Chicken worms! Worming experts please !!

[mschickiemama]

Last week I saw a tiny worm in my 5 year old chicken's poop. Freaky. It was clear and maybe a quarter inch...I had to be very up close to see it. My hen also seems lighter & with less of an appetite & some runny poo.

I have had two hens in the past who had diarrhea for a couple weeks, lost appetite and weight, and then died. It was bad & they were obviously uncomfortable/in pain. I followed a clueless shop owner's advice and used antibiotic in water which did nothing. I also tried verm x once but I think it's more a preventative/supplement?

I'm suspecting these hens had bad worm infestation. I don't know what else it could have been? I just have a happy small flock that I let free range in my yard in sunny southern Cali.

What steps should I take to keep my remaining hens healthy? Go to the vet? Or is there a broad spectrum wormer to get? I have little experience with this & guilt from the past. I just want healthy hens. Please help.

Btw my chickens also had tapeworms a few years ago (segments in poo) but they seemed to go away..I tried valbazen back then only once and was scared if it's even safe for hens. The local feed stores didn't know anything about it which was weird. It was also hard getting the medication into their mouths with the syringe & they would shake their heads

 

[Baby Chick Farm]

Why don't you try out this video, by this youtube channel called Becky's Homestead! You should try it out! Becky uses Diatomaceous Earth (DE) and mixes it with their feed. Here is the link to her video:

Hope this helps!

 

[Pork Pie]

Last week I saw a tiny worm in my 5 year old chicken's poop. Freaky. It was clear and maybe a quarter inch...I had to be very up close to see it. My hen also seems lighter & with less of an appetite & some runny poo.

I have had two hens in the past who had diarrhea for a couple weeks, lost appetite and weight, and then died. It was bad & they were obviously uncomfortable/in pain. I followed a clueless shop owner's advice and used antibiotic in water which did nothing. I also tried verm x once but I think it's more a preventative/supplement?

I'm suspecting these hens had bad worm infestation. I don't know what else it could have been? I just have a happy small flock that I let free range in my yard in sunny southern Cali.

What steps should I take to keep my remaining hens healthy? Go to the vet? Or is there a broad spectrum wormer to get? I have little experience with this & guilt from the past. I just want healthy hens. Please help.

Btw my chickens also had tapeworms a few years ago (segments in poo) but they seemed to go away..I tried valbazen back then only once and was scared if it's even safe for hens. The local feed stores didn't know anything about it which was weird. It was also hard getting the medication into their mouths with the syringe & they would shake their heads

Personally i would simply buy a broad spectrum de-wormer and put it in their drinking water. Ensure you read the directions on the medication as some require anther de-worming 10 days or so after the first dose. Assuming this clears up the problem, then i would suggest de-worming them as a matter of course every 6 months. From what i have read on BYC in the past DE is not necessarily so effective and since your flock has worms, then i would strongly suggest a more "conventional" treatment.

I live in Kenya, so i can't advise as to what specific de-wormer may be best - but any broad spectrum treatment should be totally fine.

Good luck!

CT

 

[casportpony]

Last week I saw a tiny worm in my 5 year old chicken's poop. Freaky. It was clear and maybe a quarter inch...I had to be very up close to see it. My hen also seems lighter & with less of an appetite & some runny poo.

I have had two hens in the past who had diarrhea for a couple weeks, lost appetite and weight, and then died. It was bad & they were obviously uncomfortable/in pain. I followed a clueless shop owner's advice and used antibiotic in water which did nothing. I also tried verm x once but I think it's more a preventative/supplement? 

I'm suspecting these hens had bad worm infestation. I don't know what else it could have been? I just have a happy small flock that I let free range in my yard in sunny southern Cali. 

What steps should I take to keep my remaining hens healthy? Go to the vet? Or is there a broad spectrum wormer to get? I have little experience with this & guilt from the past. I just want healthy hens. Please help. 

Btw my chickens also had tapeworms a few years ago (segments in poo) but they seemed to go away..I tried valbazen back then only once and was scared if it's even safe for hens. The local feed stores didn't know anything about it which was weird. It was also hard getting the medication into their mouths with the syringe & they would shake their heads

Sounds like it might have been a cecal worm. Give Valbazen orally and repeat in 10 days.

-Kathy

 

[enola]

I would like to add that DE will not worm chickens. Or anything else for that matter. If your chickens do have a huge overload, Valbazen will kill the worms over a period of time, preventing blockage or toxicity from dead worms.

 

[casportpony]

This is a good article on medicating orally:
http://www.hopkinslivestock.com/oral_dosing_article.htm

-Kathy

 

[Baby Chick Farm]

Sorry, I did not know. All I did was follow a trusted youtube person, Becky. I apologize for my incorrect advice. Thanks for your correction!

 

[casportpony]

Sorry, I did not know. All I did was follow a trusted youtube person, Becky. I apologize for my incorrect advice. Thanks for your correction!

Many of us, myself included, found out the hard way that it doesn't work.

-Kathy

 

[enola]

Sorry, I did not know. All I did was follow a trusted youtube person, Becky. I apologize for my incorrect advice. Thanks for your correction!

Even this site is guilty of keeping the DE for worming advice alive. I have never used it my self, but am eagerly awaiting positive proof that it DOES work. Until then I am going to believe casportpony since she has actual experience,

I do know that I have read MANY posts from people begging for advice about their sick chicken. Only to find out that they have been using ACV, pumpkin seeds or DE to worm their flock. Most of them report miraculous recovery after using a chemical wormer on their chicken.

 

[Baby Chick Farm]

Sounds like it might have been a cecal worm. Give Valbazen orally and repeat in 10 days.

-Kathy

May I ask, what is Valbazen? I have never heard of it before. Is it a chemical, or what?
Grace