9 year old hen with pale comb, almost no tail feathers, now moving slow and less interested in food/treats

[Wyorp Rock]

Ideally, Albendazole would be the way to go with molting birds. You can order it in the link below. It's getting harder to find, I think there's a manufacturing issue.

The dose for the Albendazole in the link below is 0.08ml per pound of weight given orally once, then repeat in 10days. This will treat most worms except for Tapeworms.

https://horseprerace.com/albendazole-oral-liquid-for-horses-cattle-sheep-500ml/

 

[My1stChickens]

THank you so much @Wyorp Rock WOW- I can't believe you found some. I was also on the hunt and it appears Tractor Supply can ship it, even though all the stores are out of stock. (edited to update, yeah they let you order it, charge your credit card, send an email confirmation then cancel your order and say it's unexpectedly unavailable. Thank goodness for Wyorp Rock for finding it in Oregon!)

So two more questions: it's not urgent enough that I must start treatment tonight or at least tomorrow-- I can wait for delivery?
Should I just wait and give all of them the Albendazole?

 

[Eggcessive]

It does look like a roundworm in the picture, although it is out of focus. I would use the albendazole since it is safe and only requires a dose and then a repeated dose in 10 days.

 

[My1stChickens]

Ideally, Albendazole would be the way to go with molting birds. You can order it in the link below. It's getting harder to find, I think there's a manufacturing issue.

The dose for the Albendazole in the link below is 0.08ml per pound of weight given orally once, then repeat in 10days. This will treat most worms except for Tapeworms.

https://horseprerace.com/albendazole-oral-liquid-for-horses-cattle-sheep-500ml/

Ordered this last night, called this morning and asked sweetly if they would make sure to ship it today-- and she said YES! So unless you tell me differently, I will continue through the 7 days of miconazole, continue with some coconut oil til she's passed all the fiberous stuff (she went several days nibbling grass but not eating much else). Tonight I'm placing all of them on a roost over PDZ powder so I can see if anyone else has roundworms. And in the next day or two will figure how to get accurate weights to facilitate dosing. I like that Albendazole is a smaller dose, less chance of aspiration and might be able to put it in break or a small amount of feed mash. I guess I can return the Safeguard liquid. I will clearly have a lifetime supply of Albendazole, alongside my lifetime supply of Elector PSP.

Off to give morning meds and let them out.

 

[My1stChickens]

Fri am. wanted food, ate about 10 bites egg, 3 big chunks coconut oil and some feed. Fought like a tiger for meds, shes much stronger. Broke into a quick trot to escape me, and go to the run. Forgot to check crop before she ate. But it's reasonable firm, still roundish but not up high. Poop was flat, dark green. Might have seen something in the lower third, at about 3pm, attached to the edge of the green. Is that a little worm?

I took some pictures of other poop from the flock with suspect stuff, but will post it separately. It's shocking how many little things you see when you study poop closely.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

THank you so much @Wyorp Rock WOW- I can't believe you found some. I was also on the hunt and it appears Tractor Supply can ship it, even though all the stores are out of stock. (edited to update, yeah they let you order it, charge your credit card, send an email confirmation then cancel your order and say it's unexpectedly unavailable. Thank goodness for Wyorp Rock for finding it in Oregon!)

So two more questions: it's not urgent enough that I must start treatment tonight or at least tomorrow-- I can wait for delivery?
Should I just wait and give all of them the Albendazole?

Ordered this last night, called this morning and asked sweetly if they would make sure to ship it today-- and she said YES! So unless you tell me differently, I will continue through the 7 days of miconazole, continue with some coconut oil til she's passed all the fiberous stuff (she went several days nibbling grass but not eating much else). Tonight I'm placing all of them on a roost over PDZ powder so I can see if anyone else has roundworms. And in the next day or two will figure how to get accurate weights to facilitate dosing. I like that Albendazole is a smaller dose, less chance of aspiration and might be able to put it in break or a small amount of feed mash. I guess I can return the Safeguard liquid. I will clearly have a lifetime supply of Albendazole, alongside my lifetime supply of Elector PSP.

Off to give morning meds and let them out.

I'm glad you have the Albendazole on the way. I think that will be the best option.

Hard to tell about the poop, but it's good you are looking at it. You may not always see worms in poop. They only time something like a Roundworm is expelled is when there's an overload, the worms die if they leave their host.

Sounds like she's holding her own. I would continue with the Miconazole for the full 7 day treatment.

You're doing good! Hang in there.

 

[My1stChickens]

Day 4 of miconozole shows great improvement in her willingness to eat, her general demeanor. Tonight when I gave the miconozole she fought hard. Then happily ate some scrambled egg and coconut oil. Crop feels bigger than her BFFs but I palpated it pretty thoroughly- no lumps or hard spots, it's just a lil ball of something on the front of her. Thicker than cake batter, but not as thick as cookie dough. Nothing painful, the sour smell is gone and her vent area staying clean enough that she's not getting bathed. She's always given stink eye, but less so. As long as she continues to progress I will only update once a day- she has improved enough to not be as concerning. Huge thanks to @Wyorp Rock for your kindness, your patience on this. Geez, I know she's 9 1/2 years old, but I wanted to do the best I could for her and you helped me do just that.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Day 4 of miconozole shows great improvement in her willingness to eat, her general demeanor. Tonight when I gave the miconozole she fought hard. Then happily ate some scrambled egg and coconut oil. Crop feels bigger than her BFFs but I palpated it pretty thoroughly- no lumps or hard spots, it's just a lil ball of something on the front of her. Thicker than cake batter, but not as thick as cookie dough. Nothing painful, the sour smell is gone and her vent area staying clean enough that she's not getting bathed. She's always given stink eye, but less so. As long as she continues to progress I will only update once a day- she has improved enough to not be as concerning. Huge thanks to @Wyorp Rock for your kindness, your patience on this. Geez, I know she's 9 1/2 years old, but I wanted to do the best I could for her and you helped me do just that.

You are doing the very best you can for her!

I'm so happy to hear she's doing a little better today and that her crop is improving too. You've worked hard trying to get her treated and eating/drinking.

I'm hopefully she'll come out of this just fine.

 

[JoanieShrubs]

This is such a heartwarming thread, guys. May all the elder chickens have this much care and kindness in their lives

 

[My1stChickens]

This is such a heartwarming thread, guys. May all the elder chickens have this much care and kindness in their lives

Thank you Joanie! I got Goldie and her BFF Anola from the feed store- they were shipped as day old chicks so they were just a few days old. I got 8 chicks that day back in April 2016, and from the start Goldie and Nola were BFFs. They have outlived the rest. I knew NOTHING and at first the feed store was guiding me but then I found this site and it's been a Godsend. I never expected chickens to have such distinct personalities, but Goldie is a bossy, "me first" type-- large and in charge. Nola is sweet, agreeable. Always the bottom of the pecking order because she literally walks away (with dignity) at the first peck. She has no desire to fight. I wasn't sure they'd make it through winter, and when a cold spell came, I moved them into a stall in the insulated horse barn that never drops below freezing. They had LED heaters, and did great except for not eating too well. I switched from pellets to feed that has some grain and stuff in it, and they rebounded and started laying again. I know I can't keep them going forever. I fretted over what to do if one died and the other was alone. So I got some young pullets, they are too young to lay yet, but close. Goldie was NOT amused by the newcomers but Nola loves them. So I'm doing the very best I can for Goldie for now, while I wait for Albendazole and figure out how to get the right dose in her without making her any madder than she is. Monday is the 7th/last day for miconizole so that will give her at least some relief. I hope the wormer gets here Tues but it could be Wednesday. I might give Hawaiian sweet bread for treats - it used to be a favorite and if she still gobbles it I might be able to inject the bread with the worm meds.