Do you worm annually or?

[ThinkingChickens]

Okay, I thought I asked this but I've lost my post. Do any of you worm just to worm or do you wait for the symptoms. I'm wondering about a worming product that does not require us to stop eating the eggs? Is there one? My girls are in a small backyard flock so I'm not sure that they need to be wormed, but this is one area of chicken owning I'm just not sure of. The flock is about 8 month and one year (two groups). Thanks guys!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I've had chickens 2 years and never wormed. Though I've thought about it, wondered if we should too. I don't even know the symptoms other than someone mentioned its a cause of them to stop laying.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

Yep, mine are laying okay (about an egg a day), but I wondered if it was a preventative care or only treated with symptoms. I guess it's an area I'm not too familiar with.

 

[dawg53]

By the time you see symptoms, the internal damage is already done. Your environment dictates how often you should worm. I worm my birds once every 3 months.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

Dawg53, can you explain? You said the environment dictates how often one should worm but what are the factors? My girls have a 9x12 walk in run and a larger free range space. They have well ventilated coops cleaned twice a week. Their bedding is pine, their run is sand.

 

[Chicklette 1]

I had a bad case of worms in my girls and I did the Wazine and then did it again in 10 days and there were no more worms visible in their droppings. How often can I use the Wazine as I do not want it to get as bad as it was and would like to do preventative maintenance.

 

[dawg53]

Dawg53, can you explain? You said the environment dictates how often one should worm but what are the factors? My girls have a 9x12 walk in run and a larger free range space. They have well ventilated coops cleaned twice a week. Their bedding is pine, their run is sand.

If your soil is warm and moist, it is condusive for worms. Whereas if you live where the soil is dry, cold or mountainous...you may not have to worm so often.

 

[dawg53]

I had a bad case of worms in my girls and I did the Wazine and then did it again in 10 days and there were no more worms visible in their droppings. How often can I use the Wazine as I do not want it to get as bad as it was and would like to do preventative maintenance.

Consider using a broad spectrum wormer for your birds such as valbazen or safeguard liquid goat wormer. Both of these wormers kill many types of worms that chickens can get. Wazine only gets rid of large roundworms.

 

[Chicklette 1]

Thanks dawn, seems like I have run into several problems this winter. The worms were definitely large round worms. The quantity that were expelled was alarming and these girls have been wormed before. I used Ivermect for cattle last time and put a few drops on their necks. I do not think it did much and yet many people swear by it. I can usually see results immediately with the Wazine. I'll wait a couple of months and give them the Wazine again.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

Thank you dawg! I live in a SoCal mountain range where it's usually hot and dry. However, I'll order some wormer to add to my pet kit since it sounds like it doesn't hurt to use precaution. Great info!