This is kind of amazing, and may partly depend upon where you live, and definitely depends on what your goals for chicken keeping ARE.
If you have a dog and you live where there are heart-worms - you probably give your dog a once-a-month wormer. Heart worms in dogs are nasty and will shorten their life -- and therefore why take a chance when they can be prevented?.... even though years and years and years ago - people never gave their dogs heart worm meds.
If you live where there are hard freezes over winter you may be looking at something different from those of us who live in warm climates. -
When I was on a cattle ranch for a decade we used parasite medicine on the cattle. There is one that can even be used on milk cows with no milk withdrawal period.
Why, when modern science can prevent these parasites would you not prevent them? I use cydectin - and I see no ill effects in my chickens. cydectin can also rid the chickens of external parasites..... so -- why not give your animals protection?
Regarding if people living with small areas should abstain from having chickens, or if eggs from chickens that aren't organic (nothing artificial given to them to promote their health for example) are lesser quality than supermarket eggs so just get supermarket eggs....?? Beekissed, you are a brilliant chicken keeper and a star on BYC, but to suggest that people don't have a few hens in the back yard because of the difference it doesn't make in the grocery bill -- misses a lot of enjoyment, education, and other than just grocery-bill reasons for having chickens.
Not everything can be monetized, or should be for that matter IMO. In UK it is really very common to keep a few hens at the back of the 'garden' -- Not everyone who has chickens needs to have an egg selling business - (I'm sure I misunderstood what your said) Some in UK get ex battery hens just to have a few chickens around. Some like them for bug control or for just enjoying the chickens scratching around in the grass.
It should be everyone's best choice to care for their flock as they see fit -- and everyone is dealing with slightly different circumstances and has different goals..... everyone has their own approach to keeping chickens -- There are some types of livestock, in some climates that are done a pretty big disservice by failing to worm them (generic for parasite protection) -- this includes horses, goats, cattle, and chickens along with preventing heartworm in dogs in a climate like this one.
ETA -- just to clarify my point -- it is great that lots of posters in this thread feel no need to worm, or have no wish to worm. My perspective is I want the parasites away from my chickens -- and so I want a definite regular worming schedule for their well being.
If you have a dog and you live where there are heart-worms - you probably give your dog a once-a-month wormer. Heart worms in dogs are nasty and will shorten their life -- and therefore why take a chance when they can be prevented?.... even though years and years and years ago - people never gave their dogs heart worm meds.
If you live where there are hard freezes over winter you may be looking at something different from those of us who live in warm climates. -
When I was on a cattle ranch for a decade we used parasite medicine on the cattle. There is one that can even be used on milk cows with no milk withdrawal period.
Why, when modern science can prevent these parasites would you not prevent them? I use cydectin - and I see no ill effects in my chickens. cydectin can also rid the chickens of external parasites..... so -- why not give your animals protection?
Regarding if people living with small areas should abstain from having chickens, or if eggs from chickens that aren't organic (nothing artificial given to them to promote their health for example) are lesser quality than supermarket eggs so just get supermarket eggs....?? Beekissed, you are a brilliant chicken keeper and a star on BYC, but to suggest that people don't have a few hens in the back yard because of the difference it doesn't make in the grocery bill -- misses a lot of enjoyment, education, and other than just grocery-bill reasons for having chickens.
Not everything can be monetized, or should be for that matter IMO. In UK it is really very common to keep a few hens at the back of the 'garden' -- Not everyone who has chickens needs to have an egg selling business - (I'm sure I misunderstood what your said) Some in UK get ex battery hens just to have a few chickens around. Some like them for bug control or for just enjoying the chickens scratching around in the grass.
It should be everyone's best choice to care for their flock as they see fit -- and everyone is dealing with slightly different circumstances and has different goals..... everyone has their own approach to keeping chickens -- There are some types of livestock, in some climates that are done a pretty big disservice by failing to worm them (generic for parasite protection) -- this includes horses, goats, cattle, and chickens along with preventing heartworm in dogs in a climate like this one.
ETA -- just to clarify my point -- it is great that lots of posters in this thread feel no need to worm, or have no wish to worm. My perspective is I want the parasites away from my chickens -- and so I want a definite regular worming schedule for their well being.
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