Routine worming at 18 weeks??

[clickncluck]

My pullets are now 17 weeks old. They were wormed with panacur from the vet when the other chick died (9 weeks of age). Iʻve read that they should be routinely wormed at 18 weeks. Should I worm them again? Or should I take a stool sample into the vet? One of the pullets loves bugs (which I understand may be a source of parasites) but the other one doesnʻt.

Also, how do I check my chickens for lice and mites? I tried to find a place on their body that I could see skin easily to look, but itʻs all feathers.

Thanks so much for your help. This is all new to me.

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Most folks wait till there is evidence of worms before worming. Pale comb, lathargic, worms in droppings, etc. are signs to look for. No need to worm by the calendar. At nine weeks, they shouldn`t have worms. I would be suspicious of the vet. It`s natural for chickens to eat bugs, don`t worry about it.

To determine if your birds have lice/mites, pull a couple of them off the roost at night and look closely around the vent and under the tail with a good flashlight. If you see any, they all must be treated. Use Sevin Dust and dust them all over, paying close attention to under the tail, wings, and around the vent area. Throw some in their nests and around the inside of the coop.

Don`t panic. Just because you read miles of posts about problems with chickens, it doesn`t mean that yours are about to self destruct. Have fun with them..........Pop

 

[Judy]

If you are already using a vet, I would ask him for advice. Hopefully he will be familar with the worm load in you area.

On lice/mites, best chance to find them is with a light at night when they are on the roost, as some of these critters only get on the bird at night. Usually found around the vent or under the wing in the "armpit" (whatever it's called on a chicken.)

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[clickncluck]

My chickens arenʻt sleeping on the roost. They still sleep in a pile. But Iʻll pull them out tonight and take a look for crawly things.
Thanks so much.