By Mike Johns
Rock -N- Cedar Exotic Fowl

Getting birds ready for winter.

I worm my whole flock of about 450+ after the 2nd or 3rd rain. The ground will be real moist by this time and the earth worms, red worms, or fishing worms (whatever you call them) are up to the top of the ground. These are the main carriers of internal worms that fowl get. The cockroach, sow bug and flies also can be carriers of eggs of internal worms that fowl get. Dr. L. Dwight Schwartz, D.V.M. retired from Michigan State University and was also on the staff of Pennsylvania State University has 2 books out that are real good. Getting to the point, research has found over 150 internal parasites in the continental United States. There are some worms that the fowl can put up with but none are healthy for them. The bad worms are the Cecal AND Capillary, THESE WILL KILL A BIRD  IN A HURRY. I clean under the roost real good and put salt and 10% sevin dust under the roosts and also on the run area. I make sure there are no holes in the ground that will hold water. I lost some chickens the first time I used salt. I had holes in the ground and they drank the salty water after it rained. I use a 3 pound coffee can to measure with (3 cans of salt to 1/2 can of 10% sevin dust) mix real good and sprinkle on ground. The salt will dehydrate the earth worms and will drive them out of the ground, the 10% sevin dust will kill them. If the worm is dead and the bird eats it the eggs are also dead and will not infect the bird. In the wet season FALL TILL SPRING I worm once a month. I started this 4 years ago and my fowl are healthier. I don’t think I have lost 1 bird due to worms.

Sorry, back to getting ready for winter. I leave Levasole Drench for Cattle and Sheep Water Soluble Powder 1/4 teaspoon to a gallon of water, mix real good, and use as drinking water for the birds for 2 days. I use rubber bowls to worm with this way you do not use too much of the worming water. I also use 1 gallon bleach jugs. I cut a large hole in the front leaving about 3 inches up from the bottom, this will hold about 1 quart of water. It doesn’t take very much of this mix to worm birds. CAUTION I have found out the hard way that most wormers will kill the fertility in eggs for 7 to 10 days after worming with Levasole. I then use IVOMEC (POUR ON) CATTLE WORMER at 6cc per gallon of water, mix real good and use as the bird’s only drinking water for 2 days. Ivomec will kill any blood sucking parasite and does a fair job of worming. It will also kill leg mites. BUT IT WILL NOT KILL THE CECAL OR CAPILLARY WORMS. IVOMEC POUR ON CATTLE WORMER WILL LAST IN THE BLOOD SYSTEM FOR 14+ DAYS. IT KILLS ADULTS AND ANY EGGS THAT WILL HATCH. I USE IT LATE FALL IF I FIND ANY MITES OR LICE AND 2 OR 3 WEEKS BEFORE LAYING SEASON. IT ALSO KILLS THE FERTILITY IN EGGS for about 7 to 10 days.

I CHECK DURING WINTER FOR MITES AND LICE THAT WILD BIRDS MIGHT BRING IN. If I find any I use Ivomec again. Ivomec will also kill leg mites (same mixture 6cc per gallon of water). I have used DIESEL FUEL for leg mites, just dip the legs in Diesel, you will have to repeat this 2 or 3 times. (I NEVER USE PIPERAZINE AND I DON’T USE IVOMEC OVER 2 OR 3 TIMES A YEAR). I use the black rubber bowls for water in the winter because they are easy to get the ice out of, most of the time it just falls out. I do use ONE other wormer, if only 1 bird looks bad. I look at the droppings, poop, crap… I think you know what I am talking about. If the droppings are WHITE AND RUNNY LIKE WHITE PAINT AND THE BIRD LOOKS DROOPY I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND THEM TO BE WORMY. It is best to catch the bird and feel of its breast area, if it is real thin then it is time to WORM. The white is their urine, they do not eat very much and drink a lot of water, I think the worms give a false signal that the craw is full and they don’t eat, they just drink and starve to death. (DURING A RAINY SPELL THE DROPPINGS WILL LOOK CLEAR AND WATERY AND HAVE WHITE IN IT, DON’T TAKE THIS AS A SIGN OF WORMS). The other wormer is VALBAZEN ORAL DRENCH for cattle, you have to put a plastic tube on a syringe and then put it down the gullet (better known as throat) on the right side put it down about 3 1/2 to 4 inches and give 1cc for a peahen & 1 1/2 for an adult Peacock 1/2 cc for young peachicks over 4 months old VALBAZEN WILL SAVE A BIRD IF IT IS USED. (I have to put a disclaimer to this program it has worked for me and a lot of other people.) But I can’t guarantee this will work for you.

This article originally appeared in the December 1999 Issue of Peafowl Today, the UPA newsletter. Reproduction elsewhere in any form without prior consent from the UPA is strictly prohibited. © 1999 The United Peafowl Association. All rights reserved.