Garlic As Worm Treatment/Preventative

[ChookieG]

Good article ..... I believe I might start giving the hens some pumpkin seed for a small treat and see if anything develops.

I've tried both garlic and pumpkin seeds but I think they're more of preventative boosters as I still see worms in my chook poop after that. A couple of weeks ago, I used wormwood for treatment by giving my 5 chooks three 5-inch long leaves & stems cut finely (1/2 inch lengths) for a period of 7 days ad lib mixed in with their vegetable scraps and they've purged out worms after around day 3 - 4. They can see what they're eating so they can choose to consume it or not and I haven't seen any adverse effect of the herb on my chooks so perhaps wormwood is a better natural alternative. I wouldn't treat them all the time - just twice a year from what I've read in an online article.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

Garlic is great stuff, and stays in my kitchen. pumpkin seeds are a nice treat, but NOT useful as a wormer unless fed in unreasonable amounts, so much that the birds won't eat them. And DE? No way!
Effective wormers are useful when targeted to specific known infestations, and the one that is approved for chickens in the USA is fenbendazole, when used as directed for the intestinal parasites it actually will kill.
Many of us have few issues with our birds, and either seeing specific things in the feces, or better yet, having fecals checked by the veterinarian, gives the information needed.
Mary

I have to admit, I did not find any information on “Pasta Sauce” having any proven effect on preventing worms in chickens. Lots of anecdotal evidence for and against garlic but that is just someones opinion with nothing to back it up.

In your post, you stated “pumpkin seeds are a nice treat, but NOT useful as a wormer unless fed in unreasonable amounts, so much that the birds won't eat them”. Is it possible that given its usefulness as a wormer if fed in unreasonable amounts that maybe if fed in smaller amounts, like treats, it might be a worm preventative? Anecdotal evidence says pumpkin seeds are better at preventing worms in chickens than garlic. But …. then … it also says that pumpkin seeds don’t do a thing for worms. Opinions, everybody has them.

I agree that for large worm loads the chemical medications are the way to go. This thread was simply asking if there were any alternative for the prevention and or treatment of worms in chickens.

Since all we have to go on are opinions I guess we will just have to go by trial and error and see what does and doesn’t work as a preventive. The heavy hitters up in College Station gave me some good ideas on bio security and, that I might work some of the herbal lore into it just to see if I could get some desired effects. You have to work your bio security from the perimeter in …. not from the center out.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I find this super interesting. I've heard a lot of old cowboy folk swear by tobacco for horses. Never gave it much thought though.

Neonicotinoids are well known synthetic compounds for insect control. They are based on nicotine, whose presence in tobacco is not subject to reasonable debate.

That's the kernel of truth on which the wive's tale is based.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

I see posts about not using DE, Why? Newbie here?

I use DE for millipedes and it works great as long as it is dry. The package information says not to breath it in as it will cause respiratory issues and do not use it in wet or damp places because it doesn't work when wet.

From this I have assumed that if its bad for me to breath it's probably bad for the chicken to breath also. If it doesn't work when wet, then feeding it to the chickens for worms probably won't work either since their insides are wet and damp. I don't know this for sure but I don't personally use DE on or around my chickens based on the package cautions.

On the other hand, some folks swear by it ......

 

[Painted Calls]

I feel like you'd have to give a ton of garlic (likely raw as well) for it to negatively affect them.

 

[Bella Dominique]

I had a neighbor who used to feed his Rottweiler minced meat with loads of garlic everyday thinking it was doing him good. His dog died of Leukemia when it was 9 years of age.

I think loads of anything can be dangerous

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

In small doses it should be fine. In large qualities its known to cause damage. I know a couple members who feed garlic in small amounts for worm prevention.
Below is a good article for dogs on natural worming options. I think Pumpkin seeds is suggested as well.
Heres an article, its for dogs but I'm guessing the remedy can be used for birds as well.
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/everyday-foods-to-get-rid-of-dog-worms/

Good article ..... I believe I might start giving the hens some pumpkin seed for a small treat and see if anything develops.

 

[Weeg]

I've tried both garlic and pumpkin seeds but I think they're more of preventative boosters as I still see worms in my chook poop after that. A couple of weeks ago, I used wormwood for treatment by giving my 5 chooks three 5-inch long leaves & stems cut finely (1/2 inch lengths) for a period of 7 days ad lib mixed in with their vegetable scraps and they've purged out worms after around day 3 - 4. They can see what they're eating so they can choose to consume it or not and I haven't seen any adverse effect of the herb on my chooks. Perhaps wormwood is a better natural alternative. I wouldn't treat them all the time - just twice a year from what I've read in an online article.

Thats good to know! That article has a LOT of different suggestions, wormwood is one of them. Its good to know that wormwood works well.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

I've tried both garlic and pumpkin seeds but I think they're more of preventative boosters as I still see worms in my chook poop after that. A couple of weeks ago, I used wormwood for treatment by giving my 5 chooks three 5-inch long leaves & stems cut finely (1/2 inch lengths) for a period of 7 days ad lib mixed in with their vegetable scraps and they've purged out worms after around day 3 - 4. They can see what they're eating so they can choose to consume it or not and I haven't seen any adverse effect of the herb on my chooks so perhaps wormwood is a better natural alternative. I wouldn't treat them all the time - just twice a year from what I've read in an online article.

I will be doing a lot of reading on this subject. I don't have a worm problem with this flock yet but I know its only a matter of time before they show up. A good preventative would be an awesome start.

 

[45lk9p459gm-w]

Agreed! Facts, facts, Kiki’s got facts.

Ahhhh .... What facts?