Chicken Worming???

[dawg53]

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.

Dont let your birds mingle with pigeons. Pigeons are known carriers of Trichomoniasis (canker) and chickens can be easily infected via waterers and feeders. Once infected, necrotic lesions form inside the mouth, sometimes the nares, esophagus and trachea. Birds are carriers for life and will spread it to other birds via waterers.

 

[MaryJanet]

Dont let your birds mingle with pigeons. Pigeons are known carriers of Trichomoniasis (canker) and chickens can be easily infected via waterers and feeders. Once infected, necrotic lesions form inside the mouth, sometimes the nares, esophagus and trachea. Birds are carriers for life and will spread it to other birds via waterers.

The hens are seen by an avian vet twice a year.

Like I said above, when the new henhouse is built, pigeons and other wildbirds won't mingle with the hens anymore. If any hens are diagnosed bt the vet as carrying a contagious disease, they can live their lives out in the old henhouse.

 

[Morrigan]

Do you all use the deworming medications as preventive measures or only if you suspect your flock has worms?

As a caveat, I live in an area where I have hot, dry summers and rocky soil. So I am fortunate to raise chickens in a not very worm-friendly environment.

But, I have been raising chickens for 7 years and I have never wormed them. It has not been my experience that chickens with access to the outdoors will inevitably acquire heavy worm burdens and suffer. As I raise chickens for both eggs and meat, I often check out the intestines when I butcher. I have yet to see a roundworm or evidence of intestinal damage. Last year, I did have a minor tapeworm issue, but the problem resolved itself without wormers as the seasons changed. After doing extensive research, I found there is evidence that chickens are able to rid themselves of at least certain types of tapeworms on their own.

The one thing I pay most attention to, is what I observe in my birds. Are the active? Are they a good weight and not losing/gaining weight? What is their egg production like in terms of quality and quantity? What do their droppings look like? Do I have unexplained deaths or failure to thrive? When we butcher, I pay close attention to what they liver, heart and digestive track look like. As long as my flock remains in good health, I do not plan on routine deworming for a several reasons:

--It's a hassle. A minor drawback, but a drawback nonetheless.

--There are no almost no approved deworming medications for chickens. Virtually everything people use to treat chickens is an off-label use of mediation developed for other livestock. My sense is that it is probably safe, but I would not be comfortable giving or selling people eggs where the chickens have been treated with a mediation that does not have a tested, government approved egg-withdrawal time. As least without informing them first of the issue.

--Speaking of egg-withdrawal. Most off-label users throw away eggs for two weeks after administering the dewormer. As you have to repeat the medication 10 to 14 days again after the first dose, you will end up throwing away a month's worth of eggs every time you deworm.

--Resistance to dewormers is a huge and growing problem in the livestock industry. The more everyone uses dewormers, the faster worms are going to develop tolerance to dewormers. In the time I have been following this forum, I have already heard of tapeworms developing resistance to Valbazen.

--Finally, deworming, may have limited utility unless it is combined with a comprehensive strategy for reducing worm load in your environment. The day after you have finished your treatment protocol, your birds can become almost instantly re-infected if they are continuing to peck at the same ground and eat the same insects.

 

[wrcogan76]

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.

Thanks for the info, if you worm monthly - are you throwing eggs away?

 

[dawg53]

Thanks for the info, if you worm monthly - are you throwing eggs away?

There is a 9 day withdrawal period after using Levamisole. Generally, there's a 14 day withdrawal period after using Valbazen or Safeguard.
However, after using Valbazen or Safeguard, we eat the eggs. Only a small amount of benzimidazoles are absorbed into the bloodstream and the rest is excreted leaving only a minute amount of residue in the eggs. I'm still here typing after all these years. If you suspect you or someone in your family might have an adverse reaction (as with any drugs), toss the eggs in the garbage and dont sell nor give any away to be eaten. Albendazole is effective in treating tapeworms IF feed is withheld for 24 hours and increased dosage. It is also used in humans to treat worm infections.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3019376/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15685936