On the mend, but still questions: UPDATE, 20 week old banty wormy as heck,

[Leahs Mom]

So it would seem that in a situation in which the birds could "really" free-range, the incidence of worms may be decreased.

I was just wondering where lala got the birds if they were in more of a confinement situation. Just wondering out loud.

 

[lalaland]

What's a normal parasite load? One roundworm can lay thousands of eggs in ONE day to be deposited onto your soil to be picked up by your other birds, starting their lifecycle all over again. One worm is one worm too many....not to mention the damage caused internally.
Since you're seeing alot of worms; how many eggs have they laid, what damage has been done internally? How many eggs will these roundworms lay?

this makes me more motivated to move the coop and run next spring to "fresh" ground. yuck!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Lala..you've heard me talk about doing the deep mulch/litter in my run for winter and to keep it from impacting? Well the plan is to dig some of that out and put it in the garden in spring, then re-mulch the run. It will be well broken down compost by then.

Anyhow, I wonder if you could do the same rather than moving the whole run? Deeply mulch for winter, then dig it back some in the spring and begin building again?

Thinking that may be helpful.

Also noticed that some folks were using the basic H on the ground to kill certain items - including parasitic worms. Maybe a spraying of the ground w/ the basic h solution would be helpful? The link is over in the natural thread. I'd think it wouldn't hurt anything to try?

 

[lalaland]

So it would seem that in a situation in which the birds could "really" free-range, the incidence of worms may be decreased.

I was just wondering where lala got the birds if they were in more of a confinement situation. Just wondering out loud.

I've had the pullets since day 1, I have two hens that I got about a year ago that were maybe 4 months old, other hens I've had since chicks.
The run is really large, 40'x80'. But, it has had chickens on it for 6 years, and of course, wild birds, mice, squirrels, rats, coons,.....and fox,coyote, wolf, deer, bear, before that.

Thats why I've been thinking about the monumental task of moving the coop to new ground. The old poultry resources I"ve been reading all stress the importance of putting new chicks on clean new ground, and moving coops. But, chicken flocks on farmsteads weren't rotated... so how did that work? Maybe some chickens get worms, some have the normal load? I don't know!

I am also interested in your question about what can you do to the ground to rid it of the worm eggs....

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
You CANNOT remove worm eggs from the ground, impossible.
There's no need to move your coop or pen. Simply set up a regular worming schedule as dictated by your soil conditions. I worm my birds every 3 months, sometimes sooner due to our warm/wet soil most of the year. Since you live in Minnesota, I imagine your soil is cool or cold most of the year. Perhaps you only need to worm once every 9-10 months.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
You CANNOT remove worm eggs from the ground, impossible.
There's no need to move your coop or pen. Simply set up a regular worming schedule as dictated by your soil conditions. I worm my birds every 3 months, sometimes sooner due to our warm/wet soil most of the year. Since you live in Minnesota, I imagine your soil is cool or cold most of the year. Perhaps you only need to worm once every 9-10 months.
x2 we worm twice a year here and it works fine

My coops are stationary.

 

[lalaland]

well, shoot. She started being disinterested in food yesterday, I only got about a third of a scrambled egg into her with a little buttermilk. Droppings continued with worms til evening when they started being just watery, she continues to drink alot.

This morning she wouldn't eat cat food, egg, apple, feed mixed with buttermilk, but did pick sporadically at some granualar feed and oat groats.
I took her out to the coop in the morning darkness, and was going to leave her there thinking maybe she needs company, but decided she is still too weak, not certain she could navigate the coop ramp, so I brought her back in and gave her a dish of oat groats and crumble type feed. She ate some...

If I can get home before dark, I will bring her out to the flock in the run and see if she perks up with a little company. If that doesn't work, I'll try adding a pullet to her kennel for company although I hate putting another chicken into a kennel with wormy poops.

 

[Leahs Mom]

How 'bout some yogurt?

She could just be feeling bad from the insecticide. Hopefully it will pass through the system and she'll regain appetite.

 

[lalaland]

yeah, she turned her beak to yogurt, too!
I am soo kicking myself that I didn't cut open some of the intestines of the roos that were butchered. I'ld give a lot to know if any, or some, or a lot, or all of the roos had a worm overload too.

I also don't get worming : all those live worms from droppings in the chicken run...wouldn't any chickens that didn't already have worms get them from the dropped worms from the chickens that you ARE worming? geesh!

 

[Leahs Mom]

When my mom used to worm the puppies (had a collie kennel) she would isolate the puppies and have them do their business far away from the kennel area for just that reason.

I was wondering that myself.