A natural alterative and wormer treatment for poultry that is geared for the fall season would include whole pumpkins, raw carrots, fresh garlic and fresh dandelion leaves. To treat our poultry holistically, we need to address boosting the immune system, creating an inhospitable internal living environment for the parasites, and then finally adding support to the body to expel the parasites. This remedy should be applied in the fall, in preparation for the winter season ahead.

Paying attention to the natural earth cycles of the earth when gathering our herbs, gives us another wisdom of the medicine of plants. Many plants come into fruition seasonally when they can be the most beneficial to our critters and us. All ingredients of this remedy should be available in the fall, and if you can grow the plants yourself, the more medicinal value you will have with freshness! A fall remedy is practical after the long summer of parasite exposure because of the ideal growing conditions of the summer season. The mating/laying/brooding season is stressful for your poultry and can reduce the effectiveness of the bird’s natural immunity and cause parasite growth to increase. In the fall, it is also a time of molting and internal body changes as your poultry prepares for the upcoming winter season ahead. This can also give parasite growth an opportunity. It is also just a good time of year to bolster the immune system.

There are many kinds of worms infecting poultry, both adults and keets/chicks; round, tape, hair, pin and gape worms.Unlike chemical wormers, in which treatment is worm specific, garlic will address all worm species.The garlic link on this forum will detail all the wonderful properties garlic has as a worm expellant and it’s strong immune system support. Raw pumpkin seeds primary medicinal activities are as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory and worm expellant, along with being very nutritive.There is a coating on the seed that paralyzes the worm and then the worm can be expelled by the digestive action of the intestinal system. Carrots are beneficial in all three areas of natural worming. Carrots are nutritive, a mild wormer, and especially beneficial as a roughage to help expel the worms. Combined with the dandelion, which is a super diuretic, can help your poultry expel worms in a healthy and supportive manner.

The natural worming remedy should be applied daily for 14 days.This will not only address the adult parasite population that exists, but also the eggs that were layed will mature within that time frame, and need to be dealt with as well. As far as how much to give your flocks each day will be dependant on the size of your flock and how much they will consume.If you make sure they have all the ingredients available all they can eat each day, will be sufficient.It may take a few days for your flock to become interested in eating the new foods, and sprinkling millet or other foods or treats they like to eat on top can help to get them started.