3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[Mrs_B]

Hello everyone,

 

Today I found a couple little wriggly white 'worms' in some of the chicken droppings, the droppings were cecal and quite runny. Now I can assume my chooks have worms Not a great feeling after having them just over 3 weeks and still feeling very new - BUT this is my plan:

 

Have ordered Flubenvet from bestpet, will clean the entire coop/run - when the chooks are in bed I am going to use a liquid disinfectant in a watering can and use everywhere all over the woodchip, then when dry add stalosan. Of course use lice/diatom powder as I would in the coop normally on accessories in the run. I've been doing a weekly clean with stalosan on the woodchip anyway.

 

Does anyone have any other advise or does this sound OK? I have been using ACV in the water along with Life Guard. I also used Verm-X as a precaution. The chooks eat slugs/worms/snails when they are on the lawn/soil (is this a problem?) I feel like I am not making such a brilliant start at this!!

 

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[Egluntyne]

As you are new to hen keeping, you are bound to feel a bit overwhelmed by this. Just to put it into context, chickens get worms as easily as children get headlice.

 

If they play out in the sun, they will get them, as they will be encountering slugs, earthworms and snails which act as intermediate hosts for the parasites.

 

No need to go overboard with chemicals, just worm the hens 2 or 3 times a year with Flubenvet, give the run a good clear out every so often and they will be fine.

[good_egg]

Hey Mrs_B, our newbie girls had worms too. After a few days on flubenvet they had all cleared out (none in poo anyway). Got grumped at a lot as I cut their treats down to minimum bribery purposes, spoilt them when the week was over and they have forgiven me. I waited til the last day of the flubenvet to replace the run then dug it all out and put nettex down. All seems fine now a week on, but have been advised to repeat again in a month to make sure cycle is broken. Definitely not a bad chicken mum - they seem to pick them up easily and they must love you for all the slugs and earthworms!

[harryissy]

I reckon that chickens and worms go together just as our cats and worms and fleas go together!!! If the chickens are free-ranging they are most likely to pick up worms from whatever tasty morsels they pick up in the garden. As Egluntyne said, make sure you worm them with flubenvet 2 or 3 times a year and all will be well! Enjoy your chickens and don't get over enthusiastic with disinfecting the run, they are going to pick up the worms despite your best efforts!!!

[sandyhas3chucks]

I have to do mine pretty frequently... I suppose breaking the cycle truly would mean rotating grazing too, but cant see worms slugs etc staying to their side if the fence though

[Mrs_B]

Thank you everyone for your replies, I know it's only 'worms'...but it means a lot! I feel like pulling my hair out I feel like I am doing the wrong thing all of the time.

 

I promise I won't over do it with the chemicals...I have a bit of OCD and this is really testing me. I don't mind picking up poop/dirt to get rid of it but anything I can't see that I know could cause harm drives me bonkers!!

 

I know there isn't a lot I can do about the slugs/worms/snails as once the chooks are on the lawn they know exactly where they need to go to get what they want. I will regularly worm them and try not to worry too much

 

Thank you again for every reply, this forum is fantastic

 

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