Poultry
DEWORMING IN GROWERS
Round worms and tape worms are a major problem for the poultry farmer; a worm burden will lower immunity, lower feed efficiency and reduce the profits to the farmer. Deworming is mostly done through water but is also done through feed. The first deworming is done at 8 weeks of age, followed by deworming at 16 to 18 weeks of age. Layer brooder chicks and grower are dewormed as per the above pattern. The above mentioned programme for deworming must be altered if on post-mortem it is observed that the birds are harbouring these worms and need to be dewormed immediately. Mostly growers suffer from round worm infestation of the intestines and sometimes with tape worms also if the rearing area is wet. Hence, as a routine, the birds may be dewormed at 16th week of age or at 18th week. Piperazine, mabendol, levamisole, thiobendazole, zodex etc, are the drugs used to remove round worms while panacur, taenil, helmonil, dicestal etc., are used against tape worms at recommended dose levels.
Treatment
The most common medicine used is Piperazine either as 45 % or 65 % solution and the dose of Piperazine 45 % – 0.5 ml to 1ml /bird 65% – 370 ml/2000 growers (or) 370 ml/2000 layers. Piperazine can be used only for round worms.
Levamisole can be used for almost all round worm infections but not effective for tape worms. It is also an immunostimulant. Levamisole hydrochloride 30% w/w -20 to 25 mg/Kg body weight. 50g/1000 birds at 8 weeks of age. 100g /1000 birds at 18 weeks of age
Albendazole 10 to 15% is effective against tape worms also but must be administered for 2 to 3 consecutive days for good results provide 100g / 1000 birds. Fenbendazole 25% -60g/2000 birds. This is also effective against tape worms and should be administered for 2 to 3 consecutive days for good results.