Hazards of feeding earth worms?

[Ratchnick]

Just learning about how earth worms carry parasitic worms in their gut. Is it then bad to feed earth worms on a regular basis?

 

[Ratchnick]

Also what types of paricites can earth worms harbor.

 

[chickens really]

I wouldn't go out of my way to feed them worms..Although mine catch and eat worms and all sort of bugs and frogs. Plus once they ate a mouse..

 

[casportpony]

Just learning about how earth worms carry parasitic worms in their gut. Is it then bad to feed earth worms on a regular basis?

Yes, especially if you have turkeys, peafowl, or other fowl that are susecpitble to blackhead.

Also what types of paricites can earth worms harbor.

Many, and many other bugs do too.

Click on each species of worm below and scroll down to life cyle.

Internal parasites (endoparasites, worms, helminths)
Roundworms (nematodes)

• Acuaria spp ~ Dispharynx ~ Synhimanthus spp. $. Gizzard worms. Gizzard, esophagus and proventriculus. Can be a problem in endemic regions, mainly in birds kept outdoors.
• Ascaridia spp. $$$. Chicken roundworms. Small intestine. A serious problem worldwide, also in confined operations.
• Capillaria spp. $$. Hairworms. Crop, esophagus, small intestine, large intestine.
• Heterakis spp. $$$$. Cecal worms. Cecum. Probably the most threatening worms in all kind of poultry operations worldwide.
• Oxyspirura spp. $. Fowl eyeworms. Eyes. Usually a secondary problem in individual birds kept outdoors.
• Strongyloides spp. $$. Threadworms, pinworms. Small intestine. Can be a serious problem worldwide.
• Subulura spp. $. Cecum and small intestine. A secondary problem in birds kept outdoors worldwide.
• Syngamus trachea. $$. Gapeworms. Trachea, bronchi. A serious problem in birds kept outdoors in endemic regions.
• Tetrameres spp. $. Proventriculus and esophagus. Can be a problem in endemic regions, mainly in outdoor opertaions.

Tapeworms (cestodes)

• Amoebotaenia cuneata = sphenoides. $. Small intestine. Usually a secondary issue in most poultry operations
• Choanotaenia infundibulum. $. Small intestine. Usually not a major issue in modern poultry operations.
• Davainea proglottina. $. Minute tapeworms. Small intestine. Can be a problem in birds kept outdoors in endemic regions.
• Raillietina spp. $$. Small intestine. The most frequent tapeworm in poultry, however normally not a major problem.

Flukes (trematodes, flatworms)

• Prosthogonimus spp. $. Oviduct flukes. Oviduct, bursa of Fabricius. Can be a serious threat for birds kept outdoors in endemic regions.

 

[Isaac 0]

If I ever find an earthworm I always toss it to the ducks, I get a kick out of it watching them gobble down a huge slimy worm . Internal parasites seem to be most common with duck pens that are rarely cleaned and littered with poop/waste. I have never had one case of worms with my flock, Waterfowl kept in a clean environment rarely have problems IMO.

 

[Ratchnick]

If I ever find an earthworm I always toss it to the ducks, I get a kick out of it watching them gobble down a huge slimy worm . Internal parasites seem to be most common with duck pens that are rarely cleaned and littered with poop/waste. I have never had one case of worms with my flock, Waterfowl kept in a clean environment rarely have problems IMO.

In cases like this, if they have worms but don't act sick is it not worth testing for and treating for worms?

 

[Miss Lydia]

My ducks/chickens would probably make me walk the plank if I didn't let them eat an earth worm. I have treated for round worms[chickens] but as far as I can tell no other types I have some pretty old birds here too.

 

[Isaac 0]

In cases like this, if they have worms but don't act sick is it not worth testing for and treating for worms?

Unless I see worms in their poop, i'm not going to treat them for it.

 

[drumstick diva]

I think I read that earth worms can carry gapeworms which are bad news for chickens.
Maybe I am wrong about the earth worm part but not about gapeworms.

 

[Ratchnick]

My ducks/chickens would probably make me walk the plank if I didn't let them eat an earth worm. I have treated for round worms[chickens] but as far as I can tell no other types I have some pretty old birds here too.

Sure its reasonable to feed your birds a worm you find on occasion, but in context of a daily feeding?