex ? If I should wait, any ideas on how long ?

Any advice will be very welcome, the last thing I want to do is unsettle or harm my little flock after the recent upsets.
 
I can't think that another dose of Flubenvet will do any harm to the chickens----but will do to your bank balance! Ros
 
Verm-X is a herbal product - it should not be called a wormer according to the rules.

You can read a little about this in the first few paragraphs on this page: Verm X for Chickens

Flubenvet can be used regularly - if for example there is a high infection pressure (eggs on the ground get picked up, re-infecting your birds) it is necessary to re-treat them after a few weeks before the worms that have reinfected your birds have a chance to lay more eggs (known as the prepatent period.

Our Flubenvet 1% page explains this under "Strategic Deworming" towards the bottom of the page - the information was provided by Jansen the makers of Flubenvet.
 
I know this is a crazy question, as I am new to chickens and still learning, but what is 'gaping' and what are the symptoms?
 
Thanks for the advice, I'll worm again. Tim, the information on worming on here and the main website is so helpful, it's my main source of education and is how I thought Verm X wasn't really effective.

Brooke, gaping (with my hen anyway) is stretching the neck and opening the beak - as if yawning. I'm no expert at all, but know that it can indicate gape worm which is a horrible sounding worm that gets into the respiratory tract. It doesn't have to mean that though, mine will do it after preening sometimes, I guess because they've got bits of feather or dust caught in their mouths or throats.

There is a picture of a gaping chicken and the worms on the main site I think, although I've never looked at the worm as I usually go on here when having my lunch.
 
podstable said:
I can't think that another dose of Flubenvet will do any harm to the chickens----but will do to your bank balance! Ros
Click to expand...


Just a quick note on the cost of worming,if I buy the container of flubenvet that worms 20 chickens it costs £15 and something pence,where I buy my chicken feed from now stock Marriage's layer's pellets already mixed with flubenvet,a 20kg bag costs £9 something.This is a far cheaper way to worm the birds,so do check to see if your local supplier will stock it.
Also,the actual pellets are small,so easily eaten by bantams as well as large fowl.Unless I've got the only bantams that wont eat larger pellets lol.It also saves me mixing the flubenvet thoroughly in their pellets :D .
 
You are right Lydia - the pre-mixed pellets are very good, however if you don't have too many chickens, I have found you can end up with too much - A 20Kg bag worms quite a few chickens and poultry feeds have a use by date of around 4 to 6 months. After this, the nutrient content falls etc.. I guess you might be able to use a bag twice, as you buy it and just before the use by date which would help.

If you're using that much though, I'd recommend the Flubenvet Gamekeeper packs that are 240g of 2.5% Flubenvet and around £20. You need 12g to treat and to measure, some accurate scales but in the long run with say 40 to 50 birds or more, it's cheaper.
 
I have just used the marriage pellets with wormer in, the girls don;t like eating the pellets for the first few days but as this is the only feed they get for 7 days they don't get much choice - eat or starve!
It saves all the measuring and mixing, our local feed merchant charges £10.45 a bag which when you are buying 18 bags is a costly twice yearly exercise. I also use it to worm the ducks
 
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