A question about worms

[Bryce Thomas]

I was watching a youtube video recently about a farmer losing a peacock to worms. The vet said the fecal sample/report came back and they found 2 species of worms, both are fatal to poultry. Are worms fatal? I thought they could be treated at home with DE or something of the sort. I mean fatal as in it gets worse with no cure until it eventually kills the bird, think of marek's disease. Thoughts??

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They can be fatal if there is a very heavy load. DE does not treat worms. An anthelmintic targeting the specific species of worm is needed. Best bet is to have a fecal sample read periodically and treat accordingly. Any effectiveness DE has on soft bodied creatures is by desiccation. That can only happen in a dry environment. The intestines are not a dry environment.

 

[PopoMyers]

I do a semi-annual worming with Valbazen. It kills all kinds of worms, and easy to dose. No withdrawal period needed. Chickens pick up worm oocysts, eggs from all the stuff they eat on and from the soil. I believe warmer, damp weather areas have more of a chance of infestations. Correct me if inaccurate.

 

[FeatheredFriends&Horses2]

I do a semi-annual worming with Valbazen. It kills all kinds of worms, and easy to dose. No withdrawal period needed. Chickens pick up worm oocysts, eggs from all the stuff they eat on and from the soil. I believe warmer, damp weather areas have more of a chance of infestations. Correct me if inaccurate.

The reason there is no stated withdrawal period with Valbazen is that it is only used off label in chickens and drug residue effects have yet to be studied in laying hens. It most likely is fine, and often if there are residue amounts in eggs it is in small enough doses not to cause issues. However, I’d recommend fenbendazole as it is approved for use in poultry and studies have shown that it does have a zero day withdrawal period.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

DE is about as useful for worms as coins are to put out a fire

 

[Ridgerunner]

The vet said the fecal sample/report came back and they found 2 species of worms, both are fatal to poultry.

Did they say what species of worms those were? There are many different species of worms, not all in the digestive tract. The two I'd most expect in a fecal sample are tapeworms or roundworms but there could be others.

Tapeworms and roundworms generally won't kill a chicken by themselves but if the worm load gets high enough they can weaken the chicken enough that they can die from something else, heat or cold stress maybe. Worms can be a contributing factor.

I regularly butcher my chickens and always look in the intestines for roundworms and tapeworms. I've never found either so not all flocks have them. But I believe those that do should be treated.

 

[catbird4]

The reason there is no stated withdrawal period with Valbazen is that it is only used off label in chickens and drug residue effects have yet to be studied in laying hens. It most likely is fine, and often if there are residue amounts in eggs it is in small enough doses not to cause issues. However, I’d recommend fenbendazole as it is approved for use in poultry and studies have shown that it does have a zero day withdrawal period.

What is the dosage of Fenbendazole per 10 pound chicken if administering orally? I use a syringe and am dosing 0.1 mL per chicken (weight = approx. 10 pounds) for 5 days, waiting 10 days then repeating... 2Xs per year. Fen = 10% suspension (100mg/mL). I have looked and looked for a recommended dosage per chicken but have been unable to locate a good source. The chickens are free range so their food and water sources are not consistent. If you know of a good reference for poultry health, please let me know that too.

 

[FeatheredFriends&Horses2]

I'm sorry for the late reply! If you want to go by the USDA National Organic Standards which are what allow for a zero day withdrawal period, the dosage is 1mg of fenbendazole per kg BW (or ~0.454 mg/lb). So with an approximately 10 pound chicken and a 10% suspension, the dose for that particular scenario would be 0.0454 mL per chicken (I personally would round up to 0.05mL). The technical administration route of it is through the drinking water, so you could do that if you wanted, but I highly doubt it'll be a problem if you continue to use a syringe. It should be given for 5 days in a row, as you are doing. If you have a heavy worm load, I think it is fine to repeat after 10 days, but if you already have it pretty well under control, I'd recommend just doing one round for 5 days twice a year. At the bottom I've put a link for the actual USDA recommendations. As far as a good reference for poultry health goes, I like the Merck Veterinary Manual (https://www.merckvetmanual.com/). It also has all of this dosage information, and I have found it to be a good and reliable source for many poultry (and other animal) health related topics.
https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/LSFenbendazole.pdf

What is the dosage of Fenbendazole per 10 pound chicken if administering orally? I use a syringe and am dosing 0.1 mL per chicken (weight = approx. 10 pounds) for 5 days, waiting 10 days then repeating... 2Xs per year. Fen = 10% suspension (100mg/mL). I have looked and looked for a recommended dosage per chicken but have been unable to locate a good source. The chickens are free range so their food and water sources are not consistent. If you know of a good reference for poultry health, please let me know that too.