worming chickens

[kim10261]

my chickens that I know of do not have worms or any health issues,however at the end of this month I will be getting some baby chicks through mail order and after they are fully feathered they will be around my 6 existing chickens,my question should I worm my existing chickens before the new ones are introduced? how often should I worm my chickens? should it be done just as a preventative or when/if they have worms? how do you know if they have worms? thanks in advance for any help

 

[Wyandottes7]

I usually deworm every 6 months or so. I have never had any apparent problems with worms, but worm just in case they are developing a large infestation. My birds are first dewormed around 6 months old. Worming earlier than 12 weeks or so is usually unneccesary, as birds won't have developed a large worm infestation by then.

Remember that by the time you see worms in the droppings or see symptoms of worms, the bird is already affected rather seriously. This is why it is good to have a preventative worming program, so that the birds remain safe from infestations.

 

[Suzie]

As one expert in de-worming of chickens says...if their feet touch the ground they will get worms...

Depending upon soil conditions...chickens are normally treated every 3 - 6 months....

You hopefully will never see the worms...if you see them in the poop the chickens will be heavily infested with them...worms will kill chickens if left untreated..

Safeguard or Panacur paste are two de-worming treatments that are often recommended...for a full size chicken a pea sized amount of the paste should be given orally...a needle less syringe is useful to treat them...you can pull down on the wattles of each chicken, their beak will open and you can dose them easily...as soon as you have dosed them let go of their wattles.

 

[aatx]

As one expert in de-worming of chickens says...if their feet touch the ground they will get worms...

Depending upon soil conditions...chickens are normally treated every 3 - 6 months....

You hopefully will never see the worms...if you see them in the poop the chickens will be heavily infested with them...worms will kill chickens if left untreated..

Safeguard or Panacur paste are two de-worming treatments that are often recommended...for a full size chicken a pea sized amount of the paste should be given orally...a needle less syringe is useful to treat them...you can pull down on the wattles of each chicken, their beak will open and you can dose them easily...as soon as you have dosed them let go of their wattles.

When do people normally do their first worming? My chickens are 23 weeks old now and some are just starting to lay. I was thinking to do the first worming in the Spring and then to keep on a Spring/Fall schedule.

 

[Suzie]

If you have dry sandy soil...maybe once a year is OK...wet conditions you should worm every three to six months...depends on many factors as to when...

Signs of poop on their backsides

Less eggs than normal...except when moulting/Winter months

Loss of condition..., weight loss, pale combs...can all be symptoms of a worm infestation... of course these symptoms can be due to other issues..illness but it is always good to be aware...

I am sure you can get both of the medications from tractor supply...

You should carry out the initial worming and after 14 days de-worm them again...throw the eggs away for the 28 day period...

 

[BantamLover21]

I usually worm once a year, unless I see any symptoms of worms: lethargy, paleness, diarrhea, etc. As far as I know, I've never had any worm problems; I just worm to be on the safe side.

Other people worm twice a year, usually in spring and fall. Differently, some people never worm, and still have no problems. How often you worm depends on the health of your birds, their age, and their specific environmental conditions.

 

[casportpony]

Your best bet is to have routine fecal floats done and worm according to what they find. When usng Safeguard, one must worm several days in a row to treat gapeworms and capillary worms. Other worms, like cecal worms need more worming medication than plain-ole-roundworms.

-Kathy

 

[Wyandottes7]

is this something I can do myself at home or is this only vet recommended and what is a good all around kills all worms medicine

Yes, you can deworm birds by yourself. Dewormers can usually be purchased either at a local feed store/livestock supply store, or online, such as at Jeffers Pet Supply. Probably the best dewormer (that gets everything) is Valbazen. Safeguard dewormer for goats is also a great dewormer. Don't use Wazine- it only kills roundworms.

 

[Michael Apple]

Try to avoid deworming during moult. Doing so with most wormers will cause irregular feather growth. Once mine are finsished moulting, I will worm them, then do it again early Spring, or if I see symptoms or evidence. The longest period I ever did deworm was with Safeguard (Fenbendazole) and it was 3 days in a row. It took care of cecal worms. It is a good practice to worm with Fenbendazole, then use a different anthelmintic next time. Wormout, Valbazen, Coxiworm are a few good ones.

 

[casportpony]

 


is this something I can do myself at home or is this only vet recommended and what is a good all around kills all worms medicine

You can easily worm chickens by yourself. Many livestock supply stores, like Tractor Supply, carry several wormers that can be used on chickens. Or, you can order wormers online.

As for the best wormer, Valbazen kills all worms. Its only drawback is that it is rather expensive, at least compared to other wormers. Another excellent choice is SafeGuard, which is commonly sold for use in sheep and goats. It kills most worms, with the exception of tapeworm and (I believe) capillary worms. One other pretty good wormer is the Worminator, which can be ordered online from here: http://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=584 It isn't 100% effective, but it is what I've used in the past with good results.

Wormers to avoid include Ivermectin and Wazine. While common, both will only give you a false sense of security, and your flock may become loaded with worms. Wazine only kills roundworms, and many worms have become resistant to Ivermectin.

Safeguard does kill capillary worms, but you must give it 5 days in a row.

No offense, but I would avoid buying a worming product like the worminator. Twin City claims they don't know what the active ingredient is (which I don't believe). Many odd things about them and the products and information on their website. Buyer beware!

Those new to chickens should buy products that list all ingredients and the amount of those ingredients.

-Kathy