[Clarebelle]

Hi all, I have my quail in my backgarden and today added some diatom to their sand bath and that got me thinking about worms.

My questions is, are worms which affect poultry present in any soil anywhere or, if there has never been poultry kept there before, will the ground be 'clear' of poultry worms?

I think it is VERY unlikely that any kind of poultry has been kept in my backgarden before so my assumption is that the soil shouldn't have a worm problem? I just don't want to worm my birds if it isn't necessary. 

[HesterF]

You can get your vet to test for worm burden - I think it's quite cheap and quick, you just take a stool sample in and they have a look down the microscope. Then you'll know whether it's worth it or not.

FWIW, I had a brand new pen built last summer. It's 20m x 8m so plenty of space and still lots of grass except a small area around the duck water. Then I got sick chickens (turned out to be avian leukosis) and the first thing the vet did was take a sample. They were heavy with worms. This was December. The first poulty had moved in in September and all had been wormed on arrival. So within three months, worms had become a problem. Because they were sick, the worms were worse than they might have been but they must have picked them up from somewhere in the first place. Mine has an open top so wild birds do go in there and we have pheasants wandering around in the garden too but I had certainly assumed it would be OK for a lot longer than that!

H

[Clarebelle]

ahh, ok, I hadn't considered the fact that the worms may be bought to the area through wild bird droppings. I was just thinking of whether poultry had been kept in the garden before. There are certainly plenty of wild birds which come in the garden.

They only went out in the garden 2 weeks ago so maybe i'll wait until they have been out there a month or so then send a feacal sample to the vet.

[in the hills]

Kept hens for many years in a back garden. Never wormed and had no problems at all.


No poultry have been kept previously where I live now but we worm at least every 6 months ..... routinely. We are in the middle of shooting country and there are loads of phessies  .


We worm our quail with Marriages medicated pellets (ground a little to make smaller). Designed for chickens and with Flubenvet. Very easy and fed ad-lib for a week, with no additional food/treats given. No egg withdrawl.

[FiB]

we just worm when needed - a couple of ours (ex batts who have limited resistance to worms)  got gape worm last summer (they kind of coughed and then look like they are yawning (the gape) afterwoods) so wormed then (also with marriages flubinvet pellets)- I wouldnt worm routinely.  Ours free range and there have always been chickens here.  Id just read up as much as you can about symptoms and keep a close eye (as If you are going to do anything else - they are very great to watch!)

[ellied]

I use the Flubenvet Marriages feed for worming too, around every 6 months.  Mine now free range over the holding for 12-14 hours a day (or until they take themselves to bed in winter) so I can't restrict all other feeds, but I hope it's enough to keep on top of the worms and they all seem pretty happy and healthy..