Should I use a faecal worm egg count?

If you have concerns about worms within the flock a faecal egg count is a great way to confirm if your chickens have an infestation or not.  If the egg count indicates that worms are present then you can treat your chickens with a licensed wormer.  Worm egg counts will ensure you only treat your chickens when they have an infestation, removing the need to worm on an ad-hoc basis.  Some flock owners undertake a worm egg count when a concern arises but most prefer to do quarterly worm egg counts to keep on top of any potential worm issues before they cause serious health issues or even death.  You can choose to test individual chickens or you can provide a mixed sample from a flock of up to 10/15 chickens.  You might want to consider testing your flock pre winter to ensure they are worm free before the winter months and also new arrivals before they mix with the rest of your flock.