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They get worms from the environment of third-party sources (vectors) such as earthworms that digest the eggs or larva and then are eaten by birds.
Many parasites stay in the bird, never passing, and instead they shed eggs. The eggs stay in the environment and are picked up by chickens. Certain environmental conditions allow eggs to become infective (which is why dry conditions help - they don't trigger the development). From there they go into the bird, and grow and develop depending on the type of worm. Many attach themselves to the digestive tract (though larva and different species can be anywhere in the bird - the trachea, the crop, the lungs etc) and cause scarring and inflammation. The inflammation prevents the bird from being able to digest their food well. That's why i'm not a big fan of the "oh birds can live with worms" theory. Chronic inflammation is chronic immune lowering.
Birds can bring worms, earthworms, beetles and what not do carry them (dogs and cats usually not eating earthworms and beetles).
DE will not keep them from getting an infestation but is used to hopefully lessen the number that birds pick up. It hopefully helps. But the only way of knowing for sure is by doing a fecal egg count (since a regular fecal is ineffective as worms tend to stay in the animal to live). If you're every curious and want to avoid worming, get a vet to do a "fecal egg count" and be sure to ask specifically for that as sometimes their staff will just hear and write down "fecal" which, to a poultryman, isn't worth paying for.
Apple cider vinegar doesn't expell worms, no matter how many people think it does - unless you used so much as to really harm the bird. It's benefits are in keeping the gut pH friendly for good bacteria, and unfriently for pathogens like bad bacteria and fungi. The pH of a normal gut isn't that bad for worms. Making a gut too much more acid would also make it too acidic for good bacteria. So it's mainly used as a tonic to help the gut stay healthy, replace some good lactobacilli, and such as that.
It's good stuff for that - really wonderful.
They get worms from the environment of third-party sources (vectors) such as earthworms that digest the eggs or larva and then are eaten by birds.
Many parasites stay in the bird, never passing, and instead they shed eggs. The eggs stay in the environment and are picked up by chickens. Certain environmental conditions allow eggs to become infective (which is why dry conditions help - they don't trigger the development). From there they go into the bird, and grow and develop depending on the type of worm. Many attach themselves to the digestive tract (though larva and different species can be anywhere in the bird - the trachea, the crop, the lungs etc) and cause scarring and inflammation. The inflammation prevents the bird from being able to digest their food well. That's why i'm not a big fan of the "oh birds can live with worms" theory. Chronic inflammation is chronic immune lowering.
Birds can bring worms, earthworms, beetles and what not do carry them (dogs and cats usually not eating earthworms and beetles).
DE will not keep them from getting an infestation but is used to hopefully lessen the number that birds pick up. It hopefully helps. But the only way of knowing for sure is by doing a fecal egg count (since a regular fecal is ineffective as worms tend to stay in the animal to live). If you're every curious and want to avoid worming, get a vet to do a "fecal egg count" and be sure to ask specifically for that as sometimes their staff will just hear and write down "fecal" which, to a poultryman, isn't worth paying for.
Apple cider vinegar doesn't expell worms, no matter how many people think it does - unless you used so much as to really harm the bird. It's benefits are in keeping the gut pH friendly for good bacteria, and unfriently for pathogens like bad bacteria and fungi. The pH of a normal gut isn't that bad for worms. Making a gut too much more acid would also make it too acidic for good bacteria. So it's mainly used as a tonic to help the gut stay healthy, replace some good lactobacilli, and such as that.
