Trouble in Parasites: Natural Wormers

Introduction

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Having a healthy flock is a priority of poultry owners everywhere, whether the birds are pets, livestock, or somewhere in between; we all want happy and robust birds. There's no one-size-fits-all method of chicken keeping but basic rules that can be customized to your particular climate, area, and needs.
However, the treatment of injury, illness, and other issues leave much less wiggle room and for some things, you might not have a lot of time to treat before the animal succumbs. That being said, there are many folks who want to avoid using modern chemicals as much as possible and use natural products for their homes and flocks under the theory that they are safer and just as effective.
And they'd be generally correct.

Many people prefer to use the original sources of today's synthesized medicine since there is a lesser chance of serious side effects and of illnesses developing resistance to drugs from improper application and "just in case" use.
I'm all for homepathic and naturopathic medicines, the search for more natural sources of safe 'medications' should be encouraged, as many of today's drugs are synthesized and/or concentrated versions of compounds found in nature.
BUT the common misconception prevails that 'natural' is synonymous with safe and healthy; which is misleading at best as most of the deadliest poisons and dangerous substances we know of are naturally derived. For example, snake and spider venoms are natural, organic, and free-range to boot. And some species will kill in moments.
Plants in Nightshade family were commonly used to knock off problematic family and royalty. lf you'll also remember, tobacco was marketed as not only safe but health-boosting for centuries...
Some very serious and life-threatening side effects can easily be caused by 'safe' homeopathic remedies, no professional naturopathic physician or herbalist will tell you that there's no chance of risk or side effects. No formally trained physician of any kind would make a blanket statement across any type of medical treatment, period!

Most of the bad information exists due to unverified word-of-mouth or the charisma or so-called authority of the informant and not necessarily ( read, almost never) from the results of in-depth studies.
With today's many media portals, anyone can come up with or spread and promote any idea, regardless of factual evidence, proper math or even rational thinking. There are many internet gurus who have built large multi-media empires based on nothing but "sounds good=must be good", clickbait, and they look/sound like they should know what they're doing. It's always wise to check for yourself using proper research.
If you run a search on a search engine, you will get the top promoted or most clicked results, but, oddly enough, the correct, pertinent information can often be elusive.


What is Worming?
Worming, or rather deworming is the treatment of internal parasites, to prevent them from overwhelming a chicken's (or other animals') system.
Most chickens will have a few worms at any given time and be perfectly fine but parasites can quickly kill a bird by absorbing its nutritional intake or blood causing nutritional deficiency, anemia, unaccounted weight loss, hemorrhaging of the intestinal lining, intestinal blockage, and altered hormone levels that can affect laying health, and/or death.

Some keepers worm their chickens on a set schedule, while others worm as they see the need, it often depends on the environment; i.e a moist environment (as in your region of the planet and possibly your coop) will be more likely to support parasites than a drier region.
This class of medicines that are designed for this process is called anthelmintics, they work by: limiting resources available to the parasites, causing paralysis and eventual death and/or damage to the parasites' structure.

Because D.E, pumpkin seeds, cayenne pepper, garlic, ACV, and most 'All Natural' worming products are sold under health food or health supplement labels and not medicine, they do not require licensing as real worming products are required to meet the specific efficacy standards for medicines. The manufacturers only need to test that their natural products are safe, they do not have to prove that it works effectively, if at all.
The U.S F D. A 's loose definition of 'Natural' is anything minimally processed without artificial ingredients, that's it.
For the most part, the touted abilities of the product are often based solely on ingredient theory or tests run in vitro (in a lab, not in a living host) and may not perform as expected outside of a controlled setting.
So do any natural products show promise to be useful for the next generation of worming? Let's find out.

Guide
Quotes, editiorals, and definitions are in italics.
In scientific writing, the word significant is normally interchangeable with "statistically significant' in the context of the group sized tested. Nonsignificant means not statistically significant. In comparison, insignificant usually suggests irrelevance, without statistical implications.
Efficacy means IF something works, and efficiency means HOW WELL something works.
In Vitro means that a theory (in this context) is tested in a lab, under a controlled and favorable environment. In Vivo means, a theory is being tested in the field or living animal, in an uncontrolled, natural environment.

Search Phrases used: *not as seen here, in the context of the specific query

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Capsicum annuum, allium setiva, fowl, poultry, chicken, gallus, parasites, endoparasites, cucurbita pepo, pumpkin seeds, garlic, cayenne, anthelmintic, worm, diomite, Diotomaeceous, fossil flour, helminth, nematode, vermifuge, Ascaridia Galli


Diatomaceous Earth aka Fossil/Shell Flour or Diomite.

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So, what is D.E?
Diatomaceous Earth (A.KA Diomite or Fossil Flour) is made from the fossilized remains of tiny, aquatic critters called diatoms, such as algae, plankton, invertebrate, and mollusk larva, etc, and are made almost entirely of the mineral Silica. Over time, fossilized diatoms accumulated in the sediment layers of rivers and lakes; for the most part, silica deposits are open pit (i.e Strip) mined from these areas.
It is then milled according to the use, calcined (heat treated) for filter grade, or purified if food grade.
D.E. commonly comes in two forms, Food Grade and Filter/Industrial Grade.
Food Grade D.E is theorized to be mostly Amorphous silica, with typically below 2% of the toxic crystalline silica, and is considered safe around the world under proper handling and/or brief or minimal exposure. The F.D.A has classified it as G.R.A.S- Generally Regarded As Safe- within the confines of approved applications.
Filter/Industrial Grade can contain up to 70% crystalline silica and it is considered extremely dangerous to anything with a respiratory system.
I'll be referring to the common Food Grade type for this study.

D.E. is promoted as a natural 'wonder' product, said to have hundreds of benefits, from 'green' pest control to a health booster to many around-the-house applications, but most claims surrounding D.E. have not yet been proven through scientific testing.
A small amount of D.E. (2%) is commonly added to livestock feed as an anti-caking/drying agent to inhibit mildew growth during the shipping/storing process.
It has minimal effectiveness as a pest control method long as it is kept dry and undisturbed, as its topical efficacy sharply declines in humidities over 80% and becomes entirely noneffective in damp or wet conditions.

Possible Drawbacks?
D.E. is classified as a Class 3 Carcinogen, while normally harmless, it is highly recommended by the distributors of this product that you wear a mask or respirator and goggles when working with or around D.E., as with any fine dust. After inhalation of D.E., mild irritation may occur in the respiratory system, mucus membranes, and lungs but it will be rapidly eliminated from lung tissue. Asthmatics should avoid using it in confined areas.
However, with daily exposure, minor amounts can accumulate in lung tissue and lymph nodes, causing minor to moderate scarring and/or silicosis in mammalian respiratory systems. Since the Avian respiratory system is much more complex than ours, taking up most of a bird's body, excess dust entering the respiratory system can form caseous (damaged or necrotic tissue that has cheesy consistency) tracheal plugs in the bronchi junction (where the lungs connect to the trachea), obstructing breathing.
Very few Diatomaceous Earth deposits are considered to produce pure "food grade" products, and that can change from layer to layer in the mine as it's excavated.
Diatomaceous Earth is a regulated product, however, Distributors that sell it under their brand as food grade or for insecticide products can include other non-toxic minerals, always check the label.
Because of this, most D.E. products are actually composites that can contain anywhere from 16% to over 50% other harmless minerals such as Montmorillonite, kaolinite, feldspar, calcite, and essential trace minerals (iron, chromium, cobalt, copper, zinc, iodine, manganese, and selenium).


Theory #1.
If D.E's ingested, it is expelled in the droppings along with parasitic eggs, and as the droppings dry, the DE regains its effectiveness and dries out the parasitic eggs, keeping the animal from re-ingesting them, keeping the internal parasitic load manageable by managing the parasitic load of the pasture.
Parasites don't require excursions outside their host to breed prolifically and overwhelm the system.
Theory #2.
When taken internally, DE destroys parasites and their eggs by rubbing the sharp edges of the particles against the parasites’ bodies, damaging them and causing their death.
D.E. is ineffective when wet. If D.E. were capable of damaging parasites in the Digestive system, it would likely also harm the bowel lining and possibly cause inflammation, bleeding, and scarring. It should be noted that only Crystalline Silica is reported to still have these 'sharp' properties when exposed to high moisture.

Theory #3.
D.E is mostly Silicon Dioxide which absorbs water from the environment, dehydrates pathogen bodies, and ultimately kills them.
I couldn't find any studies operating on this theory, however even with my limited medical knowledge, if the environment, aka an animal's system, is dry enough to kill parasites, the animal is suffering from extreme dehydration (or frankly, long dead) and very likely experiencing organ damage/ hypoxia. A chicken's body is 70% water, if there's a loss of 5% or more, the bird will stop laying and possibly trigger a hard molt, and with a loss of 10% water, the bird will die.
Theory #4.
The D.E creates a thick mud that 'scours' the digestion system of the bird, taking loose parasites, larvae, and eggs with it.
The positive studies appear to operate on this principle, however, it may prove risky to already weak, dehydrated, or emaciated birds with a high worm load. Control group studies involving the use of fine sands and/or clays also had similar results.
The clay, typically Montmorillonite, which I believe to be the real factor behind this success, is a type of silicate that swells up to 12 times its dry size when introduced to water and is also a common ingredient in a majority of food-grade D.E. as it is not only commonly found in D.E. deposits but often added to the mix as it's harmless and cheap.

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Quote
"...A number of people strongly believe that DE also has an antiparasitic effect when administered orally. However, I know of several studies that have evaluated the effects of DE on intestinal worms. Unfortunately, none of these have found that DE has any impact on internal parasites.

My qualified opinion is that physical damage to the parasites is unlikely to occur within the intestine of the horse. The worms and their larvae are very small, often too small to be seen with the naked eye. Infective larvae are very hardy and survive the grinding teeth as well as the stomach acids before reaching the intestine. By the time an oral dose of DE reaches the gut, it will be so diluted in the ingesta that the chances of individual particles encountering a parasite would be very small.

If the sharp particles really were present in numbers sufficient to cut the parasites, one would also expect them to cause lesions in the mucosal membranes of the horse. Furthermore, all horses ingest soil and sand, which also can have sharp edges, but we don’t see any reduction of parasite loads in response. All in all, there are no sound biological reasons to expect DE to have an antiparasitic effect—and this is supported by research.

Some have suggested that DE might be effective at disrupting parasitic larvae within the fecal pile on pasture. But, again, a number of my colleagues evaluated this hypothesis in controlled studies, and they found no such effect.
As scientists we take every opportunity to evaluate new possible remedies that can help reduce parasite loads in our horses. A few of these have some potential, but the majority have not worked well. At University of Kentucky, we are currently doing research with a couple of new treatment methods, and there is some promise. Many plants contain antiparasitic substances, but it has proven difficult to extract these and feed them in sufficiently high concentrations to the horses for them to have an effect. Many fungi also produce antiparasitic compounds. In fact, the most widely used dewormer, ivermectin, is actually produced by a fungus. So chances are good that there is an effective dewormer out there that just has not yet been discovered. Unfortunately, diatomaceous earth is not in this category, and we discourage horse owners from relying on it for parasite control..."

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Discussion and conclusion
While D.E can be minimally effective on ectoparasites such as insects and mites, its usefulness in parasite control appears to end there.
D.E. is a good source of trace minerals and while that does assist in health and growth parameters, there are more efficient ways to include those in a diet.
Despite the prevalent claims of using D.E as a natural wormer, the overwhelming majority of in vitro and in Vivo studies (that I had access to) carried out on cattle, fowl and small ruminants such as sheep and goats have shown that D.E has no appreciable effect on endoparasites, as proven with before treatment and after treatment Fecal Egg Counts and often dissection for worm counts, let alone the touted equality or superiority to modern anthelmintics.


Pumpkin Seeds

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What is the purpose of pumpkin seeds?
Pumpkin, Curcurbita pepo, is a creeping, fruit-bearing (actually a berry!) plant belonging to the family of Cucurbitaceae, its seeds have been known to have effective anthelmintic properties since the late-1600s, though research on its effect in poultry has only been recently subject to study.

Theory:
It is theorized that pumpkin seed products work due to the presence of an amino acid known as cucurbitin, a known anthelmintic. Cucurbitin works by paralyzing worms and causing the parasites to detach from the intestinal wall of the host.


Possible Drawbacks
Pumpkin seeds contain cucurbitacin, which is toxic in high doses, though rare, this is called Cucurbit poisoning or Toxic Squash Syndrome.
Curcubitacin poisoning side effects include food poisoning-like symptoms such as cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and in worst cases, internal bleeding, and swelling of the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and gall bladder.
Wild varieties of these plants contain high levels of Cucurbitacin throughout the fruit, especially the skin, seeds, and fibrous strands, so it's best to leave them well alone.
Your modern, cultivated varieties of pumpkins (also melons, squashes, cucumbers, etc) usually contain low amounts of Cucurbitacin, having had it bred out over the centuries as it's incredibly bitter and unpalatable.

Researchers have found that pumpkin seeds often contain antinutritional properties such as cyanoglucosides, nitrates, hydrocyanic acids, saponins (general nutrition blocker), serpins, thiamine (Vitamin B) blockers, oxalates (calcium blockers), phytates (iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium blockers), etc, some of which are found in other foods we shouldn't feed chickens such as raw legumes, kale, and spinach. These properties do not pose a threat and are perfectly safe at low levels or given occasionally as it's only at high or sustained levels will the properties cause undesirable effects on the health of the bird.
Cooking reduces or mitigates the toxic properties found in pumpkin seeds, however, it also reduces the anthelmintic properties of the seeds.


Discussion and conclusion

While it seems that pumpkin seeds themselves are ineffective to moderately effective, depending on the dose, the concentrated oils or extracted compounds appear to be the most effective without the possible drawbacks the seeds can pose. However, it appears efficacy can be conditional on the anthelmintic resistance of the region.
For example, in regions where parasites are a prevalent issue and most anthelmintics are losing efficacy from overuse; pumpkin seeds performed well in reducing Fecal Egg Counts and Worm counts anywhere from 30% to 80% from the starting numbers. However, a good portion of the studies suggested that repeat treatments after a short window of time would be necessary as parasitic eggs seem to be more resistant to this treatment than larva and adult parasites.
In areas where anthelmintics are used more sparingly, pumpkin seed products performed slightly better than the control (untreated) group, which performed well at the
Pumpkin seeds performed well at the beginning of the trials but seemed to lose efficacy after a few weeks, resulting in similar numbers as the control group by the end of the trial or were shown to be noneffective in reducing F.E.C. I could find no explanation for this trend, I'm hoping further studies in this area will prove insightful.
All in all, Pumpkin seeds show a great possibility of being a new variety of worming products, especially for anthelmintic-resistant regions. Promising studies are now being run on ethnopharmacological anthelmintics, pumpkins being one of the main areas of study as they are easy to grow in diverse environments and also provide a nutritionally rich food crop for both people and animals.

Garlic

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What is the purpose of Garlic?
Garlic, (Allium Sativum) is a small member of the class of bulbous vegetables known as Alliums, along with onions, leeks, chives, and shallots. Garlic has been regarded for thousands of years for many believed health-boosting properties, studies are currently being performed on its many health claims but the one we're currently concerned with is its claim as an anthelmintic.

Theory
It is thought that the compound that makes garlic taste like garlic, Allicin*, is a mild anthelmintic and in proper doses offers similar results to those of modern dewormers.
*Researchers are on the fence regards to what properties are actually involved in the anthelmintic process of garlic, it could be a combination of compounds such as phenolic compounds or a singular yet unidentified compound.

Any Drawbacks?

Garlic is a known blood thinner, as anyone whose ever had experience with this class of medication knows, a cut or injury while on a blood thinner can cause increased and/or serious bleeding; too much can cause internal bleeding, a much more serious problem. Garlic not only contains Allicin (our theorized anthelmintic) which itself is a known blood thinner via its anti-platelet properties, but it also contains compounds called thiosulfates and Ajoen, which cause red blood cells to weaken and become increasingly fragile. The blood cells can burst (hemolysis) and cause anemia. Anemia is a condition that is the result of a lack of healthy red blood cells carrying oxygen to the tissues, organs, and muscles; causing weakness, lethargy, trouble breathing, increased heart rate, fainting, brain damage, and death.
Garlic, along with the entire Allium family can cause also cause gastrointestinal erosion, toxicosis, and diarrhea in high doses.
Allium toxicosis has been consistently documented in animals* that ingest more than 0.5% of their body weight in alliums at once, mild to serious reactions depending on dose size generally appear within two days.
*cats are especially sensitive to alliums, cooking doesn't reduce the toxic properties of alliums.


Discusion and conclusion

The bulk of testing shows that garlic or allicin has little to no anthelmintic results in safe doses, however, it appears that strong enough levels of garlic may have minimal anthelmintic effects as per experimentation as well as an increased chance of complications from adverse effects.
Although tasty garlic is full of health-boosting properties (unless you're a vampire) and is usually completely safe in low doses, finding the middle ground between a strong enough dosage to kill all stages of worms and a light enough dosage not to kill chickens may prove tricky and is more of a risk than most keepers would be willing to take for ineffective worm control.

Vinegar, Apple Cider derived, or otherwise

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What is Vinegar?
Vinegar is an acidic fluid made from the fermentation of various alcohols, which are made from the fermentation of sugars such as juices, and starches such as roots and grains. Vinegar was likely invented by accident, maybe a jar of wine someone forgot about, it was found to be tasty and useful for preserving foods in hot climates and became a household ingredient across many cultures.

Theory
Vinegar makes the intestinal tract more acidic and inhospitable for helminths, leading to more controlled numbers.

Any Drawbacks?
Do not add vinegar to zinc-treated (galvanized) metal waterers, as it will cause the zinc to leach and poison your birds. Always have a second source of fresh, plain water if you choose to add any supplements to the water. Do not give any supplements longer than 2 weeks in a row,

Discussion and Conclusion

While raw, fermented Vinegar is claimed to offer many health benefits among its delicious culinary applications, it would appear that it is completely ineffective as a wormer.
I could find nothing ( zilch, zip, nada) regards to any anthelmintic properties in any Vinegar, or specifically the Apple Cider kind; actually, some endoparasites seem to thrive on some of the acidic compounds found in vinegar.
In the quantities of the acid from the vinegar it would take to harm helminths in the G.I tract, the birds in question would likely die of dehydration or suffer from the high levels of acid themselves via Acidosis or ulcers. I don't know if chickens get heart burn but this sounds like an effective way to give it to them.


Cayenne Pepper

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What is Cayenne Pepper?

Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum Annuum) is a bright red, moderately spicey (40,00 s.h.u) member of the Chili family, it's packed with vitamins and is especially high in vitamins A and C.
When you think of spicy red chilies, this is their bright-eyed poster child.

Theory
The high Capsicum content in Cayenne is supposed to cause pain to the helminths, making the system inhospitable.

Any Drawbacks?
Chili and pepper seeds contain antinutritional qualities, such as phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, and tannins. Most chili powders/products contain whole, ground chilis and shouldn't be offered to your birds for this reason.
Also try not to give your birds green bell pepper and chilis, as they contain higher levels of alkaloids and solanine, a little won't hurt them but if your neighbor has a bumper crop and gives you a trunk full, don't dump them out for the chickens all at once.

Discussion and Conclusion
I couldn't find any research studies on Cayenne or Capsicum as an anthelmintic. I hope there will be more studies on this in the future but outside of the theory of Capsicum having worming properties, there are no known anthelmintic properties in Cayenne or in any other varieties of chilies.
However, as stated before, cayenne fruits are full of vitamins such as A, C, E, and K, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, iron, manganese, selenium, and beta-carotene- which will make for brighter yolks. Fresh, deseeded chilis and peppers such as the yellow, orange, and red varieties make great and nutritious treats for your flock.


In Closing
Despite all the hype and hoopla these five products get across the media for their worming abilities, it would seem only the compounds found in pumpkin seeds show promise in the field of natural anthelmintics. With the optimistic indication of further research and refining, I'm sure we will see a new addition to our coops' medicine cabinet in the next decade.
Thanks for reading.

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