4 years old NEVER been WORMED should I?

[GoldenSparrow]

My chickens are 4 years old, and I have never wormed them.

I feel like I should. I dont see any worms, but a few of my chickens have died in the past two years of things unknown.
should I even worm them?
I have some Ivermectin, will this kill most types of worms?

if so, what is the dose?

Thank you

 

[mommissan]

I'd rather see you get a stool sample checked by a vet before adding dewormer. If they've made it this far, they might be more "resistant" to parasites naturally.

 

[GoldenSparrow]

i dont have a chicken vet around here, will a dog and cat vet be able to do this?

 

[mommissan]

Sure. They just suspend the stool in some kind of liquid and look at it under a microscope. They look for parasite eggs. Check with the vet to see if he treats birds. Mine does.

 

[umanduhbree]

There are natural dewormers, and I use them for prevention. I haven't had any losses yet, well other than a few predator attacks (grr...

), and my birds are going strong (knock on wood). I use raw pumpkin seeds- pulsed into a paste and let the chickens dig in. They love it, and the rest of the pumpkin too. I do this a couple times a month, and i haven't seen any worms yet. But I would get a stool sample checked by a vet, just to be on the safe side.

 

[mommissan]

Of course, weigh the cost. A stool sample might be $15, but you already have the Ivermectin. Just hate to see treatments made without cause.

 

[GoldenSparrow]

believe me, I have looked every where for a vet that treats birds.

would it be normal for them not to have worms at 4 years?

 

[mommissan]

Quote:
I didn't know -raw pumpkin seeds? Cool! Perfect time of year too. Works for dogs also?

 

[CC1892]

Quote:
source

PM dawg53 he is a great source of information, and knows what to do, and what to use.
Research some of his posts for starters. He is very good at responding back asap.

Just saw your page on battery hens-if your hens are battery hens rescues, I wonder if
they had any special inoculations that made a difference. Good luck.

 

[mommissan]

Quote:
Too bad. My vet likes to treat all types of animals. If you give him a heads-up, he even studies up the night before the office visit. It makes him more $$$$$.