After dewormer

[Aapomp831]

How do you keep your chickens from constantly re infesting themselves if the larvae are in the ground?? It seems like an impossible battle. I’m specifically talking about roundworms. I’ve read that you should not let them eat earthworms or crickets?? How on earth are you supposed to stop that with free range chickens? It’s rained here for 48 hours straight and my one acre run is covered in small lakes and mud. Feeling hopeless; I know I’m going to find worms in their poop in the next day or so.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@dawg53 and @coach723 may be able to give you some tips about worm management.

I have birds running loose too and it's just been a wet year all around, swampy and nasty.
I have not seen worms in any of my bird's poop. I'm sure they are eating all sorts of things from the amount of digging and foraging they do.

I usually de-worm my flocks once or twice a year. Valbazen or Safeguard.

What are you using as a dewormer, dose and how are you administering it?

 

[Aapomp831]

@dawg53 and @coach723 may be able to give you some tips about worm management.

I have birds running loose too and it's just been a wet year all around, swampy and nasty.
I have not seen worms in any of my bird's poop. I'm sure they are eating all sorts of things from the amount of digging and foraging they do.

I usually de-worm my flocks once or twice a year. Valbazen or Safeguard.

What are you using as a dewormer, dose and how are you administering it?

My husband is the one who does it; he makes a paste out of the Safeguard liquid goat wormer and mixes it in their food. We usually do it when they molt.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I’m specifically talking about roundworms. I’ve read that you should not let them eat earthworms or crickets?? How on earth are you supposed to stop that with free range chickens? It’s rained here for 48 hours straight and my one acre run is covered in small lakes and mud. Feeling hopeless; I know I’m going to find worms in their poop in the next day or so.

Well, I'm gonna call hogwash.. and say that just because earthworms or crickets MAY carry round worm eggs doesn't mean they are.. My birds free range and eat all the bugs they want. I get fecal floats before treating what I don't have to make sure I use the correct medication. I live in the PNW and it rains a bunch.. yet my floats come back negative..

For the first time in 10 years I needed to treat for round worms in my dogs... this season.. My dogs are getting older.. things are changing.. their immune system, etc.. even wildlife load changes for me.. come to think of it.. this is also the first time in about 7 years I've had to treat my dogs for fleas also!

Educate yourself on the factors you face but don't be fear mongered into locking your birds in a cave to try and protect them form all thing that *could* but may never happen.

Worming during molt with certain medications can cause clubbed down.

Try not to worry too much. Also consider switching up medications if you've been using the same one over and over!

 

[Morrigan]

Chickens do not get roundworms from eating insects or earthworms. Chickens are infected by eating roundworm eggs (called A. galli eggs), that are passed out of another chicken in their droppings, contaminating the run, feed, water, etc. Moving your chickens to fresh ground and keeping water and food dishes clean, are strategies for combatting reinfection.

Chickens can, however, get tapeworms from eating insects or earthworms. Basically, the insects eats tapeworm eggs passed out in an infected chickens droppings, the eggs turn into tapeworm larva inside the insect, and then the chicken eats the insect and the larva mature into an adult tape inside the chicken.

 

[ackie]

The fact that they free range, imo, means they are less likely to eat each others poop than if they were all locked up together. But I second keeping the food and water clean.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My husband is the one who does it; he makes a paste out of the Safeguard liquid goat wormer and mixes it in their food. We usually do it when they molt.

It may be better to dose them individually. Personally, I'm not a fan of mixing with feed since it's dependent on the bird to eat enough for the medication to be effective.
I agree with @EggSighted4Life Safeguard is not what I would use for birds that are molting since it is known that affect feather quality during molt.
Valbazen would be better to use during molt - dose each bird at a rate of 0.08ml per pound of weight orally once, then repeat in 10 days.
I go ahead and fill syringes with the medication have those prepped, go out early while the birds are roosting and grab them off the roost and dose them since the crop should be empty then and they are easier to catch too.
If you have a large flock, then break it down and do groups so you aren't overwhelmed. Maybe do all of one breed one morning, then the next do another group - split it up.

 

[Aapomp831]

It may be better to dose them individually. Personally, I'm not a fan of mixing with feed since it's dependent on the bird to eat enough for the medication to be effective.
I agree with @EggSighted4Life Safeguard is not what I would use for birds that are molting since it is known that affect feather quality during molt.
Valbazen would be better to use during molt - dose each bird at a rate of 0.08ml per pound of weight orally once, then repeat in 10 days.
I go ahead and fill syringes with the medication have those prepped, go out early while the birds are roosting and grab them off the roost and dose them since the crop should be empty then and they are easier to catch too.
If you have a large flock, then break it down and do groups so you aren't overwhelmed. Maybe do all of one breed one morning, then the next do another group - split it up.

I get what you’re saying, but I cannot dose them each individually there are about 42 here free ranging on one acre.

 

[Aapomp831]

Chickens do not get roundworms from eating insects or earthworms. Chickens are infected by eating roundworm eggs (called A. galli eggs), that are passed out of another chicken in their droppings, contaminating the run, feed, water, etc. Moving your chickens to fresh ground and keeping water and food dishes clean, are strategies for combatting reinfection.

Chickens can, however, get tapeworms from eating insects or earthworms. Basically, the insects eats tapeworm eggs passed out in an infected chickens droppings, the eggs turn into tapeworm larva inside the insect, and then the chicken eats the insect and the larva mature into an adult tape inside the chicken.

Ok, good to know. There food gets put away every night into an airtight Rubbermaid container and I change their water every morning. I rotate between ACV and garlic water (their main waterer is plain fresh water though, I always give them the option). We have already moved them out of their previous mudpit and now they have an entire acre to themselves.

 

[dawg53]

Chickens do not get roundworms from eating insects or earthworms. Chickens are infected by eating roundworm eggs (called A. galli eggs), that are passed out of another chicken in their droppings, contaminating the run, feed, water, etc. Moving your chickens to fresh ground and keeping water and food dishes clean, are strategies for combatting reinfection.

Chickens can, however, get tapeworms from eating insects or earthworms. Basically, the insects eats tapeworm eggs passed out in an infected chickens droppings, the eggs turn into tapeworm larva inside the insect, and then the chicken eats the insect and the larva mature into an adult tape inside the chicken.

You are correct about large roundworms having a direct lifecycle and tapeworms having an indirect lifecycle. However the following poultry roundworms have both a direct and indirect lifecycle:
Capillary worms, cecal worms, eyeworms, gapeworms, gizzard worms.

It's also true that not every insect will contain worm eggs. As a matter of fact I'd say it would be a below average chance of it happening.