Are these worms I found in the manure box? - Update: Yes Roundworms

[bobbieschicks]

I cleaned the manure box this morning and found a bunch of what look like dried worms in one area of the box. One had a grey feather attached to it.

Could these be some sort of worm and if so what kind?

I tried to take pictures of them and look under the microscope at them - but I couldn't determine if they were worms or not. My manure box has Sweet PDZ as the substrate. I put my glasses next to them to show the scale. My glasses are 5" across. The longest one I could measure was about 1.5" long. They bend like rubber bands.

Here are the pics if they help.

UPDATE: these were definitely roundworms - before I treated I found a couple in some newly laid poop that hadn't been dried out by the Sweet PDZ - which apparently does a great job of getting moisture out of the manure box and round worms.

 

[thebanthams]

Yuck! Looks like worms, Theres is a name for it but someone will have to help you. By the way are you sure its not straw?

 

[Leslieb118]

They look like worms to me. I'm not entirely sure what kind though. I know what roundworms and tapeworms look like, but these are dried out. I want to say that they're probably round worms. When you looked at them under the microscope, did they look segmented at all? They seem pretty big to be tapeworms, but they're segmented and will break off segments and that's what you'd see in poo, just little tiny segments. I've never seen roundworms that are dried up, so that's where I'm having the difficulty. They resemble the length of roundworms but look a little flat to me in the pictures and that could be because they're dried up.

 

[thebanthams]

No w it came to my mine its round worms, your chickens is going to need medications

 

[bobbieschicks]

When I look at them under the microscope they have rounded ends and seem to have horizontal stripes on their bodies. I suppose it could be straw since I do have straw out there and the chickens do eat it. But wouldn't the straw ends be torn looking rather then rounded? They also have white spots all over on them.

 

[Leslieb118]

Well I don't think straw would have rounded ends on both sides. At least one end would be straight across or maybe jagged from the cutting of the straw. Can you get some poo samples and look at them under the microscope? You may be able to see eggs in the poo and that might help solve the puzzle. My first impression is still roundworms though, it's just that I've never seen dried out roundworms. The ones I've seen resemble noodles or even bean sprouts. (there goes my appetite).

ETA: Tapeworms are flat and segmented, but I just can't imagine tapeworms that size coming out of a chicken, let alone living in them. I would think they'd be smaller and you'd probably notice some serious weight loss with those.

 

[stoopid]

They look like roundworms. They could be from the chickens, or raccoons, or dogs.
Wazine is readily available and inexpensive, but will only treat roundworms.
Ivermectin and Valbazen treat more, but also costs more.
Do you have a schedule for worming your flock, or have you noticed any other problems that would indicate your birds are infected?
Personally I prefer to not medicate unless I am sure there is a problem, JMO.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Could they be dried out because of the Sweet PDZ I use in the box? That's what I use instead of sand for easy scooping. They definitely have horizontal stripes on them and seem to have similar ends - rounded or a soft point. No one looks sick or thin or like they are having problems. I'm just going to treat this like round worms even if for some reason they aren't. I haven't wormed my chicks in about 4 months and they do free range with lots of different things to eat.

When I looked online for images of roundworms of course they're all alive worms so it's difficult to be sure - but one of the pics was an up close and the lines of the roundworm and the "intestines" of it look much like what I can see in these dried things. So I'll move forward with deworming everyone. I've been putting ACV in their waterers, but I've also noticed a wild bird in their coop and run area eating their food.

Here's my plan:

1. I'll start with dosing them with Wazine water as I haven't done Wazine in a long awhile. I plan to use 1 oz of Wazine per gallon of water and NOT put ACV in the waterer at the same time. Leave the water out for 24 hours. (will this be sufficient to guarantee everyone has been drinking out of it or should I somehow individually dose everyone?) No eating the eggs for 2 weeks?

2. Then I'll wait about two weeks and do the Ivermectin 5% pour on. I see it's 6 drops for the LF and 4 drops for the Bantams - but what about the babies? Should I treat them too (I have four 3 week olds). Also what is a "drop" in size? Do I use an eye dropper?

3. Also put sevin dust inside the coop & run area and change out the litter & add a new layer of sand to the run. Should I dust the girls or not since I'll be doing the pour on?

Does that sound like a sufficient plan to get rid of these worms?

Thanks!

 

[bobbieschicks]

They look like roundworms. They could be from the chickens, or raccoons, or dogs.
Wazine is readily available and inexpensive, but will only treat roundworms.
Ivermectin and Valbazen treat more, but also costs more.
Do you have a schedule for worming your flock, or have you noticed any other problems that would indicate your birds are infected?
Personally I prefer to not medicate unless I am sure there is a problem, JMO.

I haven't been worming them on a schedule - instead I've waited for evidence and then attacked. I have all three of those on hand and they are under 1 year old so hopefully still potent.

 

[stoopid]

Alot of peeps say not to dose the chicks til over 6 months old.
I wouldn't dust them if you are using the drops.
Good luck!