Unsecure chicken perches

[Bertrum]

http://www.poultryclub.org/ACHandling.htm

I found this quote on the Poultry Club website:

Hens get an immunity to worms eventually but stress (for example, caused by moving to a new environment) can disturb the hen's immune system and the worms then breed wildly and affect the health of the hen.

Is it better to worm regularly as a preventative, or should it be done only when infection is confirmed so the hens have a chance to fight them off unaided?

This chicken keeping lark is far from straightforward

[Redwing]

I'm not sure about immunity to worms, certainly you can make a hens gut less hospitable to worms but I'm not convinced they do this themselves

 

I guess if you have a closed flock and move their run regularly to fresh ground then the chances are much less

 

I worm my lot with Flubenvet every three months

 

I have noticed though that in chicken showing circles there are people who never ever worm their birds but they look top notch and win lots of prizes

 

Whos right? I dont know.. but I am happy with the way I do things

[Egluntyne]

There is a school of thought that reckons a low load of worms is beneficial to the hen as it boosts the immune system.

 

How low is low? .... and you would run the risk of the hen becoming overwhelmed by them if it became ill with something else.

 

Each to his or her own, but I too prefer to worm regularly with Flubenvet.

[Roobaloo]

It is not immunity, it is a case that the hen's body has adapted to a certain level of infestation. She has no resistance and her body is still under attack but, for example, she is now eating more food to cope with the lost nutrition... but as highlighted, any change to her well-being such as stress can have dangerous effects.

 

Prevention is better than cure...as the damage caused by worms is often irreparable and can cause problems later on in life.

[Jools]

I'd say that if it ain't broke, then don't fix it. - whatever method you use.

 

Those that don't worm with Fluvenvet (or Ivermectin) probably do other things instead, like ACV, garlic, Verm-x, rotating ground, etc etc. It might not fit with the narrow definitition of "worming", but it is parasite control. However, you need the right environment for this method which isn't how most here are able to keep their birds.

 

I chose this route for a few reasons, not least because it works in my situation. I bought my first chickens because I wanted to know what went into their eggs, or more to the point, what didn't. I do my best to avoid too many chemicals in the garden and in the food I buy and grow, so routinely dosing my chickens with Flubenvet for no good reason doesn't make sense to me. I'm also concerned about parasites building resistance because of prophylactic use of chemicals, rendering treatments useless in time. I'd rather be able to turn to medication as and when it's needed and know that it will work - my understanding is that horse owners are now encouraged not to routinely worm.

 

Don't get me wrong, I have their droppings tested annually and if I found that my method of parasite control did not work, I would certainly do things differently. If it is broken, then do fix it.

[Bertrum]

It is not immunity, it is a case that the hen's body has adapted to a certain level of infestation.

 

I suspected as much. I didn't think parasites were something that an individual could become immune to in the same way as viral or bacterial diseases.

 

I suppose, for those keeping commercial quantities, a low level of parasitic activity is more acceptable.

 

I'll worm mine I think. They will be pets.

[Roobaloo]

Jools, I admire your dedication to keeping things pure whilst still managing the situation. What you describe is good management as you are breaking up the life cycle of the worm in order to prevent further infestation.

Worm counts and strict routine are essential as part of this system.

 

However, I would be concerned about the possible suggestion that the use of wormers is in someway detrimental to either the hen or the eggs. After all, you wouldn't allow a hen to suffer with an infestation of red mite in case the treatment affected the eggs at all? Internal parasites are exactly the same..the suck the life force from the hen.

There is no point worrying about what goes into an egg if the hen has a worm burden as the loving care and good nutrition will be shared with the worms. I would guess that the nutritional value of the eggs would be the first thing that is compromised. Though your concern for drug resistance is extremely valid...and the use of regular worm counts, rather than set worming routine, should be encouraged to help prevent this.

 

Just to point out Jools, this isn't critising your method (far from it!!)...I just want to highlight to less experienced people who may see yours as an easier/cheaper method, that it isn't.

 

my understanding is that horse owners are now encouraged not to routinely worm

 

Horse owners are encourage to not use the same 'base drug' throughout the year. Horses are affected by a large range of parasites and there isn't one drug that can kill them all. Therefore, you worm according to the season that is most significant to the parasite in question in order to break the life cycle whilst using a base drug throughout the year. e.g. worm every 8 weeks using drug 'A', in March and September use drug 'B' and in November use drug 'C'.

 

The use of "drug'A'" every year would encourage resistance within the worms. So you would rotate so a different drug was used every 8 weeks...and drug 'A' would only be used during the appropriate season.

 

Routine worming is vital within the equestrian scene as horses travel so far and wide, changing livery yards, going to competitions that paddocks and grazing can be 'contaminated' very easily. Worm counts and clearing up droppings are also vital. The only time that worming isn't necessary for horses is when a horse has been cleared of all infestation (zero count) and is being introduced to "clean grazing" - e.g. it has not been grazed by an animal that shares the same parasites for at least 5 years....and droppings were cleared daily.

[Jools]

However, I would be concerned about the possible suggestion that the use of wormers is in someway detrimental to either the hen or the eggs. After all, you wouldn't allow a hen to suffer with an infestation of red mite in case the treatment affected the eggs at all? Internal parasites are exactly the same..the suck the life force from the hen

 

....I just want to highlight to less experienced people who may see yours as an easier/cheaper method, that it isn't.

 

The non-chemical route is just my personal preference. I use prevention for red mite too, but if I found that what I did wasn't working, then I'd change it. It certainly isn't the cheap or easy way, or even the right way, it's just another way.

 

What was the question again!