Do I need to clean up droppings with worms after deworming?

[Skyla]

Hello,
This may be a stupid question, but I just want to make sure. I dewormed my flock 2 days ago with Safe Guard and today I noticed some of their droppings had roundworms in it (dead? I think, I hope?), Do I need to pick up and discard all the droppings with worms or is it fine to just leave them their (It would be a pain trying to pick up all the droppings in the run). If they eat the worms in the poop, will they get roundworms again or is it harmless after being dewormed and discarded by the chicken? Thanks!

 

[dawg53]

Excreted worms cannot survive outside the host and they cannot lay eggs. So, if your birds eat dead or dying worms, no problem.
HOWEVER, there are worm eggs in feces excreted on your soil that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Wormers are ineffective in eliminating worm eggs. Chickens constantly peck the soil. In doing so they pick up and swallow worm eggs. This is known as the roundworms "Direct Lifecycle," and I recommend that you look it up on your computer for the rest of the worms lifecycle. Then take a look at the worms Indirect Lifecycle while you're at it.

The short answer is YES. Pick up feces in your pens several times a day if possible and dispose of it. Birds can and do get reinfected especially if kept on the same soil all the time, and will require frequent wormings to break the worms life cycle. I worm my birds once a month since they are penned all the time.

 

[Skyla]

Excreted worms cannot survive outside the host and they cannot lay eggs. So, if your birds eat dead or dying worms, no problem.
HOWEVER, there are worm eggs in feces excreted on your soil that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Wormers are ineffective in eliminating worm eggs. Chickens constantly peck the soil. In doing so they pick up and swallow worm eggs. This is known as the roundworms "Direct Lifecycle," and I recommend that you look it up on your computer for the rest of the worms lifecycle. Then take a look at the worms Indirect Lifecycle while you're at it.

The short answer is YES. Pick up feces in your pens several times a day if possible and dispose of it. Birds can and do get reinfected especially if kept on the same soil all the time, and will require frequent wormings to break the worms life cycle. I worm my birds once a month since they are penned all the time.

You mentioned picking up feces in your pens several times a day, but if the Excreted worms are harmless, why is this necessary? If I were to cover up the soil with a layer of woodchips (which I planned on doing anyways) would this help end the cycle since they won't have access to the soil? I heard that products should be rotated when wormed multiple times, which products do you rotate? Also, with a 2 week withdraw period how are you able to eat any eggs if you worm them every month? Thank you for the reply!

 

[Aapomp831]

You mentioned picking up feces in your pens several times a day, but if the Excreted worms are harmless, why is this necessary? If I were to cover up the soil with a layer of woodchips (which I planned on doing anyways) would this help end the cycle since they won't have access to the soil? I heard that products should be rotated when wormed multiple times, which products do you rotate? Also, with a 2 week withdraw period how are you able to eat any eggs if you worm them every month? Thank you for the reply!

Because the eggs are still alive and in the feces. The worms themselves are dead but the feces have the worms eggs which will settle into your chickens guts, hatch and reproduce.

 

[NatJ]

Pick up feces in your pens several times a day if possible and dispose of it.

For a few days after worming?
Or every day, forever?
(Based on your explanation, it sounds like "forever" is the right length of time, but I wasn't quite sure.)

 

[dawg53]

For a few days after worming?
Or every day, forever?
(Based on your explanation, it sounds like "forever" is the right length of time, but I wasn't quite sure.)

This link explains it:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/roundworms

 

[dawg53]

In this link you can read about other types of worms that chickens can get. I've dealt with most of them except gapeworms and eyeworms. I know the treatments for all of them including cestodes and trematodes.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/helminthiasis/helminthiasis-in-poultry?query=poultry worms

 

[Skyla]

In this link you can read about other types of worms that chickens can get. I've dealt with most of them except gapeworms and eyeworms. I know the treatments for all of them including cestodes and trematodes.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/helminthiasis/helminthiasis-in-poultry?query=poultry worms

Based on what i've read and what you've said, it sounds impossible to break the roundworm cycle since it stays in the soil, even if poop was picked up everyday there's still a great chance they came in contact with it. So it sounds like they will always have roundworms as I can't stop them from coming in contact with the eggs? Does this mean they will always be sick as they are now and not really laying since they will always have roundworms, or is worming them twice a year enough to keep the roundworms in check so that it doesn't effect their health or laying?

 

[dawg53]

It's your soil that determines how often you should worm your birds. Warm moist or wet soil requires frequent wormings (such as where we live.) Cool or cold soil, rocky or mountainous soil, hot desertlike soil/sand would require less wormings.

Since you live in northern Wisconsin, consider worming your birds 2 or 3 times a year due to the cool/cold or frozen soil and the fact your birds had worms. It would be best to worm your birds in the spring. Then again in the middle of your summer, and before fall.
If you use Safeguard or Valbazen to worm your birds, both products are poorly absorbed into the bloodstream and are excreted. Residue in eggs is minute and we eat the eggs after using either product. Still here typing after all these years.

However if you suspect that you or a family member might have a reaction to the residue in the eggs, by all means discard the eggs in the garbage for 14 days after the last dosing, and dont sell nor give away eggs to be eaten.

 

[Skyla]

It's your soil that determines how often you should worm your birds. Warm moist or wet soil requires frequent wormings (such as where we live.) Cool or cold soil, rocky or mountainous soil, hot desertlike soil/sand would require less wormings.

Since you live in northern Wisconsin, consider worming your birds 2 or 3 times a year due to the cool/cold or frozen soil and the fact your birds had worms. It would be best to worm your birds in the spring. Then again in the middle of your summer, and before fall.
If you use Safeguard or Valbazen to worm your birds, both products are poorly absorbed into the bloodstream and are excreted. Residue in eggs is minute and we eat the eggs after using either product. Still here typing after all these years.

However if you suspect that you or a family member might have a reaction to the residue in the eggs, by all means discard the eggs in the garbage for 14 days after the last dosing, and dont sell nor give away eggs to be eaten.

Ah ok, that clears things up. So, just to clarify, as long as I worm them say 2 times a year, they will have roundworms but they won't be to the point they are now where its actually effecting their health and laying? Also, if the roundworm cycle is unavoidable, why do you bother cleaning up the infected poop so often if it won't make a difference? Sorry for all the questions, and thank you so much for taking the time for answering them all.