Hello everyone. I'm in a bit of panic and dismay! I went to clean up the coop this morning and found what looks like a worm in one of the poops (see pics below). This is the first time I've noticed it so, hopefully I caught it early. I have four chickens from 17 to 19 weeks old that we've had for about 6 weeks now. None have started laying yet. Can you please help me to identify what type of parasite this is? Course of action? What to do with eggs once they start laying? Can it effect our three dogs who seem to like to sniff the chicken poops and possibly digest it from time to time? Not sure which chicken this came out of, but the 19 week old chicken has always pooped rather loose/runny otherwise, she is happy and fat. None have displayed any other symptoms and are growing fine and happy. Thanks for all the help.
It's a large roundworm. Purchase safeguard liquid goat wormer or valbazen cattle/sheep wormer. Use a syringe without a needle and administer either wormer orally undiluted. Dosage is 1/2cc given orally, pull the wattles down and squirt the liquid in the mouth, then immediately release the wattles so the bird can swallow the liquid on her own and not aspirate. Repeat dosing again in 10 days to kill larva hatched from eggs. Toss eggs in the garbage 14 days after last dosing or you can give them to your dogs to eat. Chicken roundworms will not affect your dogs. Either wormer should be sold at your feed store. If not, you can purchase either from Jefferslivestock.com or call them. Worm all your chickens.
Thanks for the info and course of treatment. It's a relief that the round worm does not effect my dogs who occasionally eat the chicken poops, yak! By the way the worm is definitely round. From little research I've done on this forum I suspected it was round worm but needed to post pictures to be sure. A few follow up questions: How long will the eggs live on the poop and in the garden where they roam during the day? How about in the coop one the wood shavings and poop deck? I try to clean daily but, obviously can't get everything so, is this a concern about future reinfestation?. Are two doses enough to eradicate or does it need to repeated sometime down the line?
One more question please.... You mentioned to toss the eggs in garbage 14 days after last dosing. Since they have not started laying yest, I assume it'll be OK to eat them if the start laying after 14 days past last dose, or should the first batch be thrown out anyway?
