Anyone know how to do their own fecals (on chickens) LOL

[chickenzoo]

Any one else know how, know where to find info on doing your own flocks fecals. I wanted to check my own flock from time to time instead of running to a Vet every time one of my chickens looked at me funny. LOL That way if I saw something ahead of time I would know what might be going on and be better informed for my Vet if they needed to be seen. I was looking for magnified colored pics of what to look for, how best to put the culture on the plate etc...

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Do you have an adequate microscope ..or access to one? That is going to be a vital tool ..unless maybe a jeweler's loupe at 30x may work ..hmmm....

Anyhow, preparing a slide or "plate" is pretty straightforward ..if you don't plan on saving it for future viewing. You can get away with using a toothpick to present some of the poo onto the glass slide ...and then either some deionized water ...a DROP.. or immersion oil (you can probably find this online or borrow some from the lab)

As for identifying the "cooties" you may find ...and I'm pretty sure you'll see SOMETHING, as some cooties is a benefit to most of us... you could go online and look or use your trusty Microbiology textbook. (I have a few of those around here ..let me know if I can help

)


Also... if you find that you can't do it yourself or it's too much trouble, etc. ...my Vet only charges $15 for fecals and usually does multiple specimen for that one fee. (I live in an expensive big city, too ...so check with your Vet ..won't hurt!)

EDIT: You may find that some of the potential bacteria and such cannot be seen without staining them ...in that case, you'll need access to a Microbiology Lab. If you are not a student at a facility with such a place, check with friends and community folks ..someone you know could be.... and if anything like me, the geek in them will be just enough for them to agree to help you out

 

[chickenzoo]

thanks for that info.

 

[kinnip]

I do my own fecals. It's super easy and not too expensive. This is a link for how to run goat fecals, it's the same for chickens:
http://fiascofarm.com/goats/fecals.htm
She has a link for American Science and Surplus. This is where I bought all of my stuff. The microscope comes with dye and a few slides and covers. I ordered extra slides, covers, beakers, test tubes and a holder and the microscope for just under a hundred bucks. Definitely worth the investment. When you take a sample to the vet they only have the one to test. They do have the ability to spin it, making it more reliable, but doing two or three test in a row at home is better in my book.
If you have The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow, it also has a section on doing fecals. The descriptions of oocysts are quite helpful. A google image search using the latin names will also turn up quite a bit.

 

[LynneP]

I have a microscope, and if I knew what to look for, it would be invaluable...

 

[chickenzoo]

Quote:
Thank you, that is really helpful!