How do you know your chickens have worms? We use DE on a regular basis for our chickens, dogs and cats. I think it works but they don't tell us if they have worms!!!

While cleaning out the nest boxes yesterday morning I found a 1 1/2 in. long worm in a wet mess in one of the nests. I took it to my Vet and he confirmed that it was a round worm. We tend to get more parasites down here due to the mild temperatures from what I understand. After working at a Zoo in years past and working with animals most of my life, I tend to inspect poops.. What a life..
How do you use the DE? Do you mix it with their food?
Thanks,
Kit

Wazine is Peiperzine isnt it? Pip is good for round worms and safe. If you go to some poltry web site, like "the classroom @ the coop" or others, DE is much talked about. A lot of folks swear by it. I have used Ivermectin injectible and put 2 drops per fowl into the mouth. It is NOT approved for poultry however is widely used by breeders. I did lose 1 out of 3oo a couple years ago. If you only have 1 couple chickens and no other use for the Ivomec, it could be cost prohibitive.

Wazine is piperazine and according to my Vet just back on the market after being pulled for a few years.. I think I will try the DE and see how it works. Thanks for the link to the coop. I am still going to try and find out about the English med. it sounds promising. It may not be approved here, so maybe that is why we haven't heard about it.. Thanks for the info... Kit

Wow. I have to admit that I didn't know chickens got worms! Guess I'd better get some DE for my birds. Does anyone know if this works for cats and dogs? I've got two cats the perpetually have tapeworm. but it's a week long fight to get a dose of Droncid into either of them! Hate this job!!! I've tried every way of getting them to take it, but to no avail. It takes two of us and a BIG fight!

Does DE work for tapeworm? If so, how do you dose them? In food? And how do you give it to chickens?

I have always used DE in the chicken's feed and have never seen any sign of worms. My practice is to sprinkle DE on as I pour the Purina Layena into a 55 gal can and then stir it around. I once knew what the rate per pound should be but have forgotten.

I also dust the next boxes, the coop floor....sometimes their yard too. I really think it helps with fly control in the summer. Others disagree, I know. But it seems to work for me.

The great thing about DE is that you can't over-use it. Just make sure you get food grade DE. The stuff for swimming pools has other chemicals in it.

With our kittens and dog, I mix it in something yummy every week (like chicken broth). I also am putting it in the kitten's ears once a week for ear mites. (I see an immediate difference there! They stop scratching right away.)

Thanks Roberta and herring!
I'm off to buy foodgrade DE at lunch. I hope the farm supply store has it......
Balsam

I found the DE and will now try it. The container had dosage for pigs, dogs, and I think cows but nothing for chickens.. I will start out slowly until I can find the right amounts. Thanks to all of you!
Kit

Does anyone know of any medical evidence that shows DE to be effective and safe to use in chickens or in any other other animal?

There's a lot of talk recently about it's use, but how do people know for sure that it's effective and not harmful?

May I suggest that if someone is having a difficult time administering medications to their pets, that the person to talk to is your veterinarian? Most vets are happy to educate their clients about the proper way to give medications. It's not that difficult in dogs and all but the worst cats.

I'm curious to know also why someone would give something to their animals that their veterinarian thinks does not work?

Fair questions, patrick. For one, yes I've already consulted my vet about administering medications to my cats. He can't get it into them either, so I'm not really that inept. Two, I haven't asked my vet what he thinks of DE, but I did do some research on it. The jury is out - but it has been proven effective in some cases for livestock. Three, I do have a little experience and "education" when it comes to animals - I grew up working on farms and graduated from an agricultural college. I didn't know chickens got worms because I don't happen to be a poultry specialist. I have wormed plenty of other animals, however.

In my experience, I've seen a lot of farmers (and vets, for that matter) try "unproven" remedies. I don't know of any that lost their animals as a result of the remedies. On the other hand, I've seen more than a few horses saved by "home remedies".

So, I'll take my chances and try DE. I'm assuming that if it's sold in farm supply stores as a feed additive, then it must be safe for animals to eat. And as already stated above, the dosing is on the container - including for cats and dogs. It also apparently works as a flea deterrent, but must be applied externally. The only warning I've come across is that one should wear a mask when applying/feeding DE, especially if prone to breathing problems. Pretty common sense when it comes to powdered material of any kind.

I am a great believer in taking the less toxic path. I also hate to throw out three weeks of eggs or more. In about 3 weeks or so I will have the vet run some fecals for me. If I still have a problem then I will move to plan B(Wazine). What bothers me about Wazine is that it states "do not use on chickens for Human egg consumption".
It dosn't state a length of time just do not use..
My birds look heathy and active and unless I had seen the worm that passed I would never have suspected that they had worms.. Kit

I put enough DE in the feed to coat it as if you were coating something with confectionary sugar. I use it for a few days, wait a week or 2, and then redose.

Obviously, the feed needs to be pellets or whole grain so you know they are getting it.

I also use it as a dust in the nesting boxes, and periodically, toss some onto the coop floors, so they can dust bathe in it.

It seems to work for me.

M

Thanksfor your input M.. I will redust the feed asap.. I think I was too conservative.. I didn't know how long to treat so this will give me a guideline.. Kit

Just an update on the use/safety of DE. Since it was sold at our local feed supply store, I decided to get more info from them. They were happy to oblige - in fact, they have an information sheet available for customers. It has been approved by Agriculture Canada for up to 2% of feed as a prevenative measure against internal parasites. This means it has undergone rigorous trials with real animals. It's safe. It's also approved as an external treatment for fleas, ticks, etc. in dogs, cats, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, etc.

Interestingly, another use is for young dairy calves. Fed to them in milk or offered freely, it helps prevent scours which is quite common and can be fatal for young calves.

I'm not sure what the regulations are for US Dept. of Agriculture. I hope this info will help reassure anyone who is wondering about safety of the product.

Balsam

OK......2%. That's how much I was thinking when I made my earlier post but wasn't sure, and didn't want to give incorrect information. That would be 1# per 50# bad of feed.

I started out with that much but probably put less these days because 1) it tends to keep the feed from flowing in the metal feeders, 2) I use it all the time and 3) it seems to settle to the bottom of the feed barrel.

Just wish it were a little cheaper at my local Farmer's Supply.

I am new to this site but I am so glad I found it. One of my hens is doing this werid yawning thing or gasping for air, it sounds like this gape. I have had a very small flock of different chickens for years and I have never had this problem. Help does this sound like worms?

It does sound like it could be Gape...I've got more info on Gape on my chicken info site, here:

http://home.earthlink.net/~velvetsparrow/VSChickHealth.htm

Read the section partway down the page entitled "Worming and Spraying/Dusting" to see if the symptoms match your situation.

Velvet ~:>

Thank you Velvet a great resource. I am going to try the Equimax.