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Roundworms or ascarids are visible to the naked eye, looking like fine spaghetti. Sometimes after deworming they will be visible in the droppings. Adult female roundworms lay 1000's of eggs per day. These eggs must develop outside the bird for about two weeks for them to be infectious. Moisture and warmth is required for them to develop. These eggs, with the larva inside, are swallowed in dust that is inhaled or from the droppings or dust that settles in the water or the feed. These larva hatches in the stomach then eat though the stomach wall and crawl around inside the bird, especially the liver. Normally this doesn't cause a problem. Eventually they make it back to the intestine and molt into adults.
The adults live in the intestinal space. It takes about 1-2 months for a fresh egg to turn into an adult old enough to lay eggs. However no dewormer kills at the larva stages developing in the bird. Eggs will be found in the feces much sooner than 30-60 days. A mild infection is not a serious problem but a severe infection can result in starvation and death. Young birds just out of the nest are most susceptible. Some of the birds will be carriers and shed eggs, but no sickness will result. A nutritional problem or stress from other disease can trigger worm problems. Also a worm infection can bring a bird down just enough that it will get sick from something else.
