Fecal Testing & Parasite Screening
A simple, proactive approach to monitoring your flock's intestinal health.
Intestinal parasites can be present in chickens and ducks even when birds appear perfectly healthy. Routine fecal testing offers valuable insight into your flock's health, helping identify potential concerns before they become more serious.
At Love Your Flock, we help make preventive screening more accessible by coordinating fecal sample collection and laboratory testing—without requiring you to transport your birds to a veterinary appointment solely for routine screening.
Why Test?
Fecal testing can help:
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Identify intestinal parasites that may otherwise go unnoticed.
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Establish a baseline for monitoring your flock's health.
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Support informed decisions about parasite management and treatment.
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Monitor parasite shedding over time.
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Evaluate the effectiveness of veterinarian-directed treatment.
Qualitative & Quantitative Testing
We recommend a combination of qualitative and quantitative fecal analysis when appropriate.
Qualitative testing helps identify which intestinal parasites may be present. Quantitative testing estimates the number of parasite eggs or oocysts being shed, providing additional information for monitoring parasite activity and evaluating treatment effectiveness.
Together, these approaches can provide a more comprehensive picture of your flock's intestinal parasite status.
Preventive Care Without an Unnecessary Office Visit/Exam Fee
For many backyard flock owners, veterinary care involves more than the cost of an examination. There's the time involved, transporting birds, and laboratory fees on top of the appointment itself.
For routine parasite screening, an in-person veterinary examination may not always be necessary.
Love Your Flock can collect fecal samples and coordinate submission for laboratory analysis, helping eliminate an additional trip to the veterinarian when testing can be performed independently.
How It Works
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Sample collection: We collect fresh fecal samples from your flock.
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Laboratory submission: Samples are submitted to Cornell through a veterinarian for analysis.
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Results: We help you understand the report and identify when veterinary follow-up may be appropriate.
A Small Step Toward Better Flock Health
Routine parasite screening is one more way to take a thoughtful, preventive approach to caring for backyard chickens and ducks.
Fecal testing is a screening tool, not a substitute for veterinary examination, diagnosis, or treatment. Testing arrangements and sample requirements vary by laboratory.
Negative results do not necessarily rule out intestinal parasites.