Do chickens get worms? I have a beautiful Buff Orpington (sp?), and I think I saw something hanging from her rear area, but when I picked her up to check I found nothing. I had 19 hens and lost 10 in one day to a Raven attack here in Prescott Valley, AZ. Upon checking with the County Extension Agent, I found that Ravens are protected, BUT, if they attack your livestock, then all bets are off. I took out 5 over the next 5 days and now they seem to go around this part of my little "LAST SHADOW RANCH". Two days after the massacreeeee, a friend wanted to trade a rooster for a hen. Good deal. The rooster looks to be a Viking and is very handsome, so we named him Handsome Rob, after the same named character in movie "The Italian Job". He's as big as a small turkey...and very proud. Sorry, I drifted off topic...I would like to know about the worm thing.
Oh my yes, chickens do get worms. Some people worm routinely others wait till they see actual proof (worms in poo) - still others have a stool check done at the vet to know what they are dealing with and learn the proper treatment, if necessary. Do you have any concrete reason that they may need worming? How is their condition? Eating well, good weight, healthy etc. You really do have to put hands on them because feathers can hide malnourished bodies. You may want to put " parasitic worms," in the search box to find out what types they can have.
Thanks for the guidance. I pet each one every night when I put them to bed...hmmm, just like I did my kids. They all eat well, and feel good. My roo, Handsome Rob, is good to all of them, but since they are such a bevy of babes, you gotta' admit he's one smart roo. I'll go to the grain store tomorrow and see what they have for worming treatments. What I saw appeared to be about 5" long, but when I picked her up it was not there. Hopefully, it was just an optical illusion and just a piece of straw in the coop. Thanks, again.
Welcome to BYC As Drumstick Diva said chickens can and do get worms and if you see signs of worms in their droppings chances are that they have a heavy infestation. Here is some more info on worms and dewormers: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/internal-parasites-parasitic-worms-in-chickens (At the bottom of this article are links to threads with more info) https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/910/de-worming-chickens/0_30 Note that most deworming products have a withdrawal period, usually between 2 weeks and 1 month, meaning a little residue from the dewormer product used will end up in the chickens' eggs. It's up to you if you want to eat those eggs, or discard them, or feed them to your dogs... I've always eaten the eggs afterwards and I must say I haven't had any worm problems
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. Yes, chickens do get worms. Drumstick diva has given you some good advice regarding worms. There is an excellent article at http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Worming_Poultry.html on recognizing and treating worms in poultry. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.
Interesting. Thanks. Since we give many eggs to our church and the local food bank, I think I'll be real careful here.
Glad you joined us! X2 on the above posters' advice. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! We're all here to help.
Hello there and welcome to BYC! Yes, chickens do get worms. Definitely follow the links that Sumi and Michael have left for you. So glad you could join our community and welcome to our flock!
Welcome to BYC! We're glad to have you. The above posters have given you some excellent advice already!