Chicken Memorials

[LuckyChickenLover-]

I'm a total newbie with keeping chickens and I know nothing about worming them. Firstly, can someone please tell me, do you worm chickens every now and again to prevent them from getting worms, or do you worm them only when you think they have worms, to get rid of them. And if the latter is true, how do you know if your chooks have worms.

 

Secondly, I'd like to know, can you worm chickens naturally without the use of chemicals? I heard that you can worm them by feeding them pumpkin seeds and cod liver oil while also adding a little splash of apple cider vinegar to the hens' drinking water. Is this true, and does anyone know the right ammounts of pumpkin seeds, cod liver oil and cider vinegar to feed?

 

I've also heard that you can worm them by feeding them garlic. I know that garlic gets rid of fleas on dogs, but I wasn't sure about chickens.

 

Apparently a large dose of Cayenne pepper also helps to de-worm them. Apparently chickens can't taste how hot it is, but the worms can and don't like it. But I'm still not sure about using such a hot food on such a tiny animal.

 

Thirdly, if natural anti wormers don't work very well, can someone name a good brand of chicken de wormer availible in pet shops? Thanks.

 

Is it even imprortant to make sure that chickens are wormed?

 

Thanks

~ Lucky Chicken Lover

[Ain't Nobody Here]

do you worm chickens every now and again to prevent them from getting worms, or do you worm them only when you think they have worms, to get rid of them. And if the latter is true, how do you know if your chooks have worms.

I worm my girls every 3 or 4 months. I've not been aware of them having worms but I understand that it's the best way to deal with them. If they do have worms, they just won't look well or happy and may not lay. You may see worms in their poo but I believe it has to be a heavy infestation for this to happen. If they aren't treated, it can be fatal, I believe (perhaps someone else can confirm this).

 

Secondly, I'd like to know, can you worm chickens naturally without the use of chemicals? I heard that you can worm them by feeding them pumpkin seeds and cod liver oil while also adding a little splash of apple cider vinegar to the hens' drinking water. Is this true, and does anyone know the right ammounts of pumpkin seeds, cod liver oil and cider vinegar to feed?

Some people use Vermex, a natural wormer, others say that Flubenvet is the best (that's what I use). I add a tiny splash of ACV daily to my girls' water. This makes the gut inhospitable to worms. My girls have never had worms but whether it's the ACV or not, I'll never know. I've not heard of using pumpkin seeds. I only use cod liver oil if I'm giving them powdered calcium to increase egg shell hardness as it aids absorption (and helps it stick to the pellets!)

 

I've also heard that you can worm them by feeding them garlic. I know that garlic gets rid of fleas on dogs, but I wasn't sure about chickens.

I give my girls garlic powder but more for neutralising the smell of the poo. It does have health properties too though, apparently.

 

Apparently a large dose of Cayenne pepper also helps to de-worm them. Apparently chickens can't taste how hot it is, but the worms can and don't like it. But I'm still not sure about using such a hot food on such a tiny animal.

I've not heard that but as you say, I'd not be sure about using it.

 

Thirdly, if natural anti wormers don't work very well, can someone name a good brand of chicken de wormer availible in pet shops? Thanks.

There are 2 schools of thought but I would say the majority on the forum seem to go for Flubenvet. I buy mine online.

 

Is it even important to make sure that chickens are wormed?

If they are freeranging at all or kept on the same ground (ie in a run or walk in run), then yes, I would say it is important.

 

I also use Stalosan F, which is a broad spectrum powdered disinfectant. The link will give you info on what it does.

 

Hope that helps. I'm no expert, but am just passing on what I've picked up on the forum over the past couple of years

[LuckyChickenLover-]

Thanks that was really helpful.

[Egluntyne]

If your hens free range, then it is a good idea to worm them a couple of times a year at least. I use Flubenvet, which is the only true wormer licensed for use on poultry in UK.

 

You can use natural products, and there are some herbal preparations available which claim to have a worming action. I didn't find the one I used to be effective at all, and had a very sick hen who was found to be heaving with worms, when I gave her some Flubenvet. She recovered quickly.

 

The herbal preparations and apple cider vinegar are supposed to at by making the gut hostile to parasites, and there is a school of thought which suggests that a low load of worms can be beneficial to the hen because it boosts the immune system, which is primed to try to rid the body of the parasites.

 

Other factors can have an impact too. Resting the ground that the hens range on from time to time can break the cycle of worm development, but not everyone has enough land to do this.

 

I have found that the best way for me is to worm the hens every 4 months or so with Flubenvet, and to give them apple cider vinegar routinely.

 

Garlic powder helps firm up the poo and stop it smelling. I'm not sure that it is effective against worms.

 

Adding Diatomaceous Earth to the feed is a popular non chemical method of dealing with worms

[chicken bark]

I've heard that carrot peelings are a natural wormer too.

I'm surprised chickens get worms at all the amount of natural wormers there are out there!

 

I've tried putting Diatom in their feed. It put Amber in a right huff and she refused to lay for 3 days but the other two didn't seem to mind.

 

I'm going to try flubenvet next I think.

[LuckyChickenLover-]

Thanks for the suggestions I'll give my chooks some carrot peelings later, although I'm not sure my bunnies will be very happy about having to share their carrots!