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One common issue that many backyard chickens face is exposure to worms. While worms may seem alarming, it’s not the end of your flock. Properly addressing the issue and working on prevention is key.
Here’s a guide on how to tell if your chicken has worms, assess the symptoms, and what you can do to treat and prevent future occurrences.
Symptoms of Chickens with Worms
If you want to determine whether your chicken has worms, the first thing you’ll need to do is check the symptoms. Luckily, at least with chickens, finding the symptoms is not too difficult. Worms have distinct symptoms, and we’ll show you what to look for.
These symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- If a chicken’s eggs seem strange to you or have a pale yolk
- If your chicken is having persistent diarrhea
- If your chicken has bubbly feces, it may also be worms
- If your chicken is losing weight at a rapid pace, you may want to check for worms
- If you notice that your chicken is eating more than usual, while subtle, this can be a sign of worms
- If you find worms in your chicken’s feces
Please keep in mind that some symptoms may vary. This means that your chicken may experience subtle symptoms or even all of them. Therefore, you should always be vigilant if you notice these symptoms in your chicken.
Examining the stool is the only surefire way to know if your chicken has worms. So if you’re concerned about poop on eggs, be sure to take a sample. If the chicken does have worms, chances are you’ll be able to see them wiggling in the stool. So be sure to remain vigilant, but poop on eggs shouldn’t equate to worms in most cases.
Seeing poop on eggs will be alarming. It won’t look normal, but the reality is that it’s usually an accident on the chicken’s part.
So be sure to clean the egg; if you’re worried, check the stools.
What Does Worms Look Like?
Worms resemble a lost piece of hair in your chicken’s stool, so they go unnoticed. Knowing what to look for can help. In most cases, you’ll notice many of these stringy white hairs, meaning your chicken has worms.
Another great indicator is to examine the movement of your chicken’s stool. This is going to sound gross, but if you notice it is less than it is still, it may be worms.
Worms in chicken stool resemble wiggly white hairs. They’re small, but you will notice them wiggling around in stool. So keep an eye out for little white hairs in your chicken’s stool.
While this may be alarming initially, you’ll be surprised by how hard they are to see sometimes.
Can Worms Kill Chickens?
Once you discover that your chicken has worms, panic will settle in. This is a normal reaction; honestly, it’s a scary time.
You may be worried about your chicken’s safety, but don’t panic.
Many of the symptoms caused by worms are dangerous because they impact the digestive tract. So if your chicken looks malnourished or has diarrhea, I’ll show you how that can be fatal.
Here are some reasons why the symptoms can be fatal:
- Diarrhea can lead to dehydration and, eventually, death.
- Your chicken being malnourished can lead to death from starvation
- The worms can cause infections that can lead to other illnesses
Dehydration can cause death within days, and a lack of nutrients can also lead to a quick death. So, if your chicken does have worms, please be sure to treat the chicken ASAP.
The worms themselves won’t exactly kill the chicken, but the symptoms will. This is because malnourishment will lead to an untimely death in most chickens. So please keep an eye out and try to catch symptoms early.
Unfortunately, with worms, time isn’t exactly on your side.
Can Eggs Have Worms In Them? And Can I Get Worms From My Chickens?
One thing that may concern people about worms is whether or not the eggs are contaminated. Many people love to eat eggs, but what if they hatched from a chicken with worms?
The chances of worms making it into an egg are very low. However, this is not impossible, as worms can infect hens’ oviducts.
This means that some worms can end up within the egg. So, if your hen has worms, check the eggs for worms.
What if I ate one of those eggs?
You might be worried if your hen laid a wormy egg and you accidentally ate it. This is normal, and I understand where the panic comes from. Luckily, chickens do not have worms that are harmful to humans. So, while it may seem very gross, you don’t need to run to the hospital just yet. Think of it as some extra protein—if you can stomach that.
Are the worms dangerous to the chick?
If worms get into the egg, this can be dangerous to the chick. They can infect the chick and eat away at its nutrients. Unfortunately, if this does occur, you might be too late to help. So, before your hen begins laying eggs, check first.
Worms may seem scary, but the good news is that they’re not harmful to humans. So, while your hen may have a tough time, this doesn’t necessarily mean you will.
Can you eat the eggs of a chicken with worms?
We’ll be the first to tell you that worms sound pretty gross. They don’t sound like something you should eat, and to be blunt, there is some truth to this. So, let’s take a look at whether or not you can eat those bad eggs.
You can safely eat eggs. Worms can’t survive in humans, so you won’t need to worry about getting treatment or anything like that. While this may be true, you shouldn’t generally eat contaminated eggs.
This is because certain allergies or a weak immune system can lead to health complications.
So, while it’s safe to eat eggs with worms, do you really want to eat them? It’s a good idea to deworm your hen and wait until she lays more eggs. If you accidentally eat a contaminated egg, though, there is no need to panic.
Does Poop On Eggs Mean Chickens Have Worms?
There is a misconception that poop on eggs is a sign of worms. While this can be true, it’s not always the case.
Poop on an egg can happen for various reasons. It could be caused by a chicken walking on the eggs, or simply because chickens don’t always pick the best spot to poop.
So, while finding poop on eggs might be concerning, most of the time, there’s a simple explanation.
Do I Need To Deworm My Chickens? (Is Deworming Necessary?)
Not many people generally enjoy feeding chickens medicine or anything related to deworming. People worry about the harm it may cause, which can sometimes be true. So, in this section, we’ll break this answer down for you.
Worms are a big problem, but only if your chickens have them. Worms multiply very fast, leading to an infected flock. If you notice this, you must deworm your chickens until the problem is gone.
On the other hand, worms are not as common as you may think. The good news is that older chickens can handle the issue independently. Therefore, when it comes to deworming, you may want to do more when your flock is younger.
I always recommend taking a seasonal approach to deworming chickens. While worms can be rare, playing things safe is always best. If you don’t believe in certain chemicals, use apple cider vinegar instead.
Home Remedies for Chicken Worms
Quite a few home remedies can help with worms. Apple cider vinegar is one of the common treatment options, and there is a good reason for this. Apple cider vinegar can make your chicken’s body a hostile environment, making it harder for worms to do much of anything, which causes them to die.
Therefore, feeding your chickens apple cider vinegar is a good idea. It can also make worm prevention more effective.
How effective is apple cider vinegar in eliminating worms?
Apple cider vinegar is not medication, which means that its effectiveness is in question. It won’t harm your chicken, but it’s not 100% effective. So, while apple cider vinegar may have certain antibacterial properties, this doesn’t guarantee safety from worms.
Some other fruits and vegetables may help.
Apple cider vinegar will be the most effective, but it’s not the only option. Here’s a list of some other natural worm-prevention food items:
- Pumpkin
- Chilli peppers
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Mustard greens
These options are known as vermifuges, a fancy way of saying they repel worms.
Diatomaceous Earth and Worms
This may seem unconventional for dealing with worms in your chicken’s stool, but the results will surprise you. Diatomaceous earth harms worms.
If used correctly, diatomaceous earth will act as a natural worm repellent. It will create an atmosphere that’s not habitable for worms, leading them to perish. This applies to worms in the soil, stool, and outside of the chicken’s body.
Adding diatomaceous earth to your chicken’s feed might seem dangerous, but it can help. Please ensure you only mix a little bit for this to work. If you do this right, the diatomaceous earth will rid the chickens of worms inside their bodies.
Diatomaceous earth is effective on both the inside and outside of chickens. This means that you can use it for prevention and treatment. So, if your chickens are sick, make sure that you add a little diatomaceous earth to their feed.
How often should you deworm chickens?
Now that you know how worms in chickens work, you’ll want to defend against them. This means you’ll need to take some precautions, but don’t panic—it’s quite easy. The only issue is that it’s hard to gauge exactly how often you should deworm chickens.
Take the seasonal approach.
The chemicals used to deworm chickens won’t usually cause harm. While this may be true, it doesn’t mean you can overload them with said chemicals. Therefore, one of the best approaches is the seasonal approach.
This is because worms can only survive in certain conditions, which means some months are safer than others.
Which seasons should I deworm my chickens?
This will depend on where you live, but in most cases, summer and winter are safe. Hot and cold weather can harm worms, so you should focus on deworming your chickens during the fall and spring months.
If you want to use air temperature as an indicator, the danger zone is between 35 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (2 – 24 Celcius). Aside from temperature, these months also tend to be a bit damper. While this may be refreshing, worms will actually thrive in this type of environment.
The best approach is the seasonal approach. You don’t need to deworm your chickens once a month, but you should be vigilant about the seasons. So be sure to deworm your chickens once in the fall and once more in the spring.