DO WORMS LOOK LIKE MAGOTS?

[JP]

We're new to having chickens, (about 3 months now. We adopted a mature flock.
We have a hen with what I think appears to be a protuding vent. I can't say for sure as we haven't seen one before.
While examining and trying to push it back in I saw what look like maggots. Are these worms which we can deal with (I think) or are they maggots?
If they are maggots what can we do short of culling the hen?

Any help is greatly appreciated

Thanks

JP

 

[warren]

I have only ever seen dog roundworms, and they were long and thin like earthworms, but pure white in colour.
I hate to say it, but it sounds like yours are maggots. I hope that someone else with experience can help you. I can only suggest trying to clean up the area as much as you can to see what is the damage.

 

[Crazy_Chicken_Lady]

It sounds to me like maggots. My grandma and I had a hen that this happened to.

We followed this advice from a very popular UK chicken keeping website. It worked great and the hen is still alive and well. I've pasted the information below. Good luck. Be sure to read ALL the directions as they're not in precise order.

This condition needs urgent treatment.

~ Sit hen in bowl of warm saline (or warm salt water in a pinch) and keep her in it for 10 -15 minutes. This will give the wound an initial cleaning and will drown many of the maggots. Change the saline solution a couple of times. You may find that the maggots will thrash about in the saline bath.

~ Carefully trim the feathers around the wound with blunt ended scissors and then remove as many maggots as you can with a pair of tweezers,

~ With a syringe, flush the wound thoroughly with fresh saline solution.

~ Pat dry. Do not use anything that will leave linty bits in the wound.

~ Isolate hen. Keep her warm and encourage her to drink, syringing water into her beak if she is reluctant to drink of her own accord.

~ Repeat the above two or three times a day till there are no maggots left.

~ After the first soak, you could give an initial flush out with a weak hydrogen peroxide solution, but don’t use this too often as it is rather harsh and over use will interfere with the formation of granulation tissue.

~ Another option is to use a weak iodine solution, with just enough added to water so that it looks like milkless tea.

~ If using a saline solution, sea salt is a better option than table salt, as it has not been refined.

~ It is best to keep the wound open and dry, so that the air can get down into it. Most of the harmful wound bacteria are anaerobic and they thrive in closed conditions.

~ Avoid using wet ointments as flies find the wound and lay their eggs deep in the ointment.

~ It is essential that all maggots are removed, as they will eat healthy flesh as well as dead tissue.These are not the specially bred and clinically reared maggots used in the healing and debridement of gangrene or necrotic tissue etc in clinical situations.The maggots are full of bacteria and secrete toxins which are largely responsible for the death of affected hens.

Further care:

~ Isolation of affected hen is essential as its wound will be pecked, and hen will be very weak.

~ Keep hen well hydrated.

~ Avipro, Rescue Remedy, Electrolytes….all are useful additions to the hens diet.

~ Feed hen with good quality layers pellets, and extra protein when hen recovering.


** NB If there is no improvement, or a deterioration after the initial cleaning and first few flushings, or if the wound is extensive in the first place, the advice of a vet should be sought.

 

[Crazy_Chicken_Lady]

Also it sounds as if your hen might have a partial prolapse too. After you get the maggots under control & totally gone, and the vent is still protruding, you might want to rub some Preperation H hemmorroid ointment on it.

 

[JP]

Thank you both for your advise.

We did do the bathing in saline solution as it seemed like a good thing to do, thanks for confirming that. We also used the prep H on the protrusion.

Crazy Chicken Lady, I'm a New Yorker too, lived on a Dairy Farm, we had a few chickens there and I guess I should have paid attention to what my parents were telling me.

Again thank you both, I'll post a comment to let you know how this turns out. My better half plans on visiting the vet on Monday.

JP

 

[Crazy_Chicken_Lady]

JP- What part of NY? I'm in Northern NY, not too far from Canada. I also grew up on a Brown Swiss/Holstein dairy and beef cattle farm, but in Arkansas!

I sure hope your little hen recovers. Sounds like you caught her right in time! My prayers are with you and hope to hear how she's doing soon.

 

[mtnhomechick]

Just curious here.....what would cause a living chicken to have maggots? Thanks

 

[JP]

Crazy Chicken lady,

We lived in Fulton County, central NY I guess, in the foot hills of the Adirondacs. We had Holstiens, a bunch of hogs, some ducks and some chickens. We live in MD now, I escaped the farm almost 30 years ago, look now, I'm trying to farm, go figure.

Mtnhomechick,

I don't know the answer, hopefully we will know more in a day or so and I'll post that info.

Warren,

Maggots were my initial thought as well but I was hoping otherwise.

Again thanks for your replies.

JP

 

[Crazy_Chicken_Lady]

Quote:
Hello, from a fellow Arkie (well, I'm a NY Yankee now!) grew up outside of Yellville, not far from you mtnhomechick!

It's called Flystrike. It's a condition affecting mainly sheep, deer and rabbits, but is not uncommon in poultry. I pasted part of an article about it below telling what causes it:

It occurs when flies lay eggs in the dirty feathers, usually those contaminated with faeces around the vent, or a prolapsed vent.

The emerging maggots burrow into the flesh of the hen, particularly if there is an existing wound, and eat the hen alive.

It might not be immediately obvious, so for that reason, regular examination of the hen is crucial, as once Flystrike takes hold, the bird will succumb very quickly.

 

[mtnhomechick]

WOW........YELLVILLE. Small World. I'm new here. Came from Wisconsin almost a year ago to retire and raise chickens, I guess.

Thanks for the answer. I will be sure to check. I had never heard of that. It sure makes sense though.