Poultry are fast becoming one of the UK’s most common pets. The large majority of these
chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks are kept in alternative production systems such as freerange and floor husbandry. In these systems the birds are not separated from their
droppings therefore worm infections can quickly build up causing multiple problems and
making regular deworming essential.
How do my birds get worms?
Birds will quickly become infected by
ingesting worm eggs off their floor or
pasture, regardless of whether they are
housed or free-range. These eggs
develop fastest in moist, warm
conditions hence problems are often
more severe in the spring and summer
(depending on the Scottish weather!).
The complete lifecycle of some of these
worms can be completed in just three
weeks meaning worm levels will quickly
build up leading to heavy infestations
especially where there is poor drainage.
What types of worms are there and why are they bad?
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Gapeworms (Syngamus trachea) – these are one of the most common worms and
inhabit the windpipe and lungs leading to severe breathing difficulties and death.
Large roundworms (Ascarid galli) – these are white or grey worms that live within
the small intestine. They can grow up to two inches long and are only visible within
the droppings in very heavy infestations.
Caecal worms (Heterakis gallinarum) – these are smaller worms living within a
different part of the intestines called the caecum. They can spread the disease
‘blackhead’ a very serious condition in chickens and turkeys causing diarrhoea, egg
drop and sudden death.
Hairworms (Capillaria) – these are hair like and barely visible with the naked eye.
Although they are the smallest of the worms they tend to cause the most gut
damage and require worm egg identification in fresh faeces to confirm the diagnosis.
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Compiled by Rebecca McPeake BVMS MRCVS October 2012
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Large roundworms damage the chicken’s intestines
Adult gapeworm cause problems as they inhabit
the windpipe
Worms in birds will produce gut damage leading to poor food utilisation and therefore most
commonly weight loss and/or poor growth. Eggs in laying birds may also be affected with
reduced laying, smaller eggs or a loss of shell colour. Worms can transmit further diseases
such as Salmonellosis and other infections can take advantage of the damage caused.
Gapeworms will produce breathing problems and all heavy worm burdens can cause death.
How do I know if my own birds have worms?
Symptoms your own flock may have worms include the following:
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Higher mortality
Marked variation in bird sizes
Poor growth
Pale heads
Reduced laying rates
Reduced egg weights
Reduced hatchability
Adult worms can be identified on post
mortem analysis or within worm egg
counts. To do this, fresh droppings
should be collected and then analysed
here by the vets here at Laurencekirk
and advice specific to your flock given.
What can I do to prevent and control worm infestations?
The best method of control is prevention. By acting proactively and not waiting until the
worm burden is severe enough to produce clinical signs, weight loss and bird death can be
avoided. Think ‘worms in the bird environment’ not just ‘worms within your birds’.
1. Limiting stocking density (reduce the number of birds) on your land and rotate
paddocks used where possible.
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Compiled by Rebecca McPeake BVMS MRCVS October 2012
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2. Ensure good drainage of land, especially that which is close to the houses – mixing
sand within your soil can help this.
3. Remove any heavily contaminated soil around the houses before introducing any
new birds.
4. Keep any litter used as dry as possible, paying particular attention to areas around
the feeders and drinkers.
5. Good hygiene and prevention of worms brought in on footwear with foot bathes,
equipment cleaning etc.
6. Try not to encourage any wild birds as they will all carry worm burdens.
Worming
Once worms are present within your flock, the environment will be heavily contaminated
with worm eggs and these can survive several years
in the right conditions. The lifecycle of most poultry
worms takes around one month. Worming at a
shorter interval than this lifecycle will mean worms
are killed prior to becoming mature and releasing
more eggs into the environment, thus reducing the
environmental contamination.
In flocks with severe worm problems we would
recommend worming your flock every four weeks. Then once the worm levels are falling, it
is possible to gradually increase the periods between worming. Flubenvet is the only
licensed treatment for worm infestations in poultry. This is an all round wormer which will
kill both the mature and immature worms whilst also killing any eggs present in the guts at
the time of worming. Flubenvet is given within the flocks normal feed daily for a seven day
period. Unlike other products it has no effect on the feeds palatability or the flocks’ egglaying potential and eggs from chickens can be taken for human consumption during and
after treatment.
If you have any questions or queries please feel free to contact us with your chicken
questions here at Laurencekirk.
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Compiled by Rebecca McPeake BVMS MRCVS October 2012
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