Greetings! I'm a new member who is curious about the process of worming. I received 3 18 month old Rhode Island Reds that where rescued from the butcher after serving a year in a egg factory operation. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to worm them. What are your thoughts/suggestions?
Welcome to BYC! It's great to have you join us. Since they came from an industrial farm, worming would probably be a good idea. There are lots of different options for worming - Wazine is really the only licensed poultry wormer, but only works for Roundworms. Praziquantel is off label for chickens but kills more species of worms, including tapeworms. Ivermectin is popular as well though it is also off label. Some people recommend garlic powder and Apple Cide Vinegar as natural options, but there is little scientific evidence that these are effective - and if they are, it is likely only as a preventative measure. Oregano oil is another natural option, and it has been scientifically proven to have noticeable effect in eradicating worms on organic farms; but I personally would not trust it to kill a known and established infestation. In this case I would recommend either treating with either Wazine (roundworms are common) or Ivermectin, and you can add oregano oil or one of the other natural options at your discretion.
If you are willing to pay to have a vet test them, then yes, that would be a great idea. Who knows, they may turn out to be completely worm free - I usually don't recommend treating unless there is a confirmed diagnosis or obvious signs of an issue, but in this sort of case - with ex-industrial birds- there's generally a good chance that their previous poor conditions have left them with unwanted stragglers, so precautionary treatment is a reasonable course of action. But if you're willing to seek out a vet, that's even better.
Welcome to BYC Glad you joined us! Worming them as a precaution wouldn't hurt them and many flock owners do that once or twice a year. There is some more info on worms, worming etc and some good discussions linked to at the bottom of this article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/internal-parasites-parasitic-worms-in-chickens
