Does everyone de-worm?

[onebookheart]

Excuse my ignorance, but my first 2 chickens were given to me by a friend at a year old. They were strong and healthy and I had them for 2 years with no problems. One died recently, and I just added 2 14 week olds. Combing the site, I see posts about worms and various other stuff. Should I be doing something to prevent this? I think I got scared because in relation to worms someone mentioned roaches. This time of year, we do get some of those big roaches outside.

Sorry, I am just freaking out a bit. I have loved having chickens but the thought of dealing with all these parasites and stuff is creeping me out. Plus, I have a five year old who eats the eggs....Feeling like I am not sure how to keep things healthy and running smoothly in my flock. My first flock was already set up for me.

 

[Eggcessive]

You may get a bunch of different information on worming since it varies among all owners. Some people raise chickens all their lives and never worm them. Some worm theirs twice a year. Some take a stool sample to the vet to find out what worms their chickens have. All chickens get worms, since they are in the soil, but unless they get a huge worm load they don't present a big problem. Some people don't mind using chemical wormers--Valbazen is the one most often recommended since it kills all types of worms. Safeguard liquid goat wormer is the second most recommended. Some don't like using chemicals, so they give ground pumpkin seeds or other members of the squash family like zucchini and any kind of squash which contain curcurbita, thought to be a natural wormer. It's up to you to choose the method, since most people worm their horses, dogs, and cats.