Feeding worms to your chickens?

[Tala]

Quote:
they have roundworms and cangive them to your chickens.....

My chickens free range, and I've seen a Leghorn hen swallow an earthworm that was as big as a baby snake - WHOLE. But when I sent a dead bird off for autopsy (he died of bacterial infection), the vet reported NO SIGNS of intestional parasites.
I'm not gonna worry about it

 

[deerman]

Quote:
YES, very bad for them, earthworm are host to(carry) these parasitic worms.
capillary
gapeworm
tape worms

just because they eat worms doesn't make them good for them..........

 

[flockof4]

Quote:
YES, very bad for them, earthworm are host to(carry) these parasitic worms.
capillary
gapeworm
tape worms

just because they eat worms doesn't make them good for them..........

Very bad for all chickens all the time?

 

[LeahOregon]

I just can't believe that worms are bad for chickens. Maybe on occasion an earthworm has a parasite, but worms and bugs are natural food sources for free-ranging chickens.

I feed them to my girls all the time. I found one today that was a good 10-12" long...no joke. My red star gulped it down in about a millisecond!

 

[ByHisHands]

Our girls love worms too, they have been very happy the last couple of days since the rain
has brought out the wigglers.

 

[cristy17]

we raise worms very easily. dig worms in the spring. keep them in worm bedding (commerically bought) in a cool area. add compost weekly or anything you would feed to the chickens - veggie, leftover, proteins. dig for worms when fishing. if worms are happy, they will multiply over the summer.

 

[debbie.h]

We dig some out of the compost sometimes, my DH has even tried worm calling (grunting). Didn't work for him so he went cricket hunting.

 

[HaulnFetch]

I did a bit of research about gape worms, earth worms and chickens. It does sound like earth worms can be part of the life cycle.

How much of a concern this really is, I have no idea.

There is a bit more information to be found here: http://www.sandhillvet.demon.co.uk/control_gapeworm.htm

The Gape Worm also called Syngamus Tachea mainly affects chickens, turkeys and game birds, especially pheasants but can affect other wild birds as well which makes eradication difficult. Infestation offen occurs when there are wild pheasants close to your birds. Gapeworm infestation can occur either directly by birds eating eggs that have been swallowed or coughed up by infested birds, or indirectly by intermediate hosts such as earthworms or snails. Young birds up to 8 weeks of age are particularly susceptible to gape worm. Gapeworms normally live in the tachea (windpipe) but are also found in the bronchi and lungs.

Typically, eggs are picked up from the ground or intermediate hosts such as worms or snails. The eggs hatch and the larvae penetrate the intestine walls and move to the lungs and bronchi. It is here they go through a larval moult, before travelling up to the trachea. Male and female gapeworms attach to one another once they arrive here. This process takes around 7 days. Gapeworm lay eggs that get coughed up onto the ground or swallowed and passed out in the faeces.

and

Syngamus trachea, a nematode worm parasite of chickens, turkeys, pheasants, and other game and ornamental birds occurring worldwide. Infection is by the oral route with earthworms, slugs and snails acting as transfer hosts but the life cycle may also be direct, by ingestion of embryonated egg or L3. There is an 18-20 day prepatent period. The condition is seen more commonly in poultry on free range where ground may be contaminated by wild birds e.g. from rookeries.

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

Worms bad for chickens? The evidence makes it obvious that they are. However, I'm pretty sure the good Lord took that into account when she created chickens and worms. I thinks its fair to say chickens have been eating worms since the beginning of time, and yes, some may have contracted worms from eating worms.

Its a risk I'm willing to take; my girls LOVE them, its entertaining to watch them devour them, and I think its a good source of natural protein.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[HaulnFetch]

I agree with you BCSilkie. Our girls love worms. There is always something. I'll take my chances, err, let them take their chances. Finding that information just made me a bit more aware and I'll watch for signs of a problem.