Parasite Protection Inquiry

[IceStorm]

So with dogs and cats there's monthly dewormer/prevention against parasites. Are there options for chickens to give as well? Our birds will be near our other animals and while they're "technically" protected we do have wildlife and other animals that pass through our yard quite often so I want to make sure the ladies are safe too.

Looking for natural as well as "medicated"/supplemental options!

 

[nuthatched]

To my knowledge, there's no safe prevention for poultry.

To treat for issues your birds may not have builds resistance in the parasites
All birds will have some parasites.

 

[Perris]

The British veterinary association now advises against preventative treatments for pets: these poisons get into the environment and do a lot of harm to wildlife. "BVA, BSAVA and BVZS already encourage veterinary teams to avoid blanket treatment and instead use a tailored, risk-assessed approach to prescribing the medication."
https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog...ments-for-pets-that-swim-in-lakes-and-rivers/

 

[dawg53]

So with dogs and cats there's monthly dewormer/prevention against parasites. Are there options for chickens to give as well? Our birds will be near our other animals and while they're "technically" protected we do have wildlife and other animals that pass through our yard quite often so I want to make sure the ladies are safe too.

Looking for natural as well as "medicated"/supplemental options!

How often you deworm your birds depends on your environment and soil conditions. Warm moist/wet soil may require frequent worming. Cool/cold mountainous soil or sandy soil may require less worming. Same with hot desert like soil/sand.
Just for your info and you probably already know this; chickens cant get dogs worms, cat worms, bear worms, rabbit worms etc...
Poultry worms are host specific.

 

[IceStorm]

How often you deworm your birds depends on your environment and soil conditions. Warm moist/wet soil may require frequent worming. Cool/cold mountainous soil or sandy soil may require less worming. Same with hot desert like soil/sand.
Just for your info and you probably already know this; chickens cant get dogs worms, cat worms, bear worms, rabbit worms etc...
Poultry worms are host specific.

We live in Colorado so I'm assuming less likely to contract worms overall as long as I keep their space fairly clean regularly. And I feel like I knew that at one point but definitely forgot it. Thanks!

 

[Sue Gremlin]

This is a really good and common question, I even get it from veterinarians.
I recommend monitoring chickens with fecal exams a couple of times a year. There are several parasite species that chickens get that don't hurt them. The only time I recommend treating them is when they have coccidia or other parasites and are sick or debilitated, or if they have threadworms at any time.
Most of the time the fecal exams are positive for something, (for instance, some coccidia in the feces is "normal", and cecal worms which are not pathogenic to chickens), but they don't need deworming.