Worms.....

[1 acre willows]

How can you tell if your birds have them?

 

[dawg53]

Gather fresh fecal samples in a ziplock back and take it to a vet and have them look at it under a microscope.
If you lived down here in the south, I'd tell you to go ahead and worm them now.

 

[rebrascora]

Get a faecal sample tested. Most vets should be able to do this testing as it is the same procedure as for cats and dogs. State agricultural or veterinary diagnostics labs should also offer the service and it may be cheaper than the vets but you need to factor in postage, if the lab is not local. There are also mail order options for companies that specialise in doing this testing..... they prepare a slide from your sample and look for worm eggs under a microscope. That said, this testing is unlikely to show tape worms because the eggs for those are shed in large segments that can be seen with the naked eye and look like very small grains of rice that move, so look out for those. You can also check poop regularly for adult worms yourself but not seeing adult worms does not mean your birds do not have them. In fact, it is reasonably safe to assume that most outdoor chickens will have some level of internal parasites.... be those worms or protozoa like coccidiosis or both. It is when those levels become high and start to overwhelm the bird that they have problems, but it is also possible that birds will survive untreated with a low level of worms and coccidia and their immune system prevents it ever becoming a health issue. I have not wormed my chickens in 4 years and whilst I see a round worm in poop every once in a blue moon, my hens do not become overrun with them. They maintain good body condition and lay well, even for older ladies. If one of my hens dies (I have a virus in my flock which kills a bird every now and then), I do an informal necropsy whenever possible and the last thing I do is check their intestines for worms. I occasionally find one, but so far I have never come across an infestation. This leads me to assume that a bird with a healthy immune system can manage it's own parasitic load in my climate. Local conditions may play a part in this, as regards killing worm eggs that are shed onto the ground etc.
I have both free ranged and penned my birds and it does not seem to make a difference. Some people worry that they will pick up worms from wildlife when free ranging but if they are penned on the same ground all the time I would expect that that area to become more heavily infected with worm eggs due to the high density of birds compared to in the wild where birds are scattered over a much larger area.
Some people deworm their chickens on a routine, maybe twice a year just "to be safe" but there are concerns that long term this can lead to worm resistance as well as chemical residues going into the ground through their poop that may cause other problems at a microbe level and also perhaps the bird's immune system being less capable of managing it's own worm burden..... just like people are becoming more and more obsessed with using antibacterial products in the home to produce a sterile environment and then when their bodies are exposed to bacteria beyond their control, their system has no natural defence.

This is just my own personal opinion from my own experience and I am not against the use of chemical wormers but I think we have come to rely too heavily on them and we feel a need to try to exterminate/eliminate all parasites and bugs and bacteria without thinking about the longer term consequences and that a low level balance may be healthier than trying to wipe everything out and keep it that way.

Others will have different opinions. Only you can decide which approach is right for you.

 

[rebrascora]

PS. You can have an individual bird's droppings tested if you have one acting off and failing to thrive, or you can have a flock sample tested by combining poop samples from many birds. Do not be surprised to get a positive result but make sure to ask about the levels of parasite eggs found and whether treatment is recommended at that level. I would suggest a low level does not need treating as per my post above depending on your circumstances and climate but many vets will most likely recommend treatment for any level of eggs seen because it is "the safe" option.

 

[dawg53]

Do not be fooled about worms, one worm is one worm too many. There is no immunity resistance to worms and they do not create healthy immune systems in chickens nor any other animals nor humans for that matter. They feed by absorbing nutrients from blood and absorbing nutrients in the digestive tract that the host system needs to survive and fight off infections, diseases, not to mention proper growth and proper egg production. Would you knowingly want your children walking around with worms or yourself? Dogs are even given monthly worm preventatives.

Worms are PARASITES and WEAKEN the immune system. They weaken the immune system opening the door for diseases to invade the body.
One female worm lays hundreds of eggs a day onto the soil which are picked up by your chickens and starting their lifecycle over again.

Soil environment plays a roll how often you should worm chickens. Where you live in Montana, you may only need to worm once or twice a year.
Cold or cool mountainous soil or hot desert like sandy soil may require only once or twice a year wormings.
Warm wet or moist soil requires frequent wormings.

There are plenty of wormers (off label too) on the market that can be used to treat chickens for worms. Rotating wormers ensures resistance doesnt happen.

Worm egg counts on a fecal sample does not determine the outcome whether to treat for worms or not. Worm eggs are not treatable, it's when they hatch into larva or as adults are when they must be treated.

Vets WILL recommend treatment on any egg count because they are smart enough to know that worms multiply very rapidly, ask any vet. Remember, one female roundworm lays hundreds of eggs a day. Think how many eggs capillary worms lay, and they are more dangerous than large roundworms. They are killers in large numbers and cant be seen in feces.

 

[rebrascora]

As you can see, there are very strong and opposing views on this subject. You have to decide for yourself which route to take and what works for your environment and circumstances. Being observant as regards checking poops for anything unusual and checking birds for body condition are important either way, but particularly if you do not worm regularly.

 

[dawg53]

As you can see, there are very strong and opposing views on this subject. You have to decide for yourself which route to take and what works for your environment and circumstances. Being observant as regards checking poops for anything unusual and checking birds for body condition are important either way, but particularly if you do not worm regularly.

x2

 

[rebrascora]

@dawg53

It is clear that our experiences with this are very different and obviously that greatly reflects in our attitudes towards the subject. That may indicate that environmental factors have a big impact. I do respect your opinion and think it is important to have a variety of views in a discussion in order for people to come to their own decision.
I am not alone in not worming my chickens and not having a problem with worms, so again this indicates that it will vary with individual circumstances.

I hope you do not feel I am being irresponsible in offering my opinion on this. It is based on experience with more that one species of animal/creature ie horses and chickens (interestingly it applies to parasites on my bees as well) over a number of years and I am not suggesting that people do not worm or think that worms are not a problem, but just to monitor and treat if necessary and to be knowledgeable on the subject.

 

[dawg53]

@rebrascora Worms are usually the root cause of many chicken problems. It is an important part of biosecurity. Since these creatures are under our control, it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to ensure their safety, health and welfare.
I've been raising chickens on and off for 38 years and raised hogs for several years.
I am more than happy to help folks who request worming information and will continue to do so.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Send a poo sample to me and I'll test it for free.