Help! At a lose for what to do. Hens all sick

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roz

roz

Chirping
9 Years
Aug 2, 2010
222
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MA
I have had a lot of trouble lately. They all got lice a month ago (might have been mites too). I dusted with pirmethryn and it seemed like it took care of it, but a few of them had warm swollen bellies...like water balloons. Well, a couple of weeks ago I lost a hen. She was fine in the morning, but by the afternoon she couldnt walk, we brought her in and she died that night. Another hen looked bad last weekend, brought her in, loaded her up on acv water molasses water, pedialyte. She had laid a shelless egg, and after two warm baths passed the shell, a rubber egg, and a load of roundworms. So I treated the whole flock of 9 with piperazine for roundworms on Monday. I thought I would be good to go after that, but they all have tight swollen warm bellies, and now my barrred rock is laying down and closing her eyes. I sprayed the coop inside with pirmethryn, I give them acv and molasses in their water, and they eat Poulin egg production plus. I dont know what else to do. Please help. I dont want to lose anymore of them, but I dont know what else to do.
 
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The tight round swollen bellies is normally a sign of an internal laying infection of some sort. It is odd that you are having trouble losing a few hens with it. I don't know if a huge infestation of worms would do similar. Wazine etc. is only for the round worms, I would use Safeguard as well to get other forms. Ivomec treats both worms and lice/mites, but if they are that weak I 'd use safeguard. Buy the horse paste and if they are all adult birds I'd give about a pencil erase size drop in the mouth for 45 days. Also feeding to much protein can cause laying issues, leading to internal infections, egg perotisis (sp) and other laying problems. If not worms, Up the calcium, lower the protein of the feed and give those affected some penicillin or amoxicillian for a few days and see if it helps.
try to keep them hydrated and eating. If it is hot where you are keep them cool with a fan, as heat can cause death in heavy laying breeds.
 
Thanks for the reply. I ordered verm x because I heard good things about it. The reason I used piperazine is because we knew that one of mine had roundworms since she expelled a load of them...along with the other stuff, after taking a warm bath. I read that you should do the wazine first so as not to shock them, then follow up with a broad spectrum wormer in 10 or 14 days? I havent assumed all of them were having egg problems yet. The one that died laid 3 soft shell eggs in 3 days and then died. Then, my golden comet laid a shelless egg so I brought her in. She's the one who ended up expelling the worms. Even though I've had chickens for about a year now, I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. I just wish I knew what was wrong, what is causing this. I did find a rodent nest between the roof of their coop and the roof of their run. Could droppings have caused this? Also, they found an enormous pile of earth worms a couple of weeks ago. I am really wondering though, after reading some, if the BOSS I was giving them has caused them to have the fatty liver disease. It seems that our problems started shortly after I was giving them BOSS for a treat. I know I endulged them too much with it. I have since stopped and really limited their treats to greens, although I just went out and gave them some rolled oats with olive oil, asparalagus, sage, goldenseal, and probiotic powder. I'm desparate to try anything at this point. It has been miserably rainy here, in the 60s. My hens are all a little over a year (we got them when they were about 13 weeks old). I am so stressed out right now!
 
Keep it simple. If one passed a load of worms, they may need another treatment, poss with something else. The one dose may have not gotten many. Use wormers that kill more than round worms.
 
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You are correct that you should follow up in 10-14 days with a broad spectrum wormer. I recommend valbazen or safeguard. Earthworms can carry the eggs of parasitic worms harmful to chickens. Your chickens eat the earthworms and eventually become infected by parasitic worms. I suggest you stop the BOSS, oats, asparagus, sage etc...and feed them layer feed only, the probiotics will help though. You might also want to add crushed oyster shell as free choice which will help harden egg shells...they know to eat it on their own as necessary. Rodents carry diseases and parasites. The diseases they carry should not be transferrable to poultry. However, fleas can be transferrable. Inspect your chickens for them as well as for lice and mites. If you see any, dust them with sevin dust and the coop as well, repeat dusting in 10 days.
Valbazen is a cattle/sheep wormer, dosage is given orally....1/2cc for standard size chickens, 1/4cc for smaller chickens. Safeguard liquid goat wormer is given orally as well. Dosage is 1cc for giants, 3/4cc for large fowl, 1/2cc for standard size and 1/4cc for smaller chickens. Safeguard equine paste can be given orally as well. Dosage is a "pea" sized amount given to each chicken. There is a 14 day withdrawal for these wormers. These wormers can be purchased from Jefferslivestock.com or call them if your feed store doesnt carry them.
 
I wonder if after a heavy worm load they should be put on some antibiotics too.
 

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