Caring for your Backyard Birds

We all know that the early bird gets the worm, but did you know that early worms have been known to retaliate? … especially in these warmer months. When it comes to our cheery backyard chickens, parasitic worms (and their nasty cohorts) might just be out to settle the score.

Backyard chooks make wonderful pets. On top of keeping their owners in a regular supply of freshly laid googs, domesticated chooks are curious, intelligent and surprisingly affectionate feathered friends.  And like all household critters large and small, chookies require optimum nutrition and care, including protection from problematic and potentially deadly parasites. 

This fact sheet will help you protect your flock from a range of microscopic-but-mighty disease-causing parasites.

Fowl Freeloaders

What is a parasite?

A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from or at the expense of its host.

In Australia, backyard chookies are commonly infected with both internal parasites (roundworms, tapeworms, coccidia, and other protozoa) and external parasites (fleas, lice, mites, and ticks).

Internal Parasites

Get A Wriggle On

The most common internal parasites that cause problems for our chickens are roundworms, tapeworms and caecal worms. Free roaming chickees can easily be infected with internal parasites by picking up worm eggs when scratching and pecking in the soil, litter or droppings. Once in the gut, the worm eggs hatch and mature. Then the eggs of those worms are excreted in your chicken’s droppings and the cycle begins again. Ingestion of secondary hosts like infected earthworms, flies, slugs or snails can also spread internal parasites. Warmers months are often the time when worm problems are most prevalent due to the climatic conditions that favour their growth.

Roundworm

(Ascaridia galli)

Roundworms are the most common backyard chicken worm in Australia.Ascaridia galli are large creamy white worms, that can grow up to 15cm long. These parasites live freely in our chookies small intestines and can burrow into their guts causing damage, inflammation and a reduction in nutrient absorption.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of roundworm infection can vary depending on the severity of your chookie’s infection. Symptoms will be more severe in younger chickens. If your chooks have a roundworm infection, you may notice the following symptoms:

• Reduced appetite and weight loss
• Ruffled feathers and droopiness 
• Diarrhoea
• Drop in egg laying
• Paleness (of the face, comb and wattle)
• In severe cases, you may notice worms in your chookie’s droppings

Treatment and Prevention

Warm wet areas encourage worm growth so good drainage on your chooks range can help prevent intestinal worm infection. The use of deep-litter bedding can also increase the risk of worm infection.

To prevent infestations, elevate feeders and waterers to discourage faecal contamination and regularly clean your chicken coop, (including feeders and drinkers) and remove build-up of droppings.

It is also advisable to conduct routine faecal tests. These worm egg count tests look for worm eggs in your chook’s faecal samples and advise you of the number of eggs present to determine whether you need to worm your chickens or not.

If you suspect your chooks have worm infection speak to an animal health professional regarding anti-parasitic drug treatment and follow the manufacturer's directions.

External Parasites

It Mite Be Time To Check Your Chooks

Mites and lice are the external parasites that cause problems for our backyard birdies and are mostly spread by bird-to-bird contact.  Mite parasites feed on the blood of chickens during the night (eeew) and hide under perches and in nesting boxes during the day. Lice  live on poultry, often remaining on chooks throughout their life, feeding on their dander and feathers. External parasites are very common and can also be bought to your flock by wild birds and rodents.

Mites

Poultry Red Mites

(Dermanyssus gallinae)

The red mite is the most problematic chicken mite. This minute eight-legged arthropod can move between bird and mammal species and has been known to infect humans. Adult red mites can grow to 1mm long and are a white/grey colour (if they have not yet had a feed) or dark red after feeding on your chookie’s blood. 

These guys generally feed at night, and after a feed, leave their host to hide. Often found clustered in hollow places on roosts and in feed troughs close to the birds, mites may number in the thousands. In warmer weather mite populations can increase rapidly. When numbers are very high, mites may also feed on your fowl during the day.

Fig 2: Red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) specimen. (Picture: APPI)

Fig 3: Example of a clump of red mites and eggs that might be found in dark areas of an enclosure. (Picture: APPI)

Signs and Symptoms

Mite bites cause itching and inflammation of your chookie’s skin and when infested with mites, the skin on your backyard birds may become crusty and scaly and you may notice the following symptoms:

• Restlessness at night
• Drop in egg laying
• Pale comb and wattle
• Scabs or mites around the beak, ears, back, legs, breasts and under wings
• Large numbers of mites can cause anaemia and even death

Treatment and Prevention

Prevention and early detection are the best ways to deal with all types of pesky external parasites.

Dust baths are a natural way for chickens to keep their feathers and skin clean and free of mites and lice. Chooks love digging, rolling, and tossing dirt over their bodies. Sand, soil, wood shavings, wood ash and charcoal are good combination of ingredients for a dust bath. 

To prevent mite infection, feed chickens inside their coop to help reduce contact with wild birds. (Keep in mind that red mites can survive in the environment for over five months so chooks can be at risk of infection even when wild birds are not obviously entering your birds’ enclosures).

Regularly monitoring your chooks and cleaning and disinfecting their coop, (including feeders and drinkers) can also help prevent mite infection.

If you suspect your chooks are infected with mites speak to an animal health professional regarding anti-parasitic drug treatment and follow the manufacturer's directions.

Lice

Poultry Shaft Lice

(Menopon gallinae)

Many different types of lice live on backyard birds. Poultry Shaft Lice are one the most common. These wingless parasitic insects lay eggs (also known as nits) in clusters at the base of chicken’s feather shafts. Lice are mostly between 1 and 6 mm long, straw-coloured with a somewhat flattened appearance. 

Large populations of lice often occur on backyard birds with damaged beaks because their grooming ability is impaired. An adult louse can live for about 3 weeks and lay between 50-300 eggs.

Fig 4: Poultry Shaft Lice (Menopon gallinae) specimen. (Picture: ResearchGate) 

Fig 5: Lice eggs at the base of the feather shaft. (Picture: Ohio State University Extension)

Signs and Symptoms

Lice feed on feathers and skin scales and their persistent feeding can cause significant skin irritation and reddening. If your chooks are infested with lice, you may see adult lice moving on your chickens (in feathers or close to the feather shaft) along with the following symptoms:

• Feather damage and loss due to itching and irritation
• Drop in egg laying
• Scratching against posts or fencing
• Lice often found around the vent area
• Mass of lice eggs at the base of the feather shaft

Treatment and Prevention

Prevention and early detection are the best ways to deal with all types of pesky external parasites. Once external parasites are detected, it is highly likely that all birds and housing are infected.

To prevent lice infestations, keep coops clean and dry, and allow birds to dust bath. An old toddler’s sandpit, a plastic tub, a wooden box, or old tyre make great dust bath containers. 

Once lice are in your flock, they can be difficult to control so it is recommended that backyard birds are regularly checked for signs of lice. A range of washes, sprays and powders are available for the prevention and treatment of lice.  

If you suspect your chooks are infected with lice speak to an animal health professional regarding treatment and follow the manufacturer's directions.

Happy Hens

It is almost impossible to prevent parasite infection in free-ranging backyard chooks. Truly parasite-free flocks are almost never heard of. So, to keep your hens happy, regular parasite monitoring is a must. 

Keep in mind that there are many types of internal (roundworms, tapeworms, coccidia, and other protozoa) and external (fleas, lice, mites, and ticks) parasites that affect chickens in Australia. We have covered the most common here. 

For more information on poultry parasites speak to your animal health professional. Failure to control parasite infections may compromise the health of your feathered friends and increase their susceptibility to other diseases.