PSA: overheard a guy at the feed store in Modesto say you don't need to worm unless you see worms, and my hen paid for it

Wyatt Fisher · 2026-10-26T20:00:05.654964+00:00

I was standing in line at the feed store two weeks back and this older fella behind me was going on about how worming chickens is a waste of money unless you actually spot a worm, and I let it get in my head. Skipped my usual fall worming on my flock of nine because I figured he had been doing this longer than me so he must know. Fast forward about ten days and my barred rock, Dottie, started looking puffed up and tired, sitting in the nest box way past morning, and her comb went pale. I took a sample down to the vet and sure enough the fecal came back loaded. Cost me $85 for the visit plus another $40 for the meds I already had sitting in the garage. What got me is how quiet the whole thing was, she never looked sick until she looked really sick, and now I'm watching my other eight birds like a hawk. The lesson I actually took is that a stranger's shortcut is not the same as my flock's baseline, and I should have just stuck with what worked. Has anyone else had a bird crash this fast after skipping a routine treatment?

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PSA: overheard a guy at the feed store in Modesto say you don't need to worm unless you see worms, and my hen paid for it | Backyard Chicken Keepers - HW Forums