First time dealing with round worm(?)

[RobinS1217]

Ugh. Hardly a year in and we’ve had sour crop, rounds and rounds of bubble foot, molting, and now this morning I found a VERY soft egg under the roosting bar and then just found a soft poo with 2 worms in it. They hopped up on an old brooder coop that they perch on sometimes. Clearly worms. Is it likely the same bird with the problem? Now I treat my whole flock(26)? Please help.


Notes: we have 8 golden comets (where I found soft egg) that were born last December. They’re finishing a soft molt. We have 16 juveniles we got as chicks in June. They have separate runs and coops but they free range during the day 2 hours AM and PM all together. I tend to their coops every Sunday and Wednesday. I also check for lice and mites on the birds at those times too. We pick up our birds often and some feel a hair lighter but figured it was stress of molting. I wash their waterers down every week but rinse off at every refill. My golden comets frequently have loose stools but after comparing to poop charts they appear normal.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

It's hard, if not impossible, to keep free range chickens completely free of worms, and normally chickens do just fine with a light worm load, but when you start seeing worms in the poop that's a sign that a chicken is struggling.

I'd worm them with Valbazen.

You could also use Safeguard but it's not recommended if anyone is still regrowing feathers as it can cause feather damage. Valbazen dosage is .08ml per pound or roughly .25ml for bantams and .5 ml for standards. Repeat in 10-14 days. You'll have to dose them individually either directly into their mouth with a syringe or by soaking the dose into some bread and giving to each bird (an easier if slightly less exact method).

Also if you've had a lot of bumblefoot and soft shelled eggs, it sounds likely that they are not getting proper nutrition. Some of this could be due to a large worm load, but it wouldn't hurt to give them some poultry vitamins, have supplemental calcium available (e.g. crushed oystershells in a dish in the coop) and make sure they're not getting too many treats (more than 10% of diet).

 

[RobinS1217]

It's hard, if not impossible, to keep free range chickens completely free of worms, and normally chickens do just fine with a light worm load, but when you start seeing worms in the poop that's a sign that a chicken is struggling.

I'd worm them with Valbazen.
View attachment 3344599
You could also use Safeguard but it's not recommended if anyone is still regrowing feathers as it can cause feather damage. Valbazen dosage is .08ml per pound or roughly .25ml for bantams and .5 ml for standards. Repeat in 10-14 days. You'll have to dose them individually either directly into their mouth with a syringe or by soaking the dose into some bread and giving to each bird (an easier if slightly less exact method).

Also if you've had a lot of bumblefoot and soft shelled eggs, it sounds likely that they are not getting proper nutrition. Some of this could be due to a large worm load, but it wouldn't hurt to give them some poultry vitamins, have supplemental calcium available (e.g. crushed oystershells in a dish in the coop) and make sure they're not getting too many treats (more than 10% of diet).

I will see if I can pick it up at TS tomorrow. I ordered the safeguard pellets off Amazon but wouldn’t be here until Saturday. I would imagine they have some newly erupted quills as the molt was hardly recognized more than a few days other than one bird who had funny spots all over. About a month ago. They get fed their shells back for calcium and they get “nutri dense” in their water. They eat Dumour organic layer feed. Today was our first soft egg. My kids do feed them scraps daily. I’ll cut that out. Is there egg withdrawal for the Valbazan?

 

[dawg53]

We eat the eggs after using Valbazen, still here typing after all the years of using it.
However, if you believe that you or a family member might have a reaction to the minute albendazole residue in the eggs, toss the eggs in the garbage for 14 days after the last dosing. Additionally, dont sell nor give away eggs to be eaten.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

I will see if I can pick it up at TS tomorrow. I ordered the safeguard pellets off Amazon but wouldn’t be here until Saturday. I would imagine they have some newly erupted quills as the molt was hardly recognized more than a few days other than one bird who had funny spots all over. About a month ago. They get fed their shells back for calcium and they get “nutri dense” in their water. They eat Dumour organic layer feed. Today was our first soft egg. My kids do feed them scraps daily. I’ll cut that out. Is there egg withdrawal for the Valbazan?

A few scraps are totally fine (wouldn't want to deprive your chicks of all the fun and excitement of treats ), just wanted to be sure they had a balanced diet, which it sounds like they do!

As for Valbazen, there is no official withdrawal period because it hasn't been studied because most commercial layers are kept in cages where worms are not a problem... Some people don't care/worry about a little drug residue others really do and will throw out eggs for a month. I do a two week withdrawal period, but it's really whatever you are comfortable with.

 

[dawg53]

A few scraps are totally fine (wouldn't want to deprive your chicks of all the fun and excitement of treats ), just wanted to be sure they had a balanced diet, which it sounds like they do!

As for Valbazen, there is no official withdrawal period because it hasn't been studied because most commercial layers are kept in cages where worms are not a problem... Some people don't care/worry about a little drug residue others really do and will throw out eggs for a month. I do a two week withdrawal period, but it's really whatever you are comfortable with.

Valbazen and Safeguard are benzimidazoles. Benzimidazoles are mostly excreted, just a little is absorbed into the bloodstream.
If you suspect that you or a family member might have a reaction to the minute residue in the eggs, toss them in the garbage for two weeks like you mentioned. Dont sell nor give eggs away to be eaten. Dont feed the eggs back to the chickens
I've been using both products for years. I worm birds monthly. We eat the eggs after worming. I'm still here typing.

 

[RobinS1217]

A few scraps are totally fine (wouldn't want to deprive your chicks of all the fun and excitement of treats ), just wanted to be sure they had a balanced diet, which it sounds like they do!

As for Valbazen, there is no official withdrawal period because it hasn't been studied because most commercial layers are kept in cages where worms are not a problem... Some people don't care/worry about a little drug residue others really do and will throw out eggs for a month. I do a two week withdrawal period, but it's really whatever you are comfortable with.

Thank you! Could the worms or their eggs be IN the chickens eggs?

 

[RobinS1217]

Can anyone chime in about the feather damage side effect from safeguard? There is a significant cost difference and we have our tightest budget yet this month due to holiday cost. I’d save $30 doing the safeguard. My birds went through a very soft molt. Just feathers here and there. When I look for mites and lice I see erupted quills with little feather shoots extending. Would that qualify them as still regrowing feathers? Please chime in your opinions.

 

[dawg53]

Thank you! Could the worms or their eggs be IN the chickens eggs?

It's rare, but can happen. It has happened to a few BYC members.

 

[dawg53]

Can anyone chime in about the feather damage side effect from safeguard? There is a significant cost difference and we have our tightest budget yet this month due to holiday cost. I’d save $30 doing the safeguard. My birds went through a very soft molt. Just feathers here and there. When I look for mites and lice I see erupted quills with little feather shoots extending. Would that qualify them as still regrowing feathers? Please chime in your opinions.

Yes, it is still regrowing feathers. Feather regrowth using Safeguard can cause feathers to become stunted, regrow in different ways, inward etc...
How do I know this? I had it happen years ago.
You can delay worming your birds with Safeguard until feathers are fully regrown if you wish, or roll the dice and worm them with Safeguard.
If you use Safeguard, use the liquid goat wormer and give it orally using a syringe without a needle.