Alben is a common prophylactic and parasite medicine given to chickens. It does not require drinking a laxative before deworming and a preliminary diet, which is necessary before taking many other antiparasitic drugs. You can learn more about the drug, how to use it and side effects below.
What kind of drug?
Alben is a new generation universal complex anthelmintic for animals, which is also known as Albendazole. The drug is of Russian origin, the main manufacturer of which is LLC "Research and Development Center Agrovetzashchita St. Petersburg", located in the Moscow region, in the city of Sergiev Posad.
Anthelmintic has a wide spectrum of action and destroys various parasites when administered orally. Indicated when chickens are infected with helminths. These can be sexually mature and immature individuals:
- cestodes;
- nematodes;
- trematodes.
Alben is effectively given to all varieties of poultry, not only for therapy, but also for prophylaxis, since it belongs to drugs of average toxicity and is completely safe for them. However, before giving it to birds, it is imperative that you consult your veterinarian. Only he can find the right dose for chickens.
Alben must be stored in a dark place, at temperatures from 0 to 22 ° C. Expiration date - 3 years from the date of issue.
Composition and release forms
The main active ingredient of the drug is albendazole, the concentration of which is about 20%. In addition, there are auxiliary additives in the form of:
- polyvinylpyrrolidone;
- calcium stearate;
- potato starch;
- lactose.
Alben is available in tablets, which are sold in polymer cans of 25-100 pieces each or in foil blisters of 25 pieces, packed in cardboard boxes (one package can contain 25-100 tablets).
In addition, the drug is available in granular form. The granules are placed in sealed laminated bags. The bulk is 0.5 kg or 1 kg.
Alben can also be purchased in suspension and capsule form.
Drug action
Alben is introduced into the bird's body orally, and then enters the gastrointestinal tract and begins to be rapidly absorbed, penetrating into other tissues and organs. Its active ingredient disrupts carbohydrate metabolism and micro-tubular function of worms. As a result, they die and are removed from the bird's body. In addition, Alben is capable of destroying helminths that have not yet emerged from eggs.
The drug is released from the body of the bird along with the droppings, without changing its shape. It is enough to take it once. Ease of admission lies in the fact that there is no need to starve the bird to empty the intestines, and give it laxatives before deworming.
The product has 4 hazard classes and is well tolerated by birds if the required dosages are observed.
Instructions for use
The medicine in the form of tablets is used for the treatment and prevention of helminthiasis in chickens. It is given to birds according to the following instructions:
- Determine the optimal dose at the rate of 20 mg of the drug per 2 kg of live weight of the bird. So, 1 tablet is designed for 35 kg of mass, 1 capsule - for 40 kg, and 1 granule - for 20 kg. The optimum amount of the drug is powdered in a mortar.
- Take food, preferably a mash, and add powder to it, mixing thoroughly.
- They feed the bird in the morning. For the best effect, deworming is carried out for 2 consecutive days.
- In no case should an overdose of the drug be allowed, otherwise the chickens will experience diarrhea and vomiting. On this day, birds can completely refuse to eat.
Many farmers prefer to give the drug by dissolving it in water. This method is more preferable for a small farm, since each bird will have to be given the medicine individually.
Alben broiler chickens are given in solution!
A special instruction for taking the drug dissolved in water has been developed:
- Calculate the medicine based on the number of chickens. To do this, add up the mass of all birds.
- Calculate how much water each chicken drinks at one time (as a rule, this is 1.5 parts of the feed consumed), and summarize depending on the number of birds. It is known that 1 tablet is designed for 35 kg of live weight. Since one chicken weighs about 2 kg on average, this tablet can be fed to about 17-18 hens.
- Grind the drug to a powdery state and dissolve in warm boiled water.
- The finished composition is given to the bird using a conventional medical syringe, after removing the needle from it.
There is another way of using Albena, which involves adding a medicine to the daily drink. However, it is not as effective as an individual infusion of the drug, since chickens use water in different ways. In addition, there may be individuals that will not even fit the drinker. So, this method is used only in extreme cases.
Application features
To use Albena to be as effective as possible, the following data should be taken into account when using it:
- the age of the bird;
- the purpose of using chicken eggs and meat;
- time of seasonal molt.
Based on these nuances, there are the following features of using Albena:
- The drug is given to chickens after they start going outside, that is, from about a month old. The fact is that in the open air, helminths can be found everywhere, which chickens will bring on their plumage and legs. So, to prevent infection, prophylaxis is carried out. Usually Alben is kneaded into a mash, but it should not be hot. They give food after walks, after waiting 2 hours so that the chickens get hungry and actively eat the mash.
- If hens are treated, then their eggs are considered unfit for consumption within 4-5 days after taking Albena. Meanwhile, eggs laid during this period can be boiled and given to other birds or animals (but not to people!). If broilers are being treated, then they cannot be slaughtered within 1 week after the removal of worms, since during this period their meat is unsuitable for consumption. As a last resort, it can be boiled and fed to animals.
- Alben is contraindicated in autumn or spring, when birds begin to molt, even if helminths are found. It is necessary to wait for this time, and replace the drug with pumpkin seeds and herbal decoctions.
- Prevention is carried out every year. The most suitable time is spring, about 7-8 days before the birds are released into the open air, and in the fall, with the onset of cold weather, about 5 days before they are transferred to the barn.
In the video below the breeder provides an overview of the drug "Alben" and shows the intake of the drug in chickens:
Very often, when passing a litter for analysis, a negative result is obtained, but it is worth remembering that helminths can affect the lungs and oviducts, so it is still worthwhile to carry out prophylaxis using Albena.
Recommendations and special instructions
When using Albena, the following recommendations should be taken into account:
- On large farms, do not deworm all chickens immediately. It is better to choose from a population of 50 birds and give the drug only to them. Next, you need to monitor their condition within 3-4 days. If everything goes well, this procedure can be carried out with the rest of the birds.
- When working with Alben, you need to take precautions, since it has an average degree of toxicity. When in contact with the medicine, you should not eat, drink water and smoke. Work must be carried out with rubber gloves. After the procedure, hands should be washed with detergent.
- In order for the birds to eat all the food with the medicine, they need to be underfed in the evening, and add more tasty ingredients to the mash with Alben. This can be, for example, boiled potatoes and carrots. It is important that the birds eat all the feed in one go.
- Simultaneously with deworming, the hen house should be cleaned with antiseptics. In this case, it will be necessary to carefully remove the droppings in the chicken coop for 1 week and much more often than this was done before.
Side effects and contraindications
If the Albena intake norms are observed, there are no side symptoms, but in case of overdose, the following phenomena are possible:
- allergic rash;
- decreased appetite;
- diarrhea;
- vomiting;
- depressed state;
- drowsiness.
Typically, this reaction can be observed after taking the drug for 24 hours. If these symptoms occur and, in general, the condition of the chickens worsens, it is necessary to seek the advice of a veterinarian. He can prescribe drugs that relieve this unpleasant symptomatology, and another anthelmintic to eliminate worms.
As for contraindications, such is the molting period in chickens. In addition, Alben should not be given to weakened and sick individuals. It is worth considering that at the same time, chickens should not be given other antihelminthic agents.
Which is better - Alben or Tetramisole?
To compare two anthelmintic drugs, it is necessary to consider the properties and therapeutic possibilities of Tetramisole:
- Refers to anthelmintic drugs with a wide spectrum of action. Shows activity against nematodes in the gastrointestinal tract and lungs. The drug paralyzes the nervous system of nematodes, because of which they die. It is used as prevention and therapy for helminths.
- It is considered moderately toxic. After oral administration, it is rapidly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and begins to act after 60 minutes, and the effect lasts about a day. Drug withdrawal is carried out through poultry droppings.
- It is produced in milky white granules and small sizes (up to 3 mm in diameter), as well as in the form of a powder of 10% and 20%. Sold in plastic cans, plastic and paper bags. The number of grams varies from 50 to 5,000.
It is obvious that Alben and Tetramisole are largely similar in their characteristics and even in the level of toxic substances. They are suitable for the prevention and treatment of chickens from various types of helminths. Not one of them has advantages over the other. The difference is only in the shelf life (Alben - 3 years, and Tetramisole - 5 years) and hazard class (Tetramisole - third, and Alben - fourth).
The price of 100 Albena tablets is 374 rubles, and 150 g of granules is 180 rubles. Tetramisole granules 20% are somewhat more expensive - 195 rubles.
Analogs
Alben has a number of analogs, which are also prescribed as antihelminthic agents. These include:
- Alvet... A broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug, which actively acts against adults and larvae of nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes. The main active ingredient is albendazole. It also contains vitamin E and lactose. The drug is given to the bird in the morning, mixing it with compound feed. The ratio is 0.5 g per 10 kg of bird weight.
- Biofermin... It has a broad spectrum anthelmintic effect. It is used for ascariasis, heterokidosis, capillariasis, syngamosis, ryetinosis. The active substance is flubendazole (5%). The preparation is given to the bird for 7 days with feed at the rate of 60 g per 100 kg of food.
- Piperazine. An effective anthelmintic agent, the main active ingredient of which is piperazine adipate. Has a toxic effect on helminths. For 1 kg of bird weight, 2.5 g of substance are given. The course of treatment is 2 days.
- Promectin. An antiparasitic agent, the active substance of which is ivermectin. Used for the treatment and prevention of internal and external parasites. Effective in the fight against all roundworms, acarosis, entomoses, lice, nematodes. The rates and doses of the drug are prescribed by the doctor.
- Tetramisole. Water-soluble anthelmintic. Its active ingredient is tetramisole chloride. It has a broad spectrum of action, is active in the zones of the lungs and the digestive organs. It is used once during the morning feeding of birds.
- Fenbazen. Another anthelmintic, the active ingredient of which is fenbendazole. It has a detrimental effect on nematodes and some cestodes. Applied with feed at the rate of 0.0045 g per 1 kg of bird weight for 4 days.
- Febtal. The active ingredient is 5-phenyl-thio-2-benzimidazole carbamate. Active against nematodes and cestodes. The drug is given to chickens in groups, mixing with compound feed at the rate of 1 crushed tablet per 15 kg of weight or 1 g of granules per 22 kg of weight.
- Fenbendazole. A broad-spectrum drug that is active against lamblia, nematodes, cestodes and some trematodes. Differs in low toxicity. Use the agent for group treatment, mixing it with morning feed at the rate of 7.5 mg per 1 kg of weight.
Alben is one of the most common anthelmintic drugs, which not only fights the disease itself, but is also an excellent prophylactic drug. It is effective against cestodes and nematodes, and also copes well with adult trematodes.