My chickens seem thin

[gander111]

My chickens seem thin to me..I read that one should not feel the chickens boney breastbone when held, but my girls are pretty boney and sharp. They eat well, seem healthy and free range most days and have access to layer crumbles and water all day.
Should I worm them? If so, what type and where can I get medication? Should I have a regular worming schedule?
My hens are free of mites, as I have checked..so I'm just a little perplexed. Any advice will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Erica]

Hi Gander111,

there's a lot of difference in terms of breastbone meat between breeds. The really high volume layers (like ISA Browns) have very light frames, and can seem quite bony. However when you feel around the breastbone there should still be some meat there, cushioning the bone; it shouldn't feel sharp. They should also still feel weighty in the hand. If they feel like they're made of not much more than feathers and bone it's time to looking at worming or increasing protein in the diet.

Many people swear by a regular worming cycle, but that simply ensures worms will more quickly develop resistance against the major wormers. I feel it's much better to only worm when you see signs (mucky bottom, losing weight). Having said that, if your birds are on a standard commercial diet and are on the same ground constantly then it's fairly easy for worms to get out of hand quickly, so it might be best to worm them just in case.

I would go to a feed store and ask what they recommend. Over here we use anything from piperazine (roundworms) to moxidectin (worms plus lice and mites, though generally not tapeworm).

cheers
Erica

 

[gander111]

Thanks Erica, I'll look into it!