Hi, I would like to know the following please, and I will try to keep it short since I get more responses if I don't write novels: - do you treat them for worms routinely even if they don't have them?? - at what age? - what exactly do I need to keep on hand (names of the meds and amounts per bird would be most helpful) My chicks don't have worms (their poops are normal and they're only 10 days old and haven't been anywhere). I just want to make sure they stay that way. Thank you
You can't be sure there are no worms just by looking at the poop. But it is usually recommended that chickens not be wormed until they are mature, or nearly so, maybe 6 to 9 months old at a minimum. Some people never worm and some worm 2 or 3 times a year, or even more. You may want to take a sample of poop to your vet around 9 months and have him do a fecal -- which may find evidence of worms if they are present. They pick up worms from the soil and eating certain bugs. 10 day old chicks should not have any worms if they are in a brooder, and very few if any if they are with a mama outdoors. If you live where the soil stays moist as I do, the soil is much more likely to have worms than if you live in a desert type area. When you want to research worms on BYC, I recommend searching dawg53's posts.
I know everyone doesn't worm. I haven't but if I had the money I would JIC atleast once a year.The question is what to use! Like dogs they pick up the stuff.
I did what was suggested and typed dawg53 in the upper search bar and found a boatload of info. =] Our dogs get their banana flavored nom-noms every 6 months so I just want to make sure we treat the chickens the same.
Some people use Diamatacuous Earth in the food as an anti-worming, the same as you might give your dog the monthly heartworm pill.
Oh we do have DE and will definitely use it in the coop, but there have been way too many horror stories (very sad ones) that prove that DE doesn't kill internal worms...so we won't be using it for that purpose. We'll be using it for the mites, lice, and other creepy-crawly things that go bump in the night, though. (hate bugs!!!) https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ts-is-not-coryza-or-crd-parasites-are-rampant this member used DE religiously, and their flock was worm-ridden. =(
