Chicken Worming???

[hayley3]

You might want to do some article reading about DE first. Some folks like it, but others don't, for the simple reason that under a microscope it's tiny shards of stuff, which can harm lungs if inhaled. Also, the thought was put forward that once in the gut it's not dry anymore, it's wet, and thus is ineffective. There's a lot of information about it doing more harm than good and I don't believe there is any scientific testing that says it helps...it's more like an old wive's tale. "Hey, I scattered pieces of blue plastic around the farm and my chickens have never had worms...so that means that blue plastic prevents worms." That sort of thing.

I read in many places it gets rid of ants...nope, doesn't work.

 

[MaryJanet]

In Australia the best worming product I've used so far is Kilverm. You mix it with their water, like a cordial. The active ingredient is levamisole.

https://www.vetsense.com.au/product/vetsense-kilverm-pig-and-poultry/

I've got one chicken who won't drink the other worming cordials, but she doesn't mind drinking kilverm.

 

[dawg53]

DE will not treat nor kill worms. It is a waste of money.

 

[Morrigan]

There is a difference of opinion on this, but I'm not a big believer in worming your chickens unless you have reason to believe your chickens have worms. Worming medications don't serve to prevent worms; they can only kill worms living inside your chickens. If your chickens are thriving, laying well and you don't see any evidence of worms in their droppings, I wouldn't worry. Not all soils are conductive to heavy worms loads, and many people have never wormed their chickens.

If you have reason to believe your chickens do have worms, you might want to collect some droppings to take to a vet to determine if, in fact, they have worms and what type, so that you can use the best medications possible, as well as learn what steps you need to take to keep the worms for coming back after they have completed the medication.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

I read in many places it gets rid of ants...nope, doesn't work.

I’m not sure if food grade diatomaceous earth will kill ants but I took some general purpose DE and made a whitewash solution which kill the ants almost instantly. It’s quite fun dripping it onto the ants and then boom dead. It also makes the hidden ants come out in a swarm.

 

[hayley3]

I’m not sure if food grade diatomaceous earth will kill ants but I took some general purpose DE and made a whitewash solution which kill the ants almost instantly. It’s quite fun dripping it onto the ants and then boom dead. It also makes the hidden ants come out in a swarm.

What's the difference between those two types? Shouldn't they work the same?

 

[wrcogan76]

This is a great topic and one as a new chicken mom, I feel so unsure on! Do you all use the deworming medications as preventive measures or only if you suspect your flock has worms?

 

[dawg53]

This is a great topic and one as a new chicken mom, I feel so unsure on! Do you all use the deworming medications as preventive measures or only if you suspect your flock has worms?

It depends on your soil conditions as when to worm. Nematodes are everywhere in the soil no matter where you live. However, warm moist or wet soil requires frequent worming, it's like worm soup. Soil that is cool, dry, rocky or mountainous, desert like, may require less or little worming.
If their feet touch the ground, they'll get worms. When you see worms in feces, internal damage has already occurred and birds may act lethargic. One female large roundworm lays thousands of eggs in one day. Anyone who says that chickens can handle a small wormload doesnt realize that the soil is being contaminated with worm eggs which will eventually infect other birds. In order to stop the lifecycle, birds should be wormed on a routine basis, rotating foraging areas and keeping grass cut short helps.
I worm my birds monthly due to our warm and wet soil. I just got through worming my birds last week. I use Valbazen, Safeguard, Pyrantal Pamoate and Levamisole.

 

[MaryJanet]

This is a great topic and one as a new chicken mom, I feel so unsure on! Do you all use the deworming medications as preventive measures or only if you suspect your flock has worms?

The hens at my house do at lot of mingling with pigeons and sparrows So I worm them Spring and Autumn.

However, I'm planning to build a much larger henhouse that the wildbirds won't be able to enter. Once the hens have moved in, I'll worm them as usual for their first year and afrer that, only when fecal float tests show treatment is needed.

 

[MaryJanet]

I'll just add that @dawg53 is right, consider your environment first. Things like soil and wildbirds and weather patterns.

We're on (usually) dry sand which is not a good environment for worms. At our house, the wildbirds are the main worm factor.