Do i need to worm?

[OliviaDeHav]

My chickens have been free ranging now for a week and i am nervous about them getting worms! They have a small amount of DE in their food, but is there anything else i can do as a preventative? We'd like to go completely organic at some point and really don't want chemicals in our girls. I figure the best way is to prevent the worms to begin with...hopefully.....
What have others tried??? I have 2 who are almost 7 weeks and 4 who are almost 4 weeks old.
Thanks

 

[HorseFeathers]

We don't worm, but I know some other people do. It's a personal preference.

 

[chicmom]

I've always heard you don't worm chicks.....wait until they are adults. I think you have to be very careful if you're going organic.....there isn't much you can use for worming. I myself have never wormed. I would though, if I noticed a problem.

 

[michpetea]

I've read somewhere about using garlic/garlic oil in the water. We are trying to go free range/organic too. I'm just keeping an eye on things. I have yet to see them go after worms, however they love the bugs in the garden. I pick off japanese beetles, and they are like gold to them.

 

[elmo]

It's disgusting and icky to think about chickens getting worms, but for the most part (unless they develop a heavy load), worms are no big deal. It's like dust mites in our own homes: yuck to think about, but usually no bother to us, unless you happen to be allergic to them.

You can take a random fecal sample to a vet for analysis once a year; if your flock is developing a worm problem, the fecal will spot it and you can then worm them.

 

[OliviaDeHav]

Quote:
Mine presently are feasting on slugs!

Have you ever watched anything eat a slug.... ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I have DE in the area where they dust bathe, which is in the front of the house where all the plants were. Sort of like a mini garden. It got overgrown with weeds so we dug the entire thing up. At some point we will be filling it in with stone as it is WAY too damp to have dirt in there with growth next to the house... hence the slugs....
I am assuming where we have DE in their coop, a tiny bit in their food, and in the area they dust bathe that they should be ok...

 

[OliviaDeHav]

We don't want to worm, just wondering what to do to help the girls not get them in the first place... Michpetea wrote about garlic oil in the water.... any other things??? They might eat or drink to help keep them clean on the inside??