Deworming chickens and ducks

[Bulzer32]

What to use?
Will pumpkin work?
If not what can I use?
I have Ameracauna, frizzles and silkies.
I also have cayuga and Mallard duck's!
What age to dewormer them?
I have all different Ages

 

[JaeG]

It's best to worm only if you think there's a problem. The over use of wormers has lead to resistance and it is especially bad in animals such as sheep and cattle due to its over use on farms, rendering worming treatments a lot less effective (in some cases completely ineffective) for those animals.

Using deworming medication doesn't ever wipe out all of the parasites. Some have a natural immunity so if you are frequently using deworming treatments you are increasing the likelihood of resistant worms breeding with each other, creating more resistant worms, until they make up the majority of the population and your treatments no longer work.

You can get a fecal float test done through a vet to see if there is a large enough population of parasites in your flock to require treatment but most healthy birds can cope with a certain worm burden with their immune systems keeping the population in check.

Changing which brand/type of wormer you use when you do treat reduces the likelihood of a build up of resistance because different individual parasites are resistant to different types of medication. I'm in a different country so I can't advise you about specific ones, but I've probably only treated ours for worms twice in the 7 years we've been keeping birds and I've never had an issue.

 

[Eggcessive]

Since you live in the south, you may need to worm a little more often. @dawg53 is a Georgia fellow who now lives in Florida, and worms often because of his climate. Getting a fecal float if available by your regular vet when you happen to be there with a pet, might be something that you could do to see if they have a worm problem.

Two good wormers are Valbazen (albendazole,) which is also used in cattle and sheep and treats most chickens worms. Dosage is 0.08 ml per pound given orally once, and then is repeated in 10-14 days to get the newly hatched larvae. SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer or Panacur horse paste ( fenbendazole) is more widely available in feed stores. Dosage is 0.23 ml per pound given orally for 5 consecutive days. Levamisole is an older wormer that can be given in the water, and is sold under the name Prohibit available at Jefferspet online.

 

[sweaterthebroodyrooster]

What to use?
Will pumpkin work?

Pumpkin can help to prevent a worm issue, but it is not going to work as a cure. You can get Poultry dewormer on amazon. The age is going to depend o what dewormer you get.

 

[dawg53]

Misinformation; pumpkin doesnt prevent worms nor does pumpkin seeds unless a (one) chicken can eat a truckload of crushed pumpkin seeds. Birds can be wormed from age 5 weeks and up, if on soil.