worming as standard practice?

[NYREDS]

Wormers are poisons. Why give something a poison if you don't know for sure they need it.
Most birds, animals & in much of the world people carry some worms in their gut. It really only becomes a problem when the population grows to the point it overwhelms the host. If your birds weigh what they should, look good & are active they don't need to be wormed.

 

[MetalSmitten]

it's a personal decision, different for every situation.

the one thing i'll say is to choose what makes sense for YOU, but -- if you choose to worm on a schedule, pleeeease make sure you do your research and worm them correctly. overuse and underdosing is leading to an increase of drug-resistant worms (much like how improper use of antibiotics is resulting in drug-resistant diseases). the last thing you want is to create an untreatable problem later on. scheduled fecal tests with treatment-as-needed is considered the safest method, but it's also not the most cost effective. good luck

 

[nicokl502]

i put dewormer in my gals food everyday it a nice kinda because it is organic and it is safe and natural and there is a no egg or meat withholding period!!! it's called wormguard plus

 

[sherylreno]

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The main ingredient here is DE and I purchase the food grade from my feed store, then mix it in their treats before bedtime. Worms are gone and nothing will become resistant because of this natural algae, I also add garlic to their treats as well.

 

[dawg53]

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Yes, wormers are poisons, that's why there are withdrawal times. By the time the worms overwhelm the host, the damage is already done...ever watch "Monsters Inside Me" on Animal Planet?
Then you also know that one worm sheds tens of thousands of eggs onto the soil to be picked up by other birds to start the lifecycle all over again shedding more eggs. One worm is one worm too many. Here's an infestation of roundworms in a chickens gut...think of ALL the eggs they are laying.

 

[Erica]

Worming without clear reason merely speeds up the time it takes for resistance to develop (after which a particular worming product is useless).

I feel it's always best to watch for signs and worm only if necessary. Sometimes this means worming one bird in a whole flock. This way the majority of worms (which aren't doing a great deal of harm yet) in a local population are untreated and unresistant. Their eggs are on the ground alongside resistant worm eggs, but the resistant worms aren't the dominant population. If the flock seems healthy they probably don't need worming (especially if you know what to look for in terms of worm burden).

This process of selective worming is starting to be recommended by agriculture departments over here because so many sheep worms are resistant to all proprietary wormers. It makes good sense, though I'm sure it's just one way to approach the issue. But resistance is definitely an ongoing problem when wormers are overused.

Just my thoughts,
Erica

Edited typo.

 

[TwoCrows]

I am keeping chickens for the first time this year. My 4 girls are 6 months old. And while I have never had any other poultry or farm animals in this area of theirs, I have fed the wild birds years ago in this area. Do you think I am a candidate for worming my girls?

 

[galanie]

The problem with waiting till you know they have worms, unless you take fecal samples to the vet, is that often by the time you can tell they're wormy, it can be pretty bad.

I'd say best practice would be to take fecal samples periodically to have examined by the vet, then only worm when needed.

 

[galanie]

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Personally, yes.

 

[TwoCrows]

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Personally, yes.

They, Australorps have not yet started laying. How soon do you think I should worm them?