Worms in feces, graphic and horrible picture

I made this post on another chicken forum and got some wonderful answers. Now I know how large Backyard Chicken Forum is, so I am looking to hear some more comments and replies. Below my post, which I have placed in italics, I will also cite a quote from another site that speaks about chicken parasites, inside and outside. Worms are host specific. If this is tapeworm segments that I have seen in this feces, it is chicken tapeworm, dog and cat tapeworm are of a different species of tapeworm, just as an aside.

So, some time ago, I was in the chickenyard and noticed a big poop, yes a very big poop, so big that it was very noticeable, and being the curious creature that I am, I needed to look closer. And that I did. What I saw gave me the heebie geebies, so I looked closer. What I saw turned my world around. I thought my chickens were free of internal parasites, but clearly, as that day is long, were not. After seeing this, the following day, all the birds got a good dose of piperazine, and then a followup treatment, as the designated time. Thinking now that they are internal parasite free, smiling.

As I looked at this rather large and disgusting piece of poo, I was looking at the little white sacks of something or other. I can only presume that these little white sacks were little white sacs of worm eggs. I don't know, and I would love to know, what these little white sacs of who knows what actually are. The little white sacs of something-or-other moved. Yes, I looked closely and they were moving. Are they sacs of eggs. Are they immature worms, pleeeeeeze, someone must know and must have seen this type of thing. I don't think I am the only one that really examines things in close perspective.

This grossed me out more than you could ever imagine, it was a nasty experience, one that I don't ever want to experience again. I put that nasty big poop and all its nasty little white things moving into a ziploc bag and thrust into the burning barrel. Burned it all up, but of course, for the sake of my sanity, and someone actually believing me that this kind of thing existed, I took that picture....and that picture of that nasty poop with all those little white thingies is here now, for all to look at. And comments would be so welcomed, tell your experience, and, well, does anyone have any pictures of some really nasty poop. When I looked at that website that showed all the many forms of chicken poop, I was so shocked and surprised at how many different types of surprise poops chickens actually have, smiling. Beautiful days, those ones of love and health and peace, CynthiaM.

The most grossest thing I have ever seen in this world!!! But hopefully, to never see no more




This is a site that talks about these parasites of chickens, a very good read

http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/disparas.htm

Below is the text from the above link, if one does not want to go to the link and read about the parasites
Tapeworms

Tapeworms or cestodes are flattened, ribbon-shaped worms composed of numerous segments or division. Tapeworms vary in size from very small to several inches in length. The head or anterior end is much smaller than the rest of the body. Since tapeworms may be very small, careful examination often is necessary to find them. A portion of the intestine may be opened and placed in water to assist in finding the tapeworms.

The pathology or damage tapeworms produce in poultry is controversial. In young birds, heavy infections result in reduced efficiency and slower growth. Young birds are more severely affected than older birds.

All poultry tapeworms apparently spend part of their lives in intermediate hosts, and birds become infected by eating the intermediate hosts. These hosts include snails, slugs, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, earthworms, houseflies and others. The intermediate host becomes infected by eating the eggs of tapeworms that are passed in the bird feces.

Although several drugs are used to remove tapeworms from poultry, most are of doubtful efficacy. In general, tapeworms are most readily controlled by preventing the birds from eating the infected intermediate host. Tapeworm infections can be controlled by regular treatment of the bird with fenbendazole or leviamisole.

I recommend you treat your chickens with Valbazen (albendazole.) Dosage is 1/2cc for standard size chickens, 1/4cc for smaller chickens. Valbazen is a cattle/sheep wormer and can be purchased at jeffers livestock.com Give it to them orally.

Thank you for the reply, have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.

I am having a problem trusting the info I find on here(do NOT get mad-I do not know any of you!!!) so have made an appt. with an exotic vet to help. the problem being that I had already purchased products and then discovered on here that they're ineffective(thats what was suggested). not to mention I do not want to harm my fowl or myself with these chems. basically I am venting because the vet is going to cost $79(with multi fecals) and thats several months play money for me. Anyhow-sure hope the vet is honest(he's a big vet in the wild fowl world in cols oh) and hopefully I will finally get some definitive answers. one of my molting girls moved this a.m. and I noticed what looked like gore stuck to her fallen feathers in nest. I tried to take pics but camera is almost dead. it was not mixed with any noticable poop but just looked like a little pile of ramen noodles with some reddish(blood?) flesh mixed in.

Hey, can someone answer definitively what these things pictured are? I had some chicken poops that looked almost exactly like this except I'd say the little white things looked more round. There was movement in some of them. I've looked everywhere and you'd think there'd be pictures and exact diagnosises somewhere.

Anyway, I treated with Ivermectin two days ago. I've been checking the poops and the amount of these things in the stools are significantly less. Does anyone know about this or know where I can find out about this. I need pictures and/or your direct experiences with something like this.

Quote:
You can take a sample to a vet and ask them to exam it... they'll tell you what your dealing with, then you can treat accordingly...shouldnt cost much.

100% positive- tapeworms. 110%...
Not the same species as dog or cat tapeworms, but they ARE tapeworm segments. Ivermectin 100% will NOT kill tapeworms. For poultry- albendazole will. Off label for laying hens, but it will work.


Quote:

Are you by chance taking these fecals to a state avian vet? They might do it for nothing under the "back yard chicken program" that most offer. Not sure about your area but, there are a few that will do it since it's also helping to protect us from AI and other bird carrying diseases.

Cynthia, no one, especially a qualified veterinarian, will make a diagnosis based on a picture. Save yourself much time and find out who you talk to in your state for testing, make arrangements for a sample to be properly collected, preserved, and transported to your state diagnostic lab for a reliable diagnosis. If you have no vet that sees your birds, see what help or advice for medication is available through your state veterinarian's office. If you have regular testing done, call your inspector for advice. Different worms have different vectors and even those vary between species of birds. If you still don't quite know where to start, call your county extension agent, explain your problem, and they will likely get you hooked up with the right people. There is more to ridding a premises of certain parasitic infestations than simple medication. Sometimes there are things you can or should do to eradicate the vectors (things that spread/host the parasites). If you can see this much visible to the naked eye, it is a severe infestation. It may be quickly and easily remedied, but you will need a conclusive veterinary diagnosis. Good luck!

I've seen this too. Most were a bit longer than in your picture, but the same. Except I not only saw it in the bird droppings, but also the dog. I quickly wormed the dog (it was the weekend). Had the dog tested after and it came back clean even though I still saw them a few times. Then they were gone - completely. I didn't see any more in the chicken droppings (and I kept checking for a long time) I think they may have gotten in the droppings after, but still would like to know what they are.