Worms!? Maggots!? In poop!!!

[Auntiejessi3]

Didn’t forget but here’s a picture of the ventilation we put it and the difference it made. Before when I stuck my arm up by the roost you could just feel the heat and humidity that was up there. Now it’s so nice. Not humid or hot. The chickens loved it last night. It was raining so maybe that made a differnece but hopefully on a dry hot day it’ll still be nice.

Very nice!

 

[coach723]

That added ventilation will probably help a lot!

 

[UluLaté]

My chickens eat worms. I encourage it. I’ve never seen worms in their poop and I don’t deworm them.

I also haven’t fed them in at least a month. They forage for themselves. The other day they were in the tall grass pecking at seed heads on grasses.

My band of merry chickens are a variety of breeds, roosters and hens. They are all healthy and happy. They have the freedom to roam wherever they want this year and we’ve had very few bugs. Last year we kept them cooped due to rumors of bird flu, and it was like flymagedom.

The whole deworming chickens thing seems weird to me. Maybe let them free to roam?

I’ve seen chickens fight over snakes and mice, the happy winner gobbling up the vermin. I also won’t be de-snaking or de-micing them anytime soon...

If I were concerned Id maybe put out diatomaceous earth? They peck it for internal parasites and dust bath it for external ones. Too easy.

 

[coach723]

Diatomaceous earth is not effective for internal parasites, that is a myth that just keeps going and going. Every environment is different, every flock is different. What works for one may not work for another. Many people do not have space to let chickens roam freely, or live in a place that restricts it. Or have far to many predators to be able to safely do that. Eating earthworms, grubs and other insect larvae is completely different than having internal parasites. In places where the parasite load in the environment is heavy, worming is really not optional if you want to have healthy birds.

 

[UluLaté]

Diatomaceous earth is not effective for internal parasites, that is a myth that just keeps going and going. Every environment is different, every flock is different. What works for one may not work for another. Many people do not have space to let chickens roam freely, or live in a place that restricts it. Or have far to many predators to be able to safely do that. Eating earthworms, grubs and other insect larvae is completely different than having internal parasites. In places where the parasite load in the environment is heavy, worming is really not optional if you want to have healthy birds.

I have 7 extra poultry safe large guardian dogs, roughly a year old, if anyone is suffering predatory issues...lol...actually any dog will keep the most common predators from visiting, ie., raccoons & skunks.

 

[UluLaté]

Diatomaceous earth is not effective for internal parasites, that is a myth that just keeps going and going. Every environment is different, every flock is different. What works for one may not work for another. Many people do not have space to let chickens roam freely, or live in a place that restricts it. Or have far to many predators to be able to safely do that. Eating earthworms, grubs and other insect larvae is completely different than having internal parasites. In places where the parasite load in the environment is heavy, worming is really not optional if you want to have healthy birds.

Do you by chance have a link to a study on the efficacy of diatomaceous earth, or lack there of?

Someone must’ve done a study...

 

[UluLaté]

I foun

Do you by chance have a link to a study on the efficacy of diatomaceous earth, or lack there of?

Someone must’ve done a study...

I found one, so far which seems to tacitly support the use of DE for some breeds...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21673156/

 

[UluLaté]

Here’s

I foun

I found one, so far which seems to tacitly support the use of DE for some breeds...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21673156/

Here’s another:

https://www.researchgate.net/public...od_Parameters_And_on_Ectoparasites_In_Chicken

Both studies support DE as effective, therefore not a myth.

I’m a fan of empirical data, so if you find more studies, I’m all ears.