BYC Café

I can't say for chickens, but I have heard that with horses and goats, if you do a fecal check on the animals in the herd before you treat for worms, you will find that most of the worms are in just a few animals. The numbers I have heard are that 80% of the worms will be in 20% of the animals, and another 20% will be nearly worm-free. If you repeat the test every time you worm, you'll find it's the same animals each time; some animals are just naturally parasite resistant. Some goat breeders have managed to have nearly parasite-free herds by selling off the wormy ones, and only keeping the parasite-resistant as breeding animals.

In horticulture, it is well known that plants that are undergoing some sort of environmental stress tend to have more problems with pests and diseases than those that are experiencing good growing conditions. Apparently, healthy plants have ways of making themselves less attractive to pests, while those undergoing stress don't have the energy to fight back.

It may be a bit of a logical leap, but maybe this bird was more vulnerable, either because she was genetically less resistant or because her immune system was challenged for some other reason at that time.:confused:

Interesting stuff. Thanks.
Wonder if there is any correlation with the fact that the one hen is the only one that didn't "grow up" here. All of the others, I hatched (or a hen here did), and one that I got when she was just a few months old. I've had this particular hen for more than a year, but she was probably a year or older when i got her.
 

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