Treating Parasites in Layer Chickens

The best way to deal with parasites akin to coccidiosis shortly and successfully in egg-laying chickens to forestall extreme sickness and dying.

In my a few years of protecting a small flock of chickens for recent eggs, the first sickness I’ve needed to cope with (thankfully hardly ever) is coccidiosis.

Coccidiosis is a parasitic illness the place the coccidian protozoa invade the intestinal tract of birds. It can also occur with different livestock as properly.

The illness can unfold shortly within the flock through contact with soil or contaminated feces.

In my expertise, the first early signs are lethargy and diarrhea. Affected chickens might also have a pale comb and stroll slowly and awkwardly with their tails down like they’re in discomfort.

If not handled shortly, the diarrhea can change into bloody with dying a really actual chance (I misplaced one hen to coccidiosis earlier than I discovered deal with it successfully).

Avoiding Coccidiosis

There are a number of methods to greatest keep away from parasites like coccidiosis in egg-laying hens in my expertise.

Free Ranging Rotation

Crucial method to keep away from coccidiosis is by rotating your laying hens to a recent patch of floor each day totally free ranging.

Maintaining them within the coop or small run 24/7 is a recipe for parasites!

No surprise business operations have them on medicated feed consistently.

Sadly, recent sections of yard each day for free-ranging will not be all the time doable if the plot of land you utilize to maintain your hens is of restricted dimension.

Even when you have fairly a little bit of room, chickens can nonetheless change into contaminated because the protozoa are within the soil in addition to feces.

In my expertise, the chance of an outbreak is highest in periods of stress akin to summer season warmth or extreme quantities of rain.

Thus, whereas rotation will certainly reduce parasite danger, it’s most likely not going to be 100% efficient…at the very least in my expertise.

Heritage Breeds

One other method to reduce parasites in egg-laying chickens is to maintain heritage breeds.

A heritage breed akin to Buff Orpington is extra proof against illness (and stress typically) than hybridized breeds which can be favored for business manufacturing.

An instance of a combined breed bred for greater laying capability is the Black Rock which is a cross between two heritage breeds (Rhode Island Purple and Plymouth Rock).

Whereas this can be a good technique, as soon as once more, it is not going to be 100% efficient.

Whereas I’ve solely had 3 outbreaks of coccidiosis in 10 years, all of the chickens affected had been heritage breeds.

Construct Pure Immunity by Avoiding Medicated Feed

Most chick starter accessible for elevating chicks accommodates added treatment for parasites.

Nevertheless, using medicated feed as a chick starter solely works as a preventative in case your chicks are concurrently uncovered to coccidia protozoa (there are a number of varieties).

Most individuals new to protecting chickens don’t notice that protecting your chicks on medicated feed truly impairs the event of their immune system. This leads to grownup hens extra vulnerable to illness.

Avoiding medicated feed permits the chicks to develop resistance/immunity to coccidiosis. The method occurs steadily as they develop.

Thus, as soon as the chicks develop into pullets and grownup laying hens, the possibilities of having an outbreak in your flock are minimized.

I’ve by no means used medicated feed and have by no means had a coccidiosis outbreak in my chicks or pullets in over 10 years.

I’ve solely had three coccidiosis outbreaks in my hens in the identical time frame, solely in grownup layers and it was shortly eradicated on an as-needed foundation.

There may be actually no want for fixed use of medicated feed!

Hatch Your Personal Chicks

One other method to have a flock of layers that’s most proof against illness is by hatching your individual chicks.

Most individuals purchase chicks at a neighborhood feed retailer the place they’re shipped in from massive hatcheries.

These chicks are subjected to medicated feed, vaccinations, and the undo stress of delivery in a field with out meals or water (some don’t make it to not point out the sheer inhumaneness of the method!).

Avoiding all this stress by hatching and elevating your individual chicks will invariably produce a sturdier flock.

If that is one thing that pursuits you, this text on construct a cheap rooster egg incubator could assist.

Hen-Raised Chicks

Chickens which can be raised by a hen virtually by no means get coccidiosis. The one time it will occur is when they’re uncovered to a brand new pressure of oocysts within the soil.

I’m hoping to embark on doing this with my subsequent batch of chicks within the Fall.

Now that we’ve got a rooster, I’ve fertilized eggs {that a} broody hen can hatch and lift.

I hope for a good sturdier flock than I’ve had prior to now as time goes on!

Treating Parasites in Laying Hens

If, regardless of your greatest efforts, an outbreak of coccidiosis happens in your hens, be ready that you have to act shortly.

In my expertise, one of the best treatment for treating an outbreak of coccidiosis in a laying flock is Amprolium.

You should buy Amprolium liquid or powder on-line very inexpensively.

I deal with instantly when indicators seem of an outbreak, as there isn’t any time to waste. This parasite can kill a weakened rooster shortly particularly if the climate on the time is including to the stress.

The excellent news is that I usually see outcomes inside a day or so. It really works very quick!

Observe: Amprolium is similar drug that’s in most forms of medicated feed (it isn’t an antibiotic, it’s an anti-parasitic). (1)

Nevertheless, on this scenario, you might be ONLY utilizing it whenever you want it.

The chicks/pullets/hens are usually not on it consistently which might impair the pure growth of resistance.

I’d LOVE to know a pure different to this treatment (I’ve tried garlic and DE), however I’ve not discovered one as of but that works as shortly.

Please share your methodology should you maintain hens for eggs and have a very good technique for shortly resolving coccidiosis as soon as it has contaminated your flock!

Watch out for False Info

Whereas there are a lot of sources on the web for dose amprolium to egg layers, under is the dosage and size of therapy that has labored greatest for me over time.

I’ve seen a number of sources the place the dosage is just not robust sufficient to do the job.

Thus, I’m documenting what actually works right here as a result of I’ve observed that some actually credible sources for one of these data look like disappearing from the web.

You’ll discover that the 2 references I’ve listed under are each from an online archive. This implies the unique supply is now not accessible!

Might it’s that utilizing amprolium for yard chickens is being suppressed? I don’t know, however I did discover that the luggage/bottles of amprolium that you just purchase on-line now say “for calves”, whereas the EXACT identical product I purchased 8 or so years in the past (these things lasts without end should you use it as-needed solely) says for POULTRY as properly.

Hmmmm. Positively appears odd, at the very least to me!

Whereas people prefer to say that “the web is without end”, an online archive can truly be “wiped” on the drop of a hat. I’ve seen it occur over time when data is taken into account “inconvenient” to a specific narrative.

Thus, I wished to have this data particularly detailed on this weblog for my very own reference sooner or later in addition to for these of you who may want it too!

Correct Dosage

When treating coccidiosis in my very own birds (don’t overlook roosters too!) I take advantage of the “regular” outbreak dose for five days, adopted by the minimal preventative dose for an extra 7 days.

It is because I do know what to search for and I deal with instantly at any signal of an outbreak. Thus, the scenario has not risen to the extent of “extreme” but.

Liquid dose

The liquid dose of Amprolium is 9.6%.

This interprets into two teaspoons per gallon for a extreme outbreak and one teaspoon per gallon for a traditional outbreak. (2, 4)

One-half teaspoon per gallon is the minimal post-treatment dose for use for the next one or two weeks.

Powder dose

The powder dose for Amprolium is 20%. That is what I take advantage of.

A small bag of Amprolium will final you for years should you heed the outbreak minimization steps described above. You gained’t want to make use of it a lot!

For a extreme outbreak, the dosage is 1.5 teaspoons per gallon of water.

Use 3/4 teaspoon per gallon of water for regular outbreaks.

I administer the conventional outbreak dose for 5 days, then I take advantage of the minimal dose of 1/3 teaspoon per gallon for an extra 7 days. (3)

Right here is the particular math for varied strengths of therapy.

20% Powder

Use this quantity of amprolium powder based mostly on the extent of sickness in your flock.

0.024% = a minimum of 1.5 teaspoons per gallon (extreme outbreak)
0.012% = a minimum of 3/4 teaspoons per gallon (regular outbreak)
0.006% = a minimum of 1/3 teaspoon per gallon (minimal dose)

9.6% Liquid

Use this quantity of amprolium liquid based mostly on the extent of sickness in your flock.

0.024% = a minimum of 2 teaspoons per gallon (extreme outbreak)
0.012% = a minimum of 1 teaspoon per gallon (regular outbreak)
0.006% = a minimum of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon (minimal dose)

Consuming Water Entry

Whereas it’s steered to offer no different supply of ingesting water on your chickens throughout therapy, my methodology is to offer medicated water within the coop and run solely.

I don’t separate the contaminated chickens as I don’t have a secondary coop. I deal with the entire flock without delay.

They do have entry to recent water (from a close-by lake and/or rain puddles) when they’re out of the run free-ranging. This has not appeared to inhibit the effectiveness of therapy.

The medicated water needs to be combined recent each day.

Do You Have to Toss Eggs Throughout Remedy?

You do not want to toss eggs laid in the course of the therapy interval.

Some folks don’t really feel comfy doing this, nonetheless.

Our household eats the eggs from hens present process therapy provided that the quantity they ingest is tiny.

Maybe you need to break up the distinction and toss the eggs from the lively therapy interval (5 days) after which resume egg consumption when they’re on the minimal post-treatment dose (7-14 days).

Do no matter makes you essentially the most comfy!

Nevertheless, I’d counsel that any eggs you purchase from the shop even when pastured and natural could be far much less wholesome (the natural egg washing course of alone is poisonous) than eggs from your individual natural-living hens getting a brief spherical of amprolium.

Publish Remedy Care

Amprolium places a dietary pressure in your flock as a result of it really works to kill the protozoa by blocking the uptake of Vitamin B1.

Feeding scrambled eggs to your hens or small items of chopped uncooked liver for a couple of days post-treatment will compensate shortly and assist them get again to their regular degree of vibrancy once more.

Pure Coccidiosis Remedy?

As I discussed earlier than, I’ve tried garlic and diatomaceous earth as a pure different to amprolium. I’m not a fan of ingesting important oils (I take advantage of externally solely), so I’ve not tried that method.

Sadly, in my expertise, this didn’t work shortly sufficient to forestall additional unfold and severity within the flock.

Maybe these strategies would have ultimately labored, however I didn’t really feel I had the time to attend and see as this might have doubtlessly risked dying.

If you recognize of a therapy that works properly and quick, please share within the feedback!

References

(1) Antiprotozoal medication

(2, 3) Anticoccidial therapy in livestock

(4) Amprovine 9.6% Resolution, CORID® 9.6% Oral Resolution