Chicken worms: How to ID and is the bird safe to eat

[acastlechicken]

Hi, I'm not sure whether or not my chickens have worms, one of the symptoms I've heard of is that the eggs come out with poop on them, which has been happening with my flock. So, how can I determine if they have worms or not?

Also, is it safe for people to eat chickens with worms? I was already planning on harvesting the flock here in a month or two but if they have worms I would almost rather harvest them now than deworm them, simply due to cost.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

You should always deworm your flock periodically with a broad spectrum dewormer, at least every six months or so. It won't hurt them. There is a withdrawal period for egg and meat consumption.

I have to disagree whole heartedly with this statement!

Worms and other organisms build immunity to these things that get over used! Do not use it unless you need to. Plus a "broad spectrum" might not target your area of need.

I have NEVER wormed my chickens in 6 years or felt the need to.

I heard that poopy eggs meant worms recently and I say hog wash! I checked my girls... some of the fluffier girls get a dingle berry that holds on and fresh poo coats it and eggs get laid before the fresh poo has dried completely. and smears a little on the way past.

A fecal float at the vet is $15 and tell you which worms to treat for.

Also, having worms doesn't make your eggs or meat unsafe. If you are processing yourself.... you can cut open the intestines and do a visual inspection for worms as many do, just so they know if they need to treat the rest of the flock not so they don't eat it.

Some worm load is completely natural! The problem comes when there is an over growth... which can be avoided by proper maintenance of your coop/run/pasture and not over crowding.

Of course if your flock is showing symptoms.... yes you need to pursue as it is detrimental to their health.

Best wishes!

 

[Eggcessive]

My vet told me that many animals can tolerate normal worms, but that an animal that is immune-compromised will have a tougher time fighting off worms. If one sees a lot of poultry diseases in the flock, there may be a bigger need to deworm. Having a fecal test done occasionally from several fresh droppings might help, just to be aware of what is going on. Fecal floats can really vary in price; mines charges around $35 in a small town. Some choose to worm whether having a fecal done or not. If your chickens are behaving normally without problems, it might not be that important. If one does, it helps to look inside the gut for the presence of worms. Everyone is entitled to do what they feel is best, and that is what this forum is about--to give our opinions, and let the people make up their own minds.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Well, disagree away. Capillary worms do not appear in droppings, and by the time the birds show symptoms of a capillary worm infestation, it is too late in most cases, because they conceal symptoms until they can't anymore. Capillary worms kill.

And the worms do not develop immunity if you rotate dewormers.

And our flock is not over crowded, they free range, and at night they are in a large building, they have plenty of room. Worms and worm eggs are in the ground, and some can be contracted by the bird eating earthworms, which are the host for other parasites, or they just pick them up from pecking the ground. Worms have nothing to do with overcrowding or coop maintenance. .

Also, it depends on where you are, and what vet you go to, that determines the cost. It is not $15.00 everywhere. As I said before, if you want to be sure, you can always do a fecal float. If you're going to eat the birds anyway, it really doesn't make much difference, as the worms won't be in the meat of the bird.

This is not to say that all birds will have worms, but in some areas, depending on climate, soil, and other factors, they probably will. Internal and external parasites weaken the bird and can cause all kinds of other problems, if they are not monitored and controlled.

I

Yep, but many people DON"T rotate their wormers.

I didn't indicate that lack of maintenance was THE problem... but if you don't think overcrowding adds to worm, disease and parasite load getting out of control, you bet I will disagree away.

Yes, I noted that SOME worm load was normal. So I forgot to use the word HELP in my sentence! Proper maintenance can help avoid those problems!

Of course the cost isn't the same everywhere.... but it's great to get an idea of where it might start.

Yes, I know capillary worms are a problem... No, I didn't know they couldn't be found in a fecal exam.... That they can't be seen maybe, found... no I didn't know that! How do you test for them then?

You are obviously pro worming.... good for you!

We are all entitled to our opinions and I gave mine... I am no vet and I haven't lost a chicken to natural causes YET. I have never wormed or felt the need to worm in 6 years and if I do I will cross that path when I get there. That's the awesome thing about BYC, we can all share what works for us in our location. And what works for one may not work for another. And that's OK because we are all here to learn from each other and be helpful!

 

[Beekissed]

Hi, I'm not sure whether or not my chickens have worms, one of the symptoms I've heard of is that the eggs come out with poop on them, which has been happening with my flock. So, how can I determine if they have worms or not?

Also, is it safe for people to eat chickens with worms? I was already planning on harvesting the flock here in a month or two but if they have worms I would almost rather harvest them now than deworm them, simply due to cost.

Let's address that myth of the poop on the egg first. When chickens are laying their vents become wider, looser in tension and more open. This can make it difficult for poop to clear the vent as it normally does~in other words, the gals can't pinch off a loaf as efficiently as they do when not in a laying cycle~ so poop can get on the feathers around the vent and then onto eggs when they are laid. This has absolutely nothing to do with having worms or not having worms.

Another time poop can get on eggs is when water consumption increases during hot weather. Poop gets more runny then and, again, residue can get on feathers and eggs and in the nests.

And, contrary to what many state here, it's not necessary to chemically deworm chickens at all if management practices are sound. Some use dewormers as PART of their management and that's their choice, but I've not used a chemical dewormer in 40 yrs of keeping chickens, nor did my mother before me and my grandmother before her. We've killed and opened up a lot of chickens in all those years, hundreds upon hundreds, and examined the intestines closely....no worm infestations noted but once, from a chicken that arrived from a place of poor management and was killed shortly after arriving. Never seen any since then either and we are living still on that same land.

Here's an article that may help if you are worried about worms in the future and about eating the chickens. To answer your question about the safety of eating the meat, it's okay to eat them....most food animals have intestinal worms and folks are eating them right along.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bees-all-natural-treatments-for-parasites-external-and-internal

 

[casportpony]

Hi, I'm not sure whether or not my chickens have worms, one of the symptoms I've heard of is that the eggs come out with poop on them, which has been happening with my flock. So, how can I determine if they have worms or not?

Also, is it safe for people to eat chickens with worms? I was already planning on harvesting the flock here in a month or two but if they have worms I would almost rather harvest them now than deworm them, simply due to cost.

De-wormer is fairly cheap, and so is having a fecal done, but maybe they don't even have a huge load. Only way to know for sure is to have a fecal done, so gather up a bunch of fresh poop and see if you can find a vet to test it for you. If you can't find an affordable vet try this place:

Poop Tests - Veterinary Parasitology Laboratory​

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I did not open him up. I work long hours and 3rd shift. I found him yesterday morning late and I looked him over externally before burying him. I only had short time before I had to be back at work. I looked for matches to his symptoms online. The stretching of the neck and shaking of his head, the loss of balance, light brown runny poop and the tips of his comb were off colored. Like a blueish purple. He only started with those symptoms two weeks ago and the stumbling only lasted a minute or two and then he seemed fine. He was around 3 years old as well. I'm just puzzled over it all. The first thing all my chicken friends have told me to do is worm and worm with chemicals. Since I've been using DE.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

So you must realize that DE doesn't work as a wormer. But I agree with @Beekissed and think you are jumping the gun to assume worms caused a death in an otherwise healthy bird in under two weeks.

You might be busy... but taking a fecal sample to the vet could at least confirm your suspicion or direct you on a more appropriate path to protect the rest of your flock. Thinking there may have been underlying issues?

Checking your birds during the day isn't going to tell you the whole parasite truth.

Checking them at night, under a flash light will give you a more accurate picture. Take them off the roost and lay them on their backs, legs bent towards chest and flash light near the vent. Part some feathers and see what runs away. I hang out with my birds for hours every day. Have a few pullets that sit on my lap regularly and inspect often. Never saw anything until processing cockerels for the freezer stage of their development, taken dark and early off roost. My roost swipe came back negative for mites.

I'm not trying to harsh you.... there are just so many possibilities, I hate to have you put all your eggs in one basket so to speak when other possibilities are easy to rule out before experiencing another death.

Just to be clear.... if one of your chickens has something else going on and you worm because that's what your chicken friends told you to do.... Could actually cause more harm than good, even death. And if you have the misfortune of loosing another feathered friend, a necropsy will tell you why they died, at least more definitively than a bunch of guessing and can often be done for low or no cost at state ag departments and universities. Here is a link...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/799747/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures

 

[chicknmania]

The cost of deworming is minimal. Up to you. If you want to know for sure get a vet to do a fecal float for you.

 

[acastlechicken]

The cost of deworming is minimal.  Up to you.  If you want to know for sure get a vet to do a fecal float for you.

I really can't afford any vet costs or anything right now, which is why I'm asking. They arent showing any real symptoms: solid poo, worm free poo, worm free eggs,etc.

 

[Eggcessive]

That is probably just something that an individual chicken is doing--I 've had a couple that have done that, and I don't think it has anything to do with worms. However, you can use SafeGuard equine paste or goat wormer to worm your dhickens.