Chicken wormer supplies improve

Dwindling supplies of medicated pre-mixture Flubenvet in its lower concentrations have been causing anxiety for smaller distributors, feed manufacturers and some egg producers.

Flubenvet is the only licensed wormer for chickens in the UK and is the one treatment that can be used without requiring a withdrawal period between use and consumption of hens’ eggs.

Judith Galloway, who is a licensed distributor in the south-west of Scotland, said her customers were frustrated at being unable to buy the 60g 1% concentration of the drug, which is designed for smaller chicken keepers. She said that gapeworm had been a big problem due to September’s rain.

Ms Galloway said that a category eight licence holder could supply 240g 2.5% tubs of the product to small home-mixers, but only if confident it would then be split into smaller batches by the user. Good animal husbandry and improved biosecurity would reduce the risk of worms, she said. She advised anyone unsure to speak to a vet.

Marriage’s, a feed-milling firm, took its Flubenvet-based feed off the market at the end of September as the wormer was unavailable in the 2.4kg 2% form usually used.

A spokesman said it had received a supply of 12kg 5% solution, at the end of October, and expected to have its pre-mixed feed product available soon after. He said that the supply of Flubenvet was still limited, and hoped more would become available to avoid the firm ceasing production again.

Supplier Elanco apologised for any inconvenience caused, and said it was committed to resolving this as quickly as possible. Flubenvet was now available in all of the 2.5% concentrations.

“For the 5% and 1% formulations we are expecting a good supply to become available early in December,” a spokesman for the firm added.

He also advised anyone concerned about worming to speak to their local vet or contact Elanco direct.

Elanco acquired Belgium company Janssen Animal Health early in 2011. Part of the acquisition included the licence to make Flubenvet.