Worming?

[Oobhakeb]

Surprisingly enough, in all the information I read about raising chickens (prior to actually getting them) I read nothing talking about worming them. I just stumbled on a few posts discussing worming. I don't think my girls have worms (what are the symptoms anyway?) but now I wonder do I need to be worming them? Ive read about using pepper and garlic?

 

[southerndesert]

there is a good discussion here.... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=576036

 

[Oobhakeb]

this was actually the post I found Thanks.

 

[chezpoulet]

My original plan was not worming them. I have friends who never worm their flock and reported not having issues. My flock of 5 (10 months old) get to free range everyday in the yard, and I clean up the coop AND run everyday (call me obsessive compulsive). I sent in a poop sample to the vet in April and it was negative for worms. Lo and behold, in July, I found a roundworm in the run one day, and another in a freshly deposited pile of poop. I ended up worming with Wazine and Albendazole.


So I guess the situation has changed, and now I am planning to go from not worming them to worming them 1 or 2 times a year. It will not be cost effective for me to take a poop sample to the vet every 6 months and paying $30 for a fecal float.

Good luck on whatever you do- I think it is the luck of the draw- I have slugs and earthworms galore in my organic garden, and they may be the hosts for worm eggs.

 

[Oobhakeb]

tHANKS FOR THE REPLY! I really hate to introduce a lot of medication to them. Trying to keep them organic as possible (within reason) but one run in with an illness and fixing with corid kinda changed my outlook on that.I do give them medicated feed as of right now and vitamins, and I also had the breeder vaccinate them for maereks. Im sure that certain areas are more prone to be a breeding ground for worms; anyone have an idea what they are? I live in Central Kentucky and the weather is completely random Kentucky weather. Its been rainy for a few weeks. They get to free-range 3-4 hours a day out in the yard and in my garden daily (except if its raining and they usually prefer to stay in the run/coop on those days, and all day on the weekends. I try to keep my coop clean but wow, everyday? really! Your dedicated! May I ask your technique and bedding material? Their run is now dirt and I have started putting a few shaving down there as well to help keep it dry. I will probably worm them but was wondering the best technique for doing so. I read someone said to give it orally to each individual bird but I don't know that I would be able to do that for all my birds. Some are very shy and it's hard to get a hold of them. And then when you do, how to you force a dose down their throats. The most efficient way for me would be to dose in their water as I did with the corrid. Anyone have information on dosage to 2 gal fount?

 

[Noobchick]

Hi there! I had similar outlooks on medications prior to getting chicken but after seeing my Barred Plymouth Rock all droopy the last couple days, I've changed my mind. Lol. Medication within reason is the way to go for me I think.

Wazine 17 dosage: 2 tablespoons per gallon of water, so for you it'll be 4 Tablespoons. I'm still doing research on how long to wait before eating eggs (my girls are due to start laying any time now, though I think laying will be delayed due to the worms)

Hope that helps!

Edited to correct typing error

 

[dawg53]

Wet soil is parasite soup. The key is trying to keep everything as dry as possible, tough to do sometimes. You can add alot of sand to your pen which will help keep it dry. Sand quickly absorbs water and wont create gulleys in a downpour, it dries quicker than dirt. Here, it costs $25 for a cubic yard, a good pickup truckload. Sand helps cut back on the parasite load, including external parasites...but wont eliminate internal/external parasites altogether.
I dont recommend mixing wormers in water. If you have a sick bird, they wont eat nor drink. Even if your birds are healthy, you dont know how much of the treated water they drank to make the wormer effective. Additionally, chickens drink less water in cooler temps. It's always best to dose them orally, that way you KNOW they got properly wormed. Use a syringe without a needle to give the wormer to them orally. Pull the wattles down and their mouth will open, squirt a little in and let them swallow it on their own. Someone can hold the chicken for you. I do it by myself and it only takes about 15 minutes to worm mine and only use about a capfull and a half of valbazen for my 18 chickens. I repeat it again 10 days later to kill larva hatched from eggs since the first dosing...ending their lifecycle.
You never mentioned how old your chickens were. If you arnt sure when to worm, it's advisable to take a fecal sample to a vet and have them take a look at it under a microscope. It doesnt cost much. My vet charges $14.50. I dont bring a sample in often, it's cheaper to set up a regular worming schedule. I might add that keeping everything clean as best as you can cuts down on all types of parasites/pests. I clean the chicken houses/pens once a week, shovel poop every afternoon out of the pens... doesnt take long. Waterers get cleaned everyday or every other day. I just dont like putting on all my decon gear to do it in the heat when doing the weekly clean out. LOL

 

[Oobhakeb]

Thanks Dawg, I've read a lot of your posts and you always seem to have really great advice. I had read on a previous post that you didnt reccomend adding it to the water and my only concern was some of my girls are really hard to catch and squirmy. Maybe with some help, I can get those birds treated. My girls are 12 weeks today. They have not been exibiting ANY symptoms and I havent noticed anything weird in their poop though I understand sometimes you wont really see anything in their poop unless they are over burdened with worms. Mainly treatment would be just as a precautionary move on my part. I saw a recent topic about worms and it really made me wonder should I be setting up a routine? When do people typically worm their chickens and how often. I've read a few different reccomendations.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Twelve weeks is a little too soon to worm, unless you notice something to the contrary. Consider worming them at 6-9 months if you wish. Then perhaps every 8-9 months thereafter or however you want to do it. I worm mine once every 3 months. Our soil is warm and moist most of the year.

 

[naakte]

if you free range they probably do have worms. worms are a part of free ranging as is loss of chicken due to preditor. this is why I wont free range unless (God Forbid) I for some reason cant buy feed for them someday.