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

[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!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

OK... so worming happens to be the topic of the week....

And there will be a lot of varying methods and opinions. You just choose what seems to make the most sense FOR YOU.

Here is the link...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1059889/to-worm-or-not-to-worm-that-is-the-question

 

[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

 

[Yemimah]

If you are concerned about using inorganic methods there is a BIG market of natural products available. Even including diatomaceous in their feed will help with some of the intestinal worms. I started using a product called strike III when tractor supply was out of everything else. No totally conclusive report to offer in this short term but it returned their runny droppings back to normal.It has wormwood, cloves and oregano.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

If you are concerned about using inorganic methods there is a BIG market of natural products available. Even including diatomaceous in their feed will help with some of the intestinal worms. I started using a product called strike III when tractor supply was out of everything else. No totally conclusive report to offer in this short term but it returned their runny droppings back to normal.It has wormwood, cloves and oregano.

So DE isn't ground down in the gizzard before it makes it to the intestines, making it irrelevant?

 

[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​

 

[casportpony]

If you are concerned about using inorganic methods there is a BIG market of natural products available. Even including diatomaceous in their feed will help with some of the intestinal worms. I started using a product called strike III when tractor supply was out of everything else. No totally conclusive report to offer in this short term but it returned their runny droppings back to normal.It has wormwood, cloves and oregano.

Strike III is lo longer available at Tractor Supply because it contains an antibiotic called hygromycin B, which is one of the antibiotics that now require a prescription, though one might be able to find it on Amazon or eBay.

 

[chicknmania]

Strike III is lo longer available at Tractor Supply because it contains an antibiotic called hygromycin B, which is one of the antibiotics that now require a prescription, though one might be able to find it on Amazon or eBay.

Strike III is available in an antibiotic free form now as of January 1, 2017 and is sold by TSC and most feed mills.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: What's the wormer in it?

 

[chicknmania]

What's the wormer in it?

I don't know, I haven't bought any yet and haven't looked at it closely, I've just seen it on the shelves with the new label "now antibiotic free". Next time I see some, I'll check it out. I don't see the new kind on line.