Why Worm your Chickens?
Just like other pets and farm animals, your chickens need to be dewormed regularly to protect them from the threat of internal parasites. There are many types of internal and external parasites which may affect your laying hens and each type can cause different symptoms. However, as parasites have evolved with birds over millions of years, some can complete their lifecycle in your birds without necessarily causing any obvious signs, making it even more important that you proactively protect your hens against them.
Signs of Worms
Hens that are in contact with their own faeces, including free-range and outdoor birds, are all at risk of becoming infected with parasitic worms1. Parasitic worm eggs and larvae can be brought into contact with chickens via multiple routes, including by adhering to clothing and footwear, feedbags, litter, insects and wild birds2. As free-range hens are more exposed to wild birds, these chickens are at greater risk of exposure to parasitic worms.
Some key signs of worms to look out for in your chickens, include1,2:
Reduced egg production
Fragile shelled eggs
Eggs with pale yolks
Reduced appetite and weight loss
Diarrhoea
Generally appearing dull and depressed
In severe cases, some birds may die. However, many hens display no obvious symptoms of infection2, especially if you are new to owning chickens so have not monitored these signs before. Although adult worms may sometimes be visible in faeces, parasitic worm eggs can be difficult to detect as faecal egg counts are not necessarily representative of the true worm burden, especially for moderate infestations3. Furthermore, damage to your hens can occur prior to any signs of infection, so it is key to control the problem before it is visible.
Treatment
Your chickens should be wormed at least 4 times per year to help manage the continuous threat of infestation that they face. If your flock becomes heavily infested, they should be re-treated every 3 weeks4. Regularly worming not only manages any immediate infection but continues to lower the potential for re-infection, as it is always better to control parasitic worms before the problem becomes evident. Worming must continue throughout your chickens’ lives to benefit their gut health, as well as helping to prevent environmental build up for any future hens. You should use a broad-spectrum wormer that covers all the life stages of all major parasitic worms that could affect your hens, to ensure your chickens receive broad protection. In-feed wormers are available in small pots for your convenience if you only own a few chickens.
As well as worming your hens regularly, there are other steps you can take to minimise your chickens’ exposure to worms1:
Keep drinkers and feeders clean, moving them regularly
Reduce standing water in the coop, by fencing off wet areas or moving your chickens’ pen occasionally
Always wash your hands before and after interaction with your flock
Keep grass short to expose parasitic worm eggs to sunlight, as UV rays can kill parasitic worm eggs
Ask your vet or feed supplier about an in-feed broad-spectrum dewormer for your chickens, available in small pots of medicated premixture for you to use in your own feed or already incorporated into layers pellets, providing a convenient solution.
- Knott, C., Lister, S. and Hammond, P. (2009). Worms in Free-Range Hens. [online]
- McKay, S. (2011). Common Poultry Worms. [online]
- Daş. G., Savaş, T., Kaufmann, F., Idris, A., Abel, H. and Gauly, M. (2011). Precision, repeatability and representative ability of faecal egg counts in Heterakis gallinarum infected chickens. Vet Parasitol., 183(1-2), pp.87-94
- Flubenvet 1% Datasheet
