AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

do i need to be worming my silky large if i have all cement covered floors with no sand if i read correct the worms need the sand to breed them self in correct so no sand no worms right

You should worm all birds no matter what and you should have something else on the floor and not just cement its not good on their feet

All birds even caged birds need to be chemically wormed at least quarterly at the start of each season which is an easy way to remember to worm them. Also dust them with Pestene for lice and mites and I use olive oil or Vaseline on their legs as a preventative for scaly leg mite.

Is your Silky on it's lonesome? Does your Silky have access to dust bathing facilities and free ranging? Chickens are flock animals and need company of their own kind and access to dust bathing and the opportunity to forage and scratch.

A dry floor decreases the viability of worm eggs, hence the suggestion of concrete floors.
However, with birds that spend all their time on the ground concrete floors can cause foot infections (bumblefoot) so ground birds are rarely kept this way. If you do then you would need a thick layer of sand which softens the ground.

If the birds have daily access to outside grass areas then it is ok to have their coup concreted.

However, they will need regular worming and depending on your local conditions and the size of their yard this may vary between 2-4 times per year.

I disagree that all birds need to be wormed quarterly- it all depends on their environment. eg a single hand raised pet bird kept indoors may be wormed when first purchased but is unlikely to need a regular worming program.

If you have lots of poultry in a confined area and experience moist environmental conditions then you will need to worm at least quarterly and possibly more often.

It all depends.

It is always best to worm new birds to stop them bringing worm eggs into your yard.

Intestinal worms "breed" inside the chicken only, not in the sand; they spread by shedding eggs in the droppings which are consumed by other birds as they forage.

Dry floors decrease the survival time of the eggs or stop the eggs from changing from a dormant stage to an infective stage (embryonation) in those parasite species where embryonation is required.

Thanks for clearing that up Parvo I have been saying to breeders at the club for years that worms breed inside the fowl, not in sand and are spread by eating each others poo so thanks again good to know I am not the only one

Thanks for the advice I can use a straw on the floor but would prefer not too, do you think that would be ok if I did not?

Organic sugar can mulch is great too, you muck out the coop, compost it and use it on your garden.

If you use hay or straw make sure it does not get wet if it does then take it out asap to stop mould spores it can make you chickens very sick

I will remember that thanks