Should I deworm my hens if I don't see worms?

[ldamants]

I have (4) 7 month old RIRs. They are all eating and drinking good, but they seem skinny. I can feel their breast bone when I pick them up. Several weeks ago I noticed their poop changed to a reddish brown, almost like it had blood mixed in it. I bought Wazene-17 from TSC. The guy told me it killed all worms (found out from this great site that it doesn't). I've never seen any worms and their poop looks normal now. Should I still worm them with Valbazen or something else? Or am I just overly concerned about nothing?

 

[enola]

What are you feeding them?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I personally never wormed a chicken, and probably never will, I have never seen any signs of them either. Poop will change usually because of a change or addition in the diet, or whether they are drinking more or less. You chickens shouldn't be fat, they are young and they aren't meat birds, so you should be able to feel the keel bone. I always go by behavior in determining if a chicken is unwell.

 

[ldamants]

Thank you for the reply. I feed them Dumor layer crumble (which I'm switching to pellets because of the mess they make). I'm mixing in the oyster shells because the never seem to eat it when offered alone. They do free range all day and I lock them up at night. I noticed the change in poop when one of them became ill, I have a few pics, still not sure what was wrong. She had one eye that was closed and then would eat and drink from me then close both her eyes like she was about to die. Scary, but the next day all better. They get a few meal worms and kale/lettuce mix thru out the day or other veggies I may have on hand. This is my first time to own chickens, so I may be worried about nothing.

 

[Folly's place]

Production RIRs aren't stocky, but much more like Leghorns in body type. Racy. By the time you actually see intestinal parasites in the poo, there's a lot of them! You can have fecals checked at your veterinarians to know what's going on. Some flocks will have lots of intestinal parasite issues, and some nearly never. It depends on what's present at your place. Mary

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I wouldn't mix in the oyster shells, they don't consume a whole lot of it, I replenish mine like once a month, I put out about two cups, so mixing them in will only waste them, I buy like one 50 pound bag a year for about 40 hens.

I know the poop you speak of, and what you are describing shows up around here in the fall when the sickly sparrows are flying about, they get a slight respiratory thing, hopefully it will pass. I think the poop changes due to decreased eating.

Over the years I have learned not to worry too much, most things that make chickens sick I can't control, and eventually they all pass from something, I try to make their lives as happy and fulfilled as I can, mine seem to be healthy than one day I find them dead, chickens aren't especially long lived, mine live from 4-10, they do bring a lot of joy to my days. Good luck.

 

[bigt447]

Since they free range... they may have eaten something that made them sick. Watch giving too much food other than layer food....most say other foods should only make up 10% of total diet. Too much wormer may make them sick too.

 

[RJSorensen]

Offer the oyster shell free choice, don't mix it in the feed. They will and can self regulate their required need. Shell is not a feed so it is pecked at from time to time, not feasted upon. Too much shell can lead to problems, the bird know… let her decide.

Best to you and your birds,

RJ

 

[aart]

I have (4) 7 month old RIRs. They are all eating and drinking good, but they seem skinny. I can feel their breast bone when I pick them up. Several weeks ago I noticed their poop changed to a reddish brown, almost like it had blood mixed in it. I bought Wazene-17 from TSC. The guy told me it killed all worms (found out from this great site that it doesn't). I've never seen any worms and their poop looks normal now. Should I still worm them with Valbazen or something else? Or am I just overly concerned about nothing?

Were all their poops like that, all the time?
Or could it have been a cecal poop you saw?
They may release several cecals a day and they look, and smells(way worse), very different than the more common poops...
.........but is completely normal.
Here a couple good links showing the different poops you might see:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/whats-scoop-on-chicken-poop-digestive.html
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/?topic=17568.0

 

[cubalaya]

I worm mine every june with wazine and follow up in the fall with cayenne peppers. I agree with the other posters about mixing oyster shell in with feed. set some to the side and they will eat what they need. blood in their poop could also be shed intestinal lining from cocci but not usual at 7 months. were they fed medicated chick starter for their first 6 weeks?