Do you need to worm if no signs are present?

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Well I don't think any of my chickens have gapes.My girls seem very healthy and happy,thier feathers are shiny,smooth and soft, eyes are bright, appetites are great. Just wondering what to do if they did get it.I have lurked on threads where they were mentioned and was just curious. I have another question too if I may ask...I see a few people on this thread have mentioned specific medications that are for larger livestock as being good for treating all worms in chickens(unlike wazine) How did you find out how much to give them?I can't find any info anywhere on using them but I see some of you have used them sucessfully without harming your birds.I would like to purchase some in case trouble pops up but I'm kinda scared that I may overdose them or something without guidelines from an expert.I want to keep my ladies healthy but I also don't want to put them at risk using medicines in proportions that could do more harm than good.Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

When in doubt, search for a site with a .edu extension. Here's a primer on poultry parasites and how to treat them. http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disparas.htm

Don't rely on your vet. Most vets never touch chickens, because the big poultry companies all have in-house avian vets. I've asked every country vet I've ever met if they knew anything about chickens, and the answer is always a resounding NO. We are lucky because we do have a very well-respected avian vet nearby if we really have a problem.

 

[drlcb]

If you compost and raise worms, like many chicken fanciers eventually do; do not use the chicken poop for your worm beds if they have been dewormed using chemical dewormers. My red worms love chicken manure. I have only ever used diatomaceous earth (DE) as a preventative and have never seen any signs of worms in my flock. The chemical dewormers are toxic to all worms!
I would not be opposed to using chemical dewormers if I had to I'd just make sure it was cleared from the flocks systems before composting their droppings.
I slaughter birds for meat all the time and always examine the "innards" just to make sure everything looks normal. If I did detect parasites I'd just make sure that was the bird that gets well done!
Just my $.02

 

[bleu chick]

I would worm them. Even if you don't see any signs of infestation. I worm twice a year with Ivermectin pour on. I wormed in February. Mid May some one had 3 round worms in their stool. I had to reworm again. These are young birds (none older than 2 years). I don't worm during the hottest time of the summer.

Worm infestation decreases egg production and it isn't healthy. It may be a poison but that is what Heartworm prevention is for dogs. Would you want your dogs to suffer with worms?

And I am not of the belief that you cant eat the eggs for 2 weeks. I give my dogs the eggs for about 3 days. I cant imagine that the wormer stays in their system for 2 weeks. I also use DE and Cayenne Pepper but I believe they are more preventative than a cure.

 

[Gypsi]

I have some fenbenzadole (sp) for my former goat, it is in alfalfa type pellets. How would I get a chicken to eat it? do I need it, or wazine, or ivermectin (I have all 3). I am quite sure my older birds on the lot need wormed, 2 came from a flock that probably doesn't get wormed, and they brought mites already. And since we have had rain and my main coop/run is overcrowded right now, well in for a penny, in for a pound. I want to get all hens healthy and all pens clean.

 

[LDev]

When in doubt, search for a site with a .edu extension. Here's a primer on poultry parasites and how to treat them. http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disparas.htm Don't rely on your vet. Most vets never touch chickens, because the big poultry companies all have in-house avian vets. I've asked every country vet I've ever met if they knew anything about chickens, and the answer is always a resounding NO. We are lucky because we do have a very well-respected avian vet nearby if we really have a problem.

Must be different here then, our vet is more than happy. The vet the charity use, who rescue battery hens and commercial layers, that I got my hens from is even happy to repair fractured limbs on their birds (they posted pics of 2 rescued hens having their ops).

 

[Iluvmallards]

All animals need worming..dogs, cats, horses, cows,sheep,pigs, ect...ONLY when needed or a maintaince thing. Death from worm infestation is a slow way to die. Just be careful with the product you use and read the directions carefully.

I would like to add, my vet told me that if you have animals and have them tested for worms it is a good idea to have yourself and children tested for internal parasites as well, so I get tested once a year along with all my pets

 

[TREX]

DE.....it's said it only works when dry, I'm not sure, however, if that is 100% credible. But I was thinking, as soon as the birds swallow it it's not dry!

This is anecdotal but I used DE in an ant bed(dry) on my compost pile.It killed them out but even after the DE was wet and turned into my pile all the earthworms that had been working the compost disapeared from my pile.I think maybe it only works dry on hard bodies insects since if it is wet they can crawl right over it.The softer body insects that have to crawl through it however might have a rougher go of it.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I would worm them. Even if you don't see any signs of infestation. I worm twice a year with Ivermectin pour on. I wormed in February. Mid May some one had 3 round worms in their stool. I had to reworm again. These are young birds (none older than 2 years). I don't worm during the hottest time of the summer.

Worm infestation decreases egg production and it isn't healthy. It may be a poison but that is what Heartworm prevention is for dogs. Would you want your dogs to suffer with worms?

And I am not of the belief that you cant eat the eggs for 2 weeks. I give my dogs the eggs for about 3 days. I cant imagine that the wormer stays in their system for 2 weeks. I also use DE and Cayenne Pepper but I believe they are more preventative than a cure.

Belief is a poor substitute for actually reading the labels and following the recommendations. All drugs have withholding times for milk and slaughter. Chemical pesticides for plants have withholding times for when you can pick vegetables. The label tells you these things. When you are using things like Ivermec off-label for poultry, you are already taking a (minor) risk. A farmer isnt' allowed to sell milk from the cow or sell her for meat for two weeks; why would you just take a guess that eggs would be fine when milk is not?

 

[Mehjr10]

For those concerned about residual meds in the egg, here is a list of common drugs used to treat for parasites in humans. Valbezan, Ivermectin and Zimectrin Gold are all covered i believe in the listing.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/216236-medications-to-treat-human-worms/

Just an FYI.

 

[Mehjr10]

I have some fenbenzadole (sp) for my former goat, it is in alfalfa type pellets. How would I get a chicken to eat it? do I need it, or wazine, or ivermectin (I have all 3). I am quite sure my older birds on the lot need wormed, 2 came from a flock that probably doesn't get wormed, and they brought mites already. And since we have had rain and my main coop/run is overcrowded right now, well in for a penny, in for a pound. I want to get all hens healthy and all pens clean.

You may be able to wet it and let them eat it but hard to control the dosage. Look into getting some Valbezan, Safeguard or Zimectrin Gold, it is easier to control the dosages with these.