At what age can you worm pullets?
- Thread starter Icemaiden
- Start date
I always do mine during the 'gap' between them arriving at around 16-18 weeks at POL and integrating them with the rest of the flock 2-3 weeks later. I find they often seem to take a week or two to settle in and eat properly on arrival, so it's not good worming them until they are ready to take in enough to do the job. If they've been reared in good conditions they're unlikely to need worming before this. I try to do the rest of the flock at the same time as the quarantined new birds, so everyone is nice and clean when the POLs do go in to the main run, and they're them in synch. thereafter.
foxy
Active member
Very much as Marigold has posted Icemaiden, depends on 3 things, information regarding their previous environment ie free-ranging (meaning exposure to potential infestation, dense poultry populations etc..) historical worming programme and also the weather. This time of year is a good time, but not really necessarily once the temperature cools and grass stops growing any worms then are in decline.
With all these points in mind above then factor in the birds age, I don't tend to worm youngsters until coming up to their first autumn (early hatch) or a late hatch bird (post July/Aug) it will be their first spring.
In addition you consider also that there is the option of testing worm burden through fecal worm counts, a few vets offer this for around £10 and also the chicken vet ( http://www.chickenvet.com) offer a postal service. All my birds are tested spring and autumn, their worm counts have been so low I actually have cut out worming recently at times as it was just not necessary.
With all these points in mind above then factor in the birds age, I don't tend to worm youngsters until coming up to their first autumn (early hatch) or a late hatch bird (post July/Aug) it will be their first spring.
In addition you consider also that there is the option of testing worm burden through fecal worm counts, a few vets offer this for around £10 and also the chicken vet ( http://www.chickenvet.com) offer a postal service. All my birds are tested spring and autumn, their worm counts have been so low I actually have cut out worming recently at times as it was just not necessary.
Thank you both. One more question: as I've just given Ivermectin to my 3 non-laying hens (but not to the two still laying, as I want to eat the eggs), so they should now be worm free, should I still give all five a week of Flubenvet-treated pellets?
foxy
Active member
I think you have probably answered your own question, I would say no...there is no need. To be sure you can get a fecal sample taken, and then you will know for sure.
