Why is my chicken not eating after worming?

Read time: 3 minutes

Overview

If your chicken isn’t eating after worming, it can be due to a short-lived reaction to the wormer, stress, a change in routine, or another health issue that was already there. A brief dip in appetite can happen, but if she’s still off her food, it’s worth checking her closely.

Things To Check

1. Check when the wormer was given and whether the appetite change started straight after it.

2. Look at droppings for diarrhoea, blood, worm segments, very dark droppings or a big change from normal.

3. Make sure she is drinking, moving normally and not sitting fluffed up or separate from the flock.

4. Check the crop first thing in the morning for fullness, hardness, sour smell or slow emptying.

5. Look for signs of stress such as pecking from other birds, bullying, moving pens or a change in weather.

6. Confirm the wormer was the right one, used at the correct dose and given to the correct bird.

7. Check for other signs of illness such as pale comb, breathing changes, droopy wings or obvious pain.

Common Causes

The most common reason is a temporary upset after worming, especially if the bird is a bit stressed or the wormer was given in a way she didn’t like. Some chickens also eat less for a short time if they’ve been handled more than usual or if the taste of the medication has put them off feed.

Another common cause is that the reduced appetite was already starting because of a separate problem such as crop trouble, a gut bug, bullying, heat stress or another infection. Worming doesn’t always fix a loss of appetite if something else is going on at the same time.

Less commonly, the wormer may not have suited the bird, the dose may have been inaccurate, or there may be a more significant health issue affecting the gut or general wellbeing.

What To Do

Keep her somewhere calm, warm and easy to observe. Offer fresh water and her usual feed, and avoid chopping and changing her diet too much unless you need to tempt her with a little favourite food.

Check her again over the next few hours and watch whether she is eating at all, drinking normally and passing droppings. If she’s in a flock, make sure she’s not being pushed away from food or water.

If she perk ups and starts eating again, continue to monitor her for the rest of the day. If she stays off food, becomes quieter, or shows other signs of illness, get veterinary advice.

Products That May Help

Keeping the coop, feeders and drinkers clean can help support good day-to-day flock hygiene while you monitor a bird that’s not eating well.

Poultry & Smallholding

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