Controlling for worms
It is important to agree an appropriate monitoring programme for your flock with your veterinary surgeon for use in your ‘Poultry Health and Welfare Plan’. Key actions are >>>
MONITOR worm burdens regularly throughout the life of the flock. This can be achieved through carrying out faecal egg counts and submitting cull or dead birds for post mortem to check for evidence of worms.
TREAT the flock for worms when tests show high egg or worm counts.
CHECK every bird receives an effective dose by repeating egg counts 2 weeks after treatment.
Good paddock rotation will reduce worm build up on the pasture. If you are using a regular worming programme, try to time the worming so that the flock are wormed just before they move to the next paddock in the rotation. Restrict the birds access to poached and muddy areas. This is especially important when treating the birds via their water, as access to puddles can dilute the dose they receive.
For an in depth discussion on the treatment of worms in free range flocks see Worms - The hidden enemy