Deworming Chickens

[Countryhippie]

Hello!

I have read so much mixed information about deworming chickens. I am still a beginner to all things chickens, so I hope someone can help answer my questions.

A quick background on my chickens: I have four hens that are about 9 months old. My hens have a run in which they stay in most of the time, but I also did let them free range once in a while in our backyard. I haven't let them free range since the H5N1 bird influenza started. They eat Half chick starter mixed with 16% egg layer. I give them scratch grain as a treat.

Now to my questions: I was wonder if I should deworm my hens even if I haven't seen worms in their poop? If so how often should you deworm them? Also what is the best way to not only prevent worms, but also treat them? What type of dewormer do you use and how often?

Thank you to anyone who helps answer my questions!

 

[Mrs. K]

If your birds are bright eyed with good feathers and active, eating and laying I would and do - do nothing. If you are seeing worms, then you need to do something.

If you see them, get a fecal float so you are not guessing about that, and then use real parasite control medicine.

Do not use homopathic solutions. A lot of them are hard on birds, while they are 'all natural' so is hemlock.

Mrs K

 

[Folly's place]

Have a fecal float done at your veterinarian's, so you know what, if anything, is present. Some flocks, mostly down south, need worming fairly often. Others don't ever have issues and need nothing to manage intestinal parasites.
Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

^^^ a very good point, I so often forget that not everyone is keeping Chickens like me.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I live in hot humid NC and internal parasites can be problematic. Like mentioned above by some of our most experienced and knowledgeable chicken keepers, it's best to have a fecal float ran. If you have birds that are unwell, showing some of the signs of internal parasite problems, with no way to have a fecal float ran, I use Valbazen to deworm. It covers all poultry worms and its safe to use while a bird is molting (I don't know if other dewormers are advised during a birds molt). I dose each bird individually but since you have a low number of birds, it won't be that difficult if you needed to administer. You do have to repeat the process in 7 to 10 days, but then you're done.

 

[Folly's place]

Fenbendazole is good for most parasites. If there's a heavy tapeworm burden, not Tanea, praziquantal (sp?) needs to be used. Also, coccidiosis takes alprazolam. Low levels of coccidia or tapeworms generally aren't worth treating, at least here in Michigan, according to our MSU expert.
Down south, may be another story. And a mile up the road from our farm, where their ground is damp clay, Heterachis killed many of their peafowl and a few chickens, before they had it identified and treated.
So, it really 'just depends'.
Mary