These are the most common type of worm that affect chickens

and is the largest of the worms. They can reach up to 3 inches long. They inhabit the small intestine, however, they can be also be found in the crop, gizzard and oesophagus.

​

If severely infected, the faeces may be watery. Greenish/yellow droppings combined with very little fecal matter and condensed urates, which contains little mucus around it.

Symptoms:

• Loose greenish/yellow droppings

• Mucky bottoms

• Dishevelled and depressed appearance

• Weight loss

• Drop in egg production

• Pale comb

​​​​

The juvenile worm burrows into the gut wall resulting in damage and inflammation reducing the absorption of nutrients, causing loss of condition, diarrhoea, anaemia (pale combs and wattles) and reduced egg production. A large infestation may cause a blockage resulting in inflammation and will lead to a reduction in the absorption of nutrients.

Roundworms aren’t transmitted by the worms you see expelled in a chicken’s poop; it’s the eggs that get ingested through foraging in the soil that are the problem. They can also pick them up through eggs in poop that have contaminated water or feed containers or by eating earthworms.

Steps to take to protect you birds from roundworm:

• Don’t allow birds to eat off of the ground

• Keeping the ground that the birds live on as clean as possible

• Use a ground sanitiser to destroys worm eggs

• Try to avoid their contact with wild birds

• Use deep litter bedding system in the coop so the birds do not eat faeces

• Disinfect sheds with a Poultry Disinfectant which destroys worm eggs

• Making sure that droppings are cleaned up daily

• Introduce apple cider vinegar and crushed garlic into the birds drinking water

• Use feeders and waterers designed to minimize contamination of your chicken’s food.

• Keep treats off the ground where possible