Deworming?

[OuelletteFlock]

I have been reading posts about deworming chickens. Should I be preventively deworming my chickens or do you only treat if you see a problem? If you treat them regularly, how often and with what?

 

[Eggcessive]

A lot depends on your area or environment on how often worming is necessary. In cooler or arid areas, some may only worm once a year. In humid tropical areas, some worm every 2 months. Some people never worm their chickens. Learning about the lifecycle of worms can help you control exposure. Chickens can have several types of worms, such as round worms, cecal worms, capillary worms, gapeworms, eyeworms, or tapeworms. Only roundworms and tapeworm sections may be seen without a microscope. If you have a vet who could test some fresh collected droppings, that would help to see any worm eggs in them. Valbazen or Safeguard Liquid Goat Wormer are ones that can safely be used in chickens, and are given orally to each chicken. Here is some reading about worms with pictures:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/control-treatment-of-worms-in-chickens/

https://www.dummies.com/home-garden/hobby-farming/raising-chickens/parasitic-worms-in-chickens/

https://ucanr.edu/sites/poultry/files/201396.pdf

 

[coach723]

I am one of those that worm regularly, due to my climate and worm load. Most of those that worm regularly do so due to a history of repeat worm infections due to the high load in our environment. If you have never had an issue, then I would also suggest getting a fecal done (mixed sample of several fresh droppings from your birds), that is the best way to know. What I usually tell people who are just starting out is, get a fecal, if it's clear then repeat that in 6 months (unless you see any symptoms before that). If it's clear again then just do a fecal once a year to make sure (even cats and dogs are recommended to have fecals yearly). Good to be familiar with common symptoms in the event something changes and then you can repeat a fecal or treat if necessary. Some environments are heavily loaded with parasites, some are negligable. If you don't have a vet that will do a fecal for you on chicken droppings then you can use a mail in option like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J5SOZ...colid=27RHKHAM35GO&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[NashvilleLuLu]

I am one of those that worm regularly, due to my climate and worm load. Most of those that worm regularly do so due to a history of repeat worm infections due to the high load in our environment. If you have never had an issue, then I would also suggest getting a fecal done (mixed sample of several fresh droppings from your birds), that is the best way to know. What I usually tell people who are just starting out is, get a fecal, if it's clear then repeat that in 6 months (unless you see any symptoms before that). If it's clear again then just do a fecal once a year to make sure (even cats and dogs are recommended to have fecals yearly). Good to be familiar with common symptoms in the event something changes and then you can repeat a fecal or treat if necessary. Some environments are heavily loaded with parasites, some are negligable. If you don't have a vet that will do a fecal for you on chicken droppings then you can use a mail in option like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J5SOZ...colid=27RHKHAM35GO&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

We live in a similar climate in the countryside outside of Nashville. What do you use for a preventative dewormer?

 

[CIuck]

We live in a similar climate in the countryside outside of Nashville. What do you use for a preventative dewormer?

I have the same question... I dont know what to use for preventitive, I take my chickens outside and they dust bath, but that is not enought.

 

[NashvilleLuLu]

I have the same question... I dont know what to use for preventitive, I take my chickens outside and they dust bath, but that is not enought.

I've read other replies. We keep things as natural as possible. We will add garlic to their water and take it from there.

 

[coach723]

We live in a similar climate in the countryside outside of Nashville. What do you use for a preventative dewormer?

I don't use anything for a 'preventative'. I treat when they have worms, which in my case is not too long following treatment. I keep droppings cleaned up as much as realistic, keep feeders and waterers as clean as I can, and I treat when necessary. I am currently on a schedule of worming every 3 months, by the third month I'm seeing symptoms or roundworms in the droppings, so I treat. If things change, then my treatment times will also. This is well established over time with my flock, so I don't do fecals every single time. It is always a good idea to do a fecal if you don't have a known issue, or if you are not sure what is going on with a bird, that's the only way to know for sure and to id which parasite it is so you know if you are using the most effective treatment at the appropriate dose for whatever it is. Depending on what worm is an issue, it can be very easy to be reinfected (like with roundworm) or less likely (like with gapeworm). I am currenlty alternating fenbendazole and albendazole for treatment. Every flock is different, every environment is different. I really don't believe that many of the touted 'natural preventatives' really have much effect. They certainly never have had in my flock. ACV and garlic and DE are often mentioned as 'preventatives', I have personally never seen any evidence that they do anything at all. If someone uses them and doesn't have a worm problem they always assume it's because they are using it, when likely they just don't have an environment that is loaded with worm eggs like mine is. That however, is not always guaranteed. One bird carrying a load of worms and crossing the property and leaving a dropping, could change the equation at any time. So it really is very dependent on what is actually going on in your flock at any given time.