Should I deworm my chickens? (2024)

Updated June 17, 2023, first published Thursday, October 1, 2020

Like most other animals, chickens can suffer from parasitic worms. These are endoparasites that live in your bird's body and are collectively called Helminths by veterinarians.

Do my chickens have worms?

The control and treatment of worms in poultry is an interesting topic. Most of us just want to know the basics of parasitic worms; How do our chickens get them, do our chickens get sick and how do we deal with them? Many of us have been keeping chickens for years and have never thought about deworming our chickens, while others do it routinely. It is really a matter of personal philosophy which regimen you choose to follow. Our recommendation would be to understand what worm life cycles are all about, find out what the different types of worms are and how they affect the way you keep your flock, and from there make an informed decision 😊 Try to digest this article and try incorporating some of these good husbandry practices into your weekly routine.
Check out ours'10 tips to detect worms'below - these will significantly reduce potential worm infestation and you will have happier and healthier chickens.

Below are a handful of worms your backyard chickens are likely to encounter.

Rondwormen

Gabeorm

tapeworm

Threadworm

Cecal orme

How do chickens get worms?

Basically, chickens pick up worms from something they eat. Either a chicken eats infected feces from another bird, or the chicken eats an insect that carries worm eggs (earthworm, slug, snail, grasshopper, fly, etc.). A healthy chicken can handle a reasonable worm load. However, if a chicken becomes ill or stressed, the immune system will find it increasingly difficult to deal with this and the worms have the opportunity to overpopulate. A heavy worm burden can cause disease, infection and even death.

The life cycle of worms means it can be extremely difficult to get rid of these pesky critters.

Life cycle of worms

Whether you decide to treat confirmed cases of worms or prevent worms, it is always best to do everything you can to ensure that your chickens do not develop parasites. One of the best things to do is...Periodically move their coop and drive to a new spot.This will stop serious outbreaks because it stops the life cycle of the worms. Worm eggs are shed in the feces of infected birds and survive for a surprisingly long time on the ground before being picked up by foraging chickens. This is called a direct life cycle because the worm does not need a host animal to get to your chickens.
Worms, which have an indirect life cycle, on the other hand, first have their eggs digested by e.g. earthworms, slugs or centipedes, where they remain inactive until the host is eaten by one of your chickens. The larvae hatch in your chickens and the cycle repeats. So to prevent an unbreakable chain of worm attacks it isIt is important to move your chickens regularly. This can be easily done by portable chicken coops such asSweating it outof die eneEglu Go UP Raised chicken coopAnother helpful thing is to keep the lawn mowed, as the sun's ultraviolet light can kill potential worm eggs in your chickens' feces. Clean the run weekly and remove feces and wet litter. If one of your chickens is infected, it will be very difficult to get all the worm eggs out of the ground, but every little bit helps!

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of a heavy worm burden or infestation may include: worms in eggs, abnormal feces (diarrhea, frothy appearance, etc.), weight loss, anemia or pale comb and stiffness, lethargy, dirty feathers around the opening, worms in feces or throat, panting , head stretching and shaking, egg dropping production and sudden death. If you are unsure and suspect worms, you can opt for a fecal egg count. Do a drop test at your local vet. The sample will be sent and the results should tell you if there is a worm problem, how severe and what type of worms are present.

Prevention

As with all animals, good care means less risk of your birds getting worms. This includesregularly cleaning (disinfecting) the chickens, regularly replacing a layer of soil if your birds nest in a run and changing the free range so that the birds do not always forage in the same place.Ensuring that enclosed chicken coops are well drained and using fresh bark/bark chips/needles in muddy areas can help, as its acidic nature inhibits the growth of parasites and bacteria (and provides a drier environment for the chickens to roam in!) )

Natural dewormers

Garlic grated and added to water can act as a natural preventative. Research shows that it appears to have some success in helping prevent a worm, but will not cure an infestation.Diamolis a natural pest control against worms and coccidiosis in poultry, dwarf vertebrate, chooks, chickens and works excellently. It is an organic dewormer that you can add to your chickens' feed. Apple cider vinegar is said to be a good way to remove bacteria (both good and bad!) from poultry intestines, but scientifically that's all we can confirm. There are many claims about its power as a natural soaking water, but nothing has been proven. Use it sparingly as regular use can lead to other health problems.

Diamol

When should the treatment be repeated?

If you are deworming as part of a preventative routine, most poultry farmers deworm at least every 3-6 months. month, between 2 and 4 times a year. In any case, treat in the spring before the breeding season (when temperatures rise and worm eggs become infectious) and again at the end of summer (when the number of eggs decreases). But if you know your chickens have worms, or you see worms in their droppings, remember that this kills the worms they are carrying, but does nothing to the worm eggs that are on the coop floor and in the intermediate hosts such as snails. , snails and earthworms. You will need an ongoing treatment plan to kill the worms that develop over the next few weeks as a result of egg collection.

The life cycle of the worm varies between 2 and 8 weeks (see information below) and is called the 'prepatent period' of the worm. So you need to repeat the treatment before these eggs develop into egg-laying adult worms that produce thousands of eggs. Be aware that poultry in the pre-patent stage of infection may contain many immature worms that do not lay eggs, so there will be no eggs in the feces. Within this period the treatment should be repeated 3 weeks after the end of the last treatment (2 weeks for geese). This is a good compromise if you don't know what type of worms your birds are infected with.

Pre-patent period for common poultry worms:

• Roundworms:35 to 56 days faster in young, growing birds
• tapeworm: 14 to 22 days.
• Gabeorm:18 to 20 days
• Cecal orme: 24 to 30 days.
• Hairworm: 20 to 60 days, depending on the type of hairworm

Prevention is always easier than cure, so follow good care techniques and combined with regular deworming (according to the manufacturer's instructions) you should not see any problems.

• Feed the chickens properly. Stick to a complete, nutritionally balanced diet, such as Weston's Peak Layer Pellets. Keep treats to a minimum.
• Do not throw feed and treats on the ground as they may be contaminated with poultry droppings.
• Keep food and water bowls clean.
• Don't overcrowd your chickens. Give them us as much space as possible.
• Show good hygiene and maintenance in the garden by cleaning regularly. Keep the litter in poultry houses fresh and ensure that it is always dry.
• Make sure your flock has access to a sunny, well-drained run. Worm eggs are destroyed by ultraviolet light (UV) from the sun.
• Worm eggs thrive in wet, warm, muddy areas. Eliminate muddy areas, such as those found through holes, by creating hardened or free-draining gravel.
• Worm eggs cannot develop when it is very dry, when the temperature is below 10˚C or above 35˚C. Worm chicks when temperatures rise in spring.
• Alternate pastures/paths/runs regularly. If you have a portable coop, access fresh grass daily. Replace the bark or sand in your run annually or twice a year. Keep the grass short and, if possible, replace the grass in the summer to prevent the accumulation of worm eggs.
• Maintain harmony in your flock to reduce stress.

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