Treating Parasites in Layer Chickens

Find out how to deal with parasites corresponding to coccidiosis rapidly and successfully in egg-laying chickens to forestall extreme sickness and loss of life.

In my a few years of preserving a small flock of chickens for recent eggs, the first sickness I’ve needed to take care of (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 nicely.

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

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

If not handled rapidly, the diarrhea can turn into bloody with loss of life a really actual chance (I misplaced one hen to coccidiosis earlier than I realized find out how to 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

An important technique to keep away from coccidiosis is by rotating your laying hens to a recent patch of floor day-after-day without spending a dime ranging.

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

No surprise business operations have them on medicated feed always.

Sadly, recent sections of yard each day for free-ranging just isn’t all the time doable if the plot of land you employ to maintain your hens is of restricted dimension.

Even you probably have fairly a little bit of room, chickens can nonetheless turn 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 corresponding to summer season warmth or extreme quantities of rain.

Thus, whereas rotation will certainly decrease parasite danger, it’s in all probability not going to be 100% efficient…not less than in my expertise.

Heritage Breeds

One other technique to decrease parasites in egg-laying chickens is to maintain heritage breeds.

A heritage breed corresponding to Buff Orpington is extra immune to illness (and stress usually) than hybridized breeds which are favored for business manufacturing.

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

Whereas it is 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 out there for elevating chicks incorporates added treatment for parasites.

Nevertheless, the usage of 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 preserving chickens don’t understand that preserving your chicks on medicated feed really impairs the event of their immune system. This ends in 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 probabilities 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 period, solely in grownup layers and it was rapidly eradicated on an as-needed foundation.

There’s actually no want for fixed use of medicated feed!

Hatch Your Personal Chicks

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

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

These chicks are subjected to medicated feed, vaccinations, and the undo stress of transport 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 find out how to construct an affordable rooster egg incubator might assist.

Hen-Raised Chicks

Chickens which are 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 have now a rooster, I’ve fertilized eggs {that a} broody hen can hatch and lift.

I hope for a fair 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 need to act rapidly.

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 a time to waste. This parasite can kill a weakened rooster rapidly 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 identical drug that’s in most varieties of medicated feed (it isn’t an antibiotic, it’s an anti-parasitic). (1)

Nevertheless, on this scenario, you’re ONLY utilizing it if you want it.

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

I might 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 rapidly.

Please share your technique in the event you hold hens for eggs and have a very good technique for rapidly 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 find out how to dose amprolium to egg layers, beneath is the dosage and size of therapy that has labored greatest for me through the years.

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

Thus, I’m documenting what actually works right here as a result of I’ve seen that some really credible sources for such a data seem like disappearing from the web.

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

May or not it’s that utilizing amprolium for yard chickens is being suppressed? I don’t know, however I did discover that the baggage/bottles of amprolium that you simply purchase on-line now say “for calves”, whereas the EXACT similar product I purchased 8 or so years in the past (these items lasts perpetually in the event you use it as-needed solely) says for POULTRY as nicely.

Hmmmm. Undoubtedly appears odd, not less than to me!

Whereas people prefer to say that “the web is perpetually”, an online archive can really be “wiped” on the drop of a hat. I’ve seen it occur through the years 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 exploit the “regular” outbreak dose for five days, adopted by the minimal preventative dose for a further 7 days.

It’s 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 standard 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 exploit.

A small bag of Amprolium will final you for years in the event 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 exploit the minimal dose of 1/3 teaspoon per gallon for a further 7 days. (3)

Right here is the precise math for numerous strengths of therapy.

20% Powder

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

0.024% = at least 1.5 teaspoons per gallon (extreme outbreak)
0.012% = at least 3/4 teaspoons per gallon (regular outbreak)
0.006% = at least 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% = at least 2 teaspoons per gallon (extreme outbreak)
0.012% = at least 1 teaspoon per gallon (regular outbreak)
0.006% = at least 1/2 teaspoon per gallon (minimal dose)

Consuming Water Entry

Whereas it’s urged to offer no different supply of ingesting water in your chickens throughout therapy, my technique 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 ought to be combined recent each day.

Do You Must Toss Eggs Throughout Remedy?

You don’t want to toss eggs laid through the therapy interval.

Some individuals don’t really feel snug doing this, nonetheless.

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

Maybe you wish 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 snug!

Nevertheless, I might counsel that any eggs you purchase from the shop even when pastured and natural can 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.

Submit 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 rapidly 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 exploit externally solely), so I’ve not tried that strategy.

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

Maybe these strategies would have finally labored, however I didn’t really feel I had the time to attend and see as this might have probably risked loss of life.

If of a therapy that works nicely and quick, please share within the feedback!

References

(1) Antiprotozoal medicine

(2, 3) Anticoccidial therapy in livestock

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