Routine for worming chickens naturally

[Miss Cluckie Belle]

Hi! I would like to at least try to worm my chickens naturally UNLESS I see signs and symptoms of worms, then I am definitely open to wormers. Can someone give me advice on what routine you do so I don’t drive myself crazy googling all this? I’ve read about diatomaceous earth, ACV (already doing), crushed garlic, vetrx. I plan to keep ACV and vetrx in water on an ongoing basis, is that okay? And putting the diatamaceous earth in feed. Can I do that on a daily basis too? Then I have seen zyfend A,Durvet Strike III, Vermx, and Wormguard Dewormer + Probiotics. So many choices! Can someone give me pointers on all this, like how often? And how old do my little cuties have to be? One group is 4 weeks, one group is 3 months. I appreciate it! I’m a little OCD and want to get the best routine going for our little chickadees! I’m fixing to go to bed, so if I don’t respond, I will tomorrow!

 

[coach723]

There really is no way to 'worm' them naturally. Depending on your environment (where are you generally in the world?) you may or may not have an issue with worms. DE does not work on internal parasites. DE does nothing when wet, and inside a chickens digestive tract it's going to be wet. I learned the hard way, it does not work. ACV in small amounts won't necessarily hurt anything, but is possible that the birds may not like the taste and won't drink well. I won't use it, my birds don't like it, I'd rather they drink plenty of fresh water, especially in the heat of summer, rather than risk them getting dehydrated or overheated. Same with VetRX. VetRX is basically Vicks vapor rub. Garlic can be toxic if they get too much, it can cause a specific type of anemia, so I would caution you to do a bit of reading on that before using regularly. I know many, many tout it. I personally would concentrate on keeping things as reasonably clean as you can, keep feeders and waterers clean, don't let droppings build up. Start by getting a fecal done, mixed sample from your birds. If you don't have a vet that will do one for you, you can use a mail in option, I will put a link below. If it comes back positive, you can treat appropriately. If negative, then retest in 6 months. If that one is negative, then just test once a year, unless of course you see symptoms at any time. Think about it, if all those things worked at all, no one would need chemical wormers, ever. The medications exist because there is a need. But that need is based on your flock.
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[chickity-chick]

Do you need to de-worm a small back yard flock? Or do you only deworm when you see signs that your bird might have worms? Also on the apple cider vinegar- if you so chose to use this- I was wondering if you can leave the apple cider vinegar water mixture outside Non-refrigerated for multiple days until the waterer is empty? Or will the ACV go bad and spoil the water- which would mean you would have to refresh the entire water daily?

 

[coach723]

I de-worm regularly because it's necessary in my flock. My environment is worm heavy, and my birds are constantly picking them up, so I have to. Some people very rarely worm. For some, once or twice a year is good. It just depends on your particular circumstance. I don't 'treat' for anything that isn't there, so I personally only worm when and if necessary. In my case, that happens to be more than average. The fecal cost less than a bottle of wormer, so it's worth it to know for sure. It also tells you what worm you are dealing with so you can use the best medication and dose for that parasite. I personally don't like using vinegar. My birds don't like it, it puts them off water and I don't want them not drinking well. I don't like mixing anything in the water unless it's really necessary. In the summer heat and humidity I have, I will lose birds if they aren't drinking well. I found that it made my waterers feel slimy. And I give my birds fresh water every day, when it's really hot out I refresh even more often than that to keep the water cool.

 

[Miss Cluckie Belle]

Thank you so much! We are in south Georgia, so hot and humid here too. That definitely makes sense about the fecal kit. I will look into that! Thanks!!

 

[Birdielee]

Do you need to de-worm a small back yard flock? Or do you only deworm when you see signs that your bird might have worms? Also on the apple cider vinegar- if you so chose to use this- I was wondering if you can leave the apple cider vinegar water mixture outside Non-refrigerated for multiple days until the waterer is empty? Or will the ACV go bad and spoil the water- which would mean you would have to refresh the entire water daily?

As far as worming, i don't know. But Apple cider vinegar shouldn't "go bad" . Vinegar is a preservative, and if you have the live kind of acv, it just keeps growing. You don't have to refrigerate it.

 

[coach723]

But Apple cider vinegar shouldn't "go bad" .

You are correct, vinegar doesn't go bad. But depending on your water, and what's in it, it can have unexpected results if the vinegar reacts to it. I have well water that is high in minerals, and when I use vinegar, the waterers feel very slimy after 24 hours. So I just don't. If your birds like it, and you feel it's beneficial for health, then by all means use it. But it won't worm a bird, which I find is often suggested.

 

[chickity-chick]

You are correct, vinegar doesn't go bad. But depending on your water, and what's in it, it can have unexpected results if the vinegar reacts to it. I have well water that is high in minerals, and when I use vinegar, the waterers feel very slimy after 24 hours. So I just don't. If your birds like it, and you feel it's beneficial for health, then by all means use it. But it won't worm a bird, which I find is often suggested.

Ok thank you for the ACV advice! As to worming I have a follow up question- is it similar to horses where you give a dewormer every so many months? Or do you only work when they for sure have worms? Sorry I’m a first time chicken mom but have kept horses all my life so not sure of the chicken version!

 

[coach723]

If you are just starting, then I would do the fecals first. If it turns out that you have worm loads recurring, then based on how it goes in your flock, you can determine if you need to be on a schedule. I have to worm about every 3 months because if I go longer then I have problems with sick birds. Some people just worm spring and/or fall and that is enough to keep their flock healthy. Some worms, like roundworm, are really easy to pick up in the environment making reinfection common. Others, like tapeworm, gapeworm, or cecal worms may be less likely to recur, it just depends on your specific circumstances and environment.

 

[chickity-chick]

If you are just starting, then I would do the fecals first. If it turns out that you have worm loads recurring, then based on how it goes in your flock, you can determine if you need to be on a schedule. I have to worm about every 3 months because if I go longer then I have problems with sick birds. Some people just worm spring and/or fall and that is enough to keep their flock healthy. Some worms, like roundworm, are really easy to pick up in the environment making reinfection common. Others, like tapeworm, gapeworm, or cecal worms may be less likely to recur, it just depends on your specific circumstances and environment.

Ok thank you!! And do you need to do this test for each bird? So if I have a 4 bird flock I would need 4 tests? But not sure how to tell what poop I collect is from which bird. Or just one test for the entire flock? Thank you!