Worming Chickens

[GodLovesU]

What is the best wormer you have used? I’m looking for something that has been proven to work and that I can just administer through their water. Also, do quail need to be wormed? I haven’t seen any worms, but I figured you’re supposed to routinely worm poultry anyways.

 

[Anon112]

Do you have a reason to suspect worms?

Different dewormers treat different things, so you might want to see if there's a place you can take a poop sample for a float test to see what (if anything) your chickens are dealing with. (My state has a laboratory where you can take samples for a test).

I know for a while the "common sense" approach was deworming livestock twice a year, but I feel like lately the advice is more to only do so when there's a concern.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think that albendazole is probably the easiest at one dose followed by a dose after 10-14 day. It gets all chicken worms including round, cecal, capillary or thread, and gape worms , but for tapeworms, I would use a product with praziquantel. Valbazen is the brand name most of us know, but it has been hard to find recently. Smaller amounts of the generic have been recently available online. Dosage is 0.5 ml orally for a 4-6 pound chicken. Or use 0.08 ml per pound to be exact. Here is a link. Where to buy it:
https://toltrazurilshop.com/products/albendazole-11-36-liquid-solution/

 

[Anon112]

And those amounts are given directly in the chicken's mouth, not put in their water.

 

[GodLovesU]

Do you have a reason to suspect worms?

Different dewormers treat different things, so you might want to see if there's a place you can take a poop sample for a float test to see what (if anything) your chickens are dealing with. (My state has a laboratory where you can take samples for a test).

I know for a while the "common sense" approach was deworming livestock twice a year, but I feel like lately the advice is more to only do so when there's a concern.

No, I just thought you were supposed to regularly worm them. Should I just keep an eye out for worms and not treat unless I see some?

 

[Debbie292d]

Here's an informational article about worms I just found.

That said, in nearly a decade, I've never suspected my chickens of having worms and never saw any signs. I'm of the type of person that doesn't want to give anything to them unnecessarily.

I'd have my vet do a fecal float if I suspected mine had worms.

 

[dawg53]

No, I just thought you were supposed to regularly worm them. Should I just keep an eye out for worms and not treat unless I see some?

By the time you see worms in feces, damage has already occurred to intestinal lining. Worms slowly suck the life out of chicken. They are reproducing and their eggs are excreted onto the soil.
Birds constantly peck the soil, pick up the eggs and are swallowed, starting the worms lifecycle all over again.

Your soil dictates how often you should worm birds.
Warm, moist or wet soil requires frequent worming, cool or cold soil or hot desert like soil less frequent worming.
I worm my birds monthly with Albendazole, been using it for years and it takes care of all types of worms a chicken can get, except tapeworms.
You would know if a bird had tapeworms. The telltale sign are tapeworm segments seen in feces, praziquantel will get rid of tapeworms. There is no need to treat birds for tapeworms unless you see the segments in feces.
We also worm our dog monthly with a wormer purchased at our vet.

 

[CabritaChicks]

No, I just thought you were supposed to regularly worm them. Should I just keep an eye out for worms and not treat unless I see some?

Moisture contributes heavily to worm load, but I’d also add that soil composition plays an equally important role. For example, in my case, we have Victory Soil—which is coral- and mineral-based, acidic with excellent drainage—and worm issues are almost nonexistent (the structure and alkalinity seem to deter worm survival).

Moisture certainly encourages the hatching and persistence of parasite eggs, but soil type determines how long those eggs remain viable and how easily birds can reinfect themselves. Heavy clay or organic soils hold moisture and allow eggs to thrive, while sandy or mineral soils with good drainage (or high salt/calcium carbonate content) tend to break parasite cycles faster.

So yes—frequency of worming absolutely depends on environmental factors, but it’s not just about wet versus dry—it’s also about what the soil is made of.

I’ll also add that where and how your birds spend their time matters just as much as the soil itself—where they roost, perch, dust bathe, and generally “screw around” all influence their exposure level. A flock that forages close to damp soil or stays near the same patch of ground will naturally have a higher chance of infection than birds that roost high and move around throughout the day.

I personally don’t believe in medicating “just because/in case.” There are so many variables at play—climate, soil structure, flock density, even how often runs are turned or rested. Overusing dewormers not only stresses the liver and kidneys, but it can also dull a bird’s natural resilience and contribute to resistance over time. It’s far better to tailor treatment to the actual environment and bird condition than to follow a blanket schedule. But okay- off my soap box now.

I think you wiull get a lot of varying opinions on this, so just do some research. I will add one extra note: if you do it- don't use snake oil bologna, use the real deal as referenced.