What wormer should I get? Does everybody worm their flock?

[chicmom]

Hello!

I was wondering what people think is the best wormer. I would really like a wormer that is easy to administer, and one that I would not have to throw my eggs away......

Is there such a thing?

Thank you!

 

[Judy]

You can put piperazine in the water, but it only gets roundworms, and worse yet, it seems like I have read that it's a bit rough on them. IMO none are really hard to administer, though often the simplest way is to go in the coop at night with a light and an assistant. You will read varying opinions on withdrawal (tossing the eggs.) Ivermectin is given to people in other parts of the world so some eat their eggs after using it -- but I would not sell or give them away. One way around the withdrawal is to give wormers during molts, when you are getting few if any eggs, anyway.

As for whether to worm, and with what, there are a number of opinions. Some people worm every 3 or 4 months and some never do. Really, you should read up and decide for yourself. I'll give you a few links to get you started.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=538241

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5770173#p5770173

http://healthybirds.umd.edu/Disease/Deworming Birds.pdf