Worming Chickens Support Tools
Below is a selection of pre-written posts for you to use on your social media, centred around worming for farmer. To use them:
a) copy the text for each post below by selecting the text, right clicking and selecting 'copy'
b) download the image to your laptop or mobile device using the 'Download Image' button
Image and Post Text
Protect them
Did you know that your chickens need regular deworming?
Just like other pets, your chickens need to be dewormed frequently to protect them from the threat of internal parasites, which could affect their health and laying ability. Once worms are established in the environment, they can be difficult to remove, so ask in store about proactively using an in-feed, broad-spectrum dewormer.
Visit Complete Guide to Worming Chickens to find out more.
Keep them moving
Did you know that moving your hens frequently can help reduce their parasitic worm challenge?
When your chickens remain in the same area for an extended period, disease can build up in their pen. To ensure you’re taking control of their health and welfare ask us about an in-feed, broad-spectrum dewormer.
To find out more go to Complete Guide to Worming Chickens
Support your birds' health
Have you wormed your chickens yet this summer?
Regularly deworming your chickens will help prevent a build-up of parasitic worms in their environment, which can lead to ill health and reduced laying. To support your birds’ health this summer, ask us about an in-feed, broad-spectrum dewormer.
Break the cycle
Are you aware that your chickens need deworming regularly?
Parasitic worms have a rapid lifecycle and produce very large numbers of eggs which are excreted in chicken’s faeces. When these parasite eggs are ingested by hens, they complete their lifecycle quickly, allowing reinfection of the environment and further infection of other hens. To break the cycle, speak to us about an in-feed, broad-spectrum dewormer, or visit Complete Guide to Worming Chickens
Healthy living
Did you know, there are many ways you can help reduce the risk of your hens contracting worms?
- Keep drinkers and feeders clean, moving them regularly
- Reduce standing water in their coop
- Regularly provide a deworming treatment, at least 4 times per year*
Ask us about an in-feed, broad-spectrum dewormer or go to Complete Guide to Worming Chickens
*Flubenvet SPC
Signs of worms
Parasitic worms can infect your flock without causing any obvious signs of an issue. However, some signs that could suggest your hens have worms include:
- Diarrhoea
- Reduced appetite and weight loss
- Birds generally appearing dull and depressed
If your birds are displaying these symptoms, talk to us today about an in-feed, broad-spectrum dewormer.
Even if your birds are not showing these signs, it is important that you proactively protect your chickens from parasitic worms. Visit Complete Guide to Worming Chickens to find out more.
Changes to laying patterns
Changes to your hens laying patterns and eggs could indicate that they are facing a parasitic worm challenge. One or more of the following signs could suggest that they are infected:
- Reduced egg production
- Fragile shelled eggs
- Eggs with pale yolks
Talk to us today about how you can use an in-feed, broad-spectrum dewormer to overcome the worm burden.
Stop reinfestation
Keep grass short in your chicken pen this year so that parasitic worm eggs in the soil are exposed to sunlight. UV rays kill parasitic worm eggs, helping to break the cycle of reinfestation, as once parasitic worms are in the soil it is inevitable that they will infect your birds. Using a broad-spectrum dewormer that targets all the lifecycle stages of parasitic worms will also help you to control the problem.
Visit Complete Guide to Worming Chickens or talk to us in store to find out more.
"Fun Friday Facts" Series
This short series has been produced to provide your audience with some interesting chicken facts, while giving a few pointers on chicken health.
Fun Friday Fact 1
Fun Friday Fact...
On average, hens lay around 250 eggs per year during their first year of laying. As they get older, the number of eggs they lay will naturally reduce.
To help support your chickens’ gut health and laying ability throughout their life, talk to an in-store advisor about the importance of deworming or go to Complete Guide to Worming Chickens to find out more.
Fun Friday Fact 2
Fun Friday Fact…
Chickens can run surprisingly fast! It is estimated that their fastest pace is around 9 miles per hour. Of course, this depends on their breed, age and fitness!
Most hens are happy just roaming around a garden. But it is important to periodically move where your chickens can access, to avoid a build up of disease in their pen. Parasitic worm eggs can be brought into your chicken pen via wild bird faeces and build up in the soil over time. Visit us in store to talk about deworming your flock or go to Complete Guide to Worming Chickens
Fun Friday Fact 3
Fun Friday Fact…
Chickens cannot sweat. Instead, they flap their wings and drink water to cool down. Therefore, it’s important to make sure they have access to plenty of fresh water throughout the summer months. Keeping drinkers clean is also important for disease prevention and can help reduce the risk of exposure to parasitic worms.
Go to Complete Guide to Worming Chickens to find out more or visit us in store.
Fun Friday Fact 4
Fun Friday Fact…
There are more chickens than people on the planet! Latest estimates suggest that there are over 25 billion chickens and nearly 8 billion people.
Visit us in store to talk about your flock’s health or go to Complete Guide to Worming Chickens to find out more about deworming.
Fun Friday Fact 5
Fun Friday Fact…
Chickens have no teeth. Hence the saying “as rare as hens teeth”! Instead, chickens have a powerful muscle called the gizzard which grinds their feed.
If your chickens appear to have a reduced appetite or begin to show signs of weight loss, this could be a sign of disease, including infestation with parasitic worms. Talk to us about the health of your flock or visit Complete Guide to Worming Chickens to find out more about deworming.
Worming Chickens Newsletter Content
Use this newsletter article to remind owners of the risk that parasitic worms pose to their hens, signs of infestation and how to proactively reduce the worm burden.
Just like other pets and farm animals, ‘backyard’ 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 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 chickens without necessarily causing any obvious signs, making it even more important that chicken owners proactively protect their hens against them.
Newsletter copy
If you would like to put something in your newsletter, or perhaps on your website we have produced some copy here to help get you started. Just copy this text and paste it into your document of choice. There are a selection of graphics and images below which you can also copy to use alongside the newsletter.
Your chickens need worming too!
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.
All chickens can become infected with 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.
Worm your hens at least 4 times a year
Your chickens should be wormed at least 4 times per year. 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.
Other things you can do to help protect your chickens from parasitic worms…
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 periodically
- Keep grass short to allow maximum exposure of worm eggs to sunlight, as UV rays can kill parasitic worm eggs
- Practice good biosecurity by changing footwear and clothing when entering your chickens’ pen, and always washing hands before and after interaction with animals
- Minimise contact between poultry and wild birds or other animals
- Knott, C., Lister, S. and Hammond, P. (2009). Worms in Free-Range Hens.
- McKay, S. (2011). Common Poultry Worms.
- 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.
More Materials
Flubenvet™ 1% medicated premixture for chickens, geese and turkeys
A broad spectrum oral anthelmintic containing Flubendazole.
Worming Chickens Poster
Download the educational poster about the signs of a worm infestation and how owners can reduce hens' worm burdens
Flubenvet for Backyard Chickens FAQ
Discover answers to common questions about worming domestic chickens and how to use Flubenvet 1%
Worming Chickens Postcard
Download educational postcards to print out and use in store
Flubenvet 1% Medicated Premixture is a broad spectrum oral anthelmintic containing Flubendazole. It is effective against gapeworm, large roundworm, caecal worm, hairworm and gizzard worm in chickens, turkeys and geese. It is active against adult worms, larvae and eggs. Legal category: Medicated Premixture
Flubenvet 5% w/w Premix: for Medicated Feeding Stuff contains the active substance Flubendazole 50 mg/g. Flubendazole is a broad spectrum anthelmintic, effective against mature and immature stages and eggs of the following nematodes of chickens, turkeys, geese, partridges and pheasants: In the gastrointestinal tract: Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, Capillaria spp., Amidostomum anseris and Trichostrongylus tenuis. In the respiratory tract: Syngamus trachea. Legal category: POM-VPS.
Information regarding the side effects, precautions, warnings and contra-indications can be found in product packaging and leaflet; further information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics
Flubenvet, Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates.
