First time trying de-wormer - 1 sick 6 mo old Pullet

PDXJULES

Crowing
Apr 18, 2020
584
1,550
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Portland, Oregon USA - 97217
One of my best layers is DOWN! No respiratory symptoms or obvious concern from droppings...tho i thought i may have seen tiny white squiggles in ONE - so I bought a de-wormer I'd like advice on dosing - how much Safe-Guard over the 6 days for each of my 7 girls? I have her indoors sleeping now in a Pet Crate and cardboard box with hay and shavings, exactly where her first few weeks of life were here as a Chick. I believe she laid Thurs and Friday - and did eat something yesterday - seemed thirsty today,

Goldie was lowest in pecking order of our 7 Pullets - and usually is very active in outrunning any anticipated peck. I've always made sure she had extra food available in the Henhouse at night and for the early AM after the dominant ones are done. A 6 mo old RIR - Goldie is on day 3 of no energy, hunched and fluffed out, with lowered tail. She perked up a bit yesterday, but clearly was not moving much again today - her 3rd day with symptoms.

I'm unsure if egg impaction or worms. They are outside most of the time since July - and have a very securer HehHouse at night and for laying. The flock has never been treated for worms or had any antibiotic or vaccine. They did have some amprolium feed as chicks in their 2nd month and Corid a few days after moving outside. ACV occasionally. Feed has always had probiotics in it and they've had lots of greens, grit, and boiled eggshells by choice since they started laying.. She was pooping normally the first 2 days, but I saw wet white on her vent fluff both days, and this afternoon a yellowish drizzle...which is explainable either by the pumpkin or possible lash egg trying to come out. I checked her crop this morning - and it was empty and normal. She moved away when I went to check her vent. I don't see signs of constant vent flexing. Since she's not eating I doubt Peristaltic action is as active. I got a teeny bit of Coconut oil on her beak, this afternoon, not sure it can make a difference.

I scoop their hen-house daily, and refresh shavings on the poo board/roost area each time. I scoop what I can find in their run at least weekly, but it has been VERY wet this week. She has been laying almost daily since OCT 17, usually mornings and in less than a 25 hr re-charge. 2-3 times someone has laid a softshell and no shell yolk, and several times a very large double yolk egg. I did not think it could be here, since she has laid small dark eggs regularly in the same box....or I believed it was her. They get 12 hours of darkness for rest...but it is a city with garbage truck, airplane and train noise regularly. I sing to make them calm every day - if I notice any stress. Hope she makes it - but Idk If I can revive her. I don't have NutriDrench and the Farm Store was out. Should I mix up something for energy? I have an old EyeDrops bottle to try getting something under her tongue in the morning.

They have been eating pumpkin a lot for several days in addition to Eggland's Best Layer feed, and a handful of bird seed as snack added...that others usually get before she can eat. Otherwise, no situational change...except rainy and windy at night which probably affected sleep...and last week we had a cold snap.

She was standing hunched, fluffed out and looking sleepy, alone in the yard the first 2 days, today did not exit the Henhouse and as far as i can tell won't eat. She drank water with some ACV and melted Layer feed in it a few times today, but after returning from the Farm Store, now she is layng down, with eyes mostly closed and it's scaring me. The Feed store did not have a lot of things to try...so i have a 1 pd bag of Safe-Guard pellets - and I have NO IDEA how much to give to her - or others - should I divide it equally for 7, in equal 6 day portions and just try to feed each individually with it?

I have Corid - but have NOT seen bloody stools. Should I try some in their water at the same time? Stop ACV or stay with it during de-worming tx? I read about a variety of Wormers and found a 1 pound bag of Safe-Guard 0.5% in Pellets...type B for Beef, Type C for Horses. NO INFO for Chickens - and I'm guessing 1/3 dose as I see online for TURKEYS - but I can't do GRAMs at all...so I'm freaked out. I don't have a syringe and IDK if i can get her to eat any - she showed no interest in tuna earlier, which I mixed with a crushed Calcium Carbonate/VitD3 pill. The others went nuts for it and the dominant Chicks are hollering for more.

Please help if you can. We set up a crate indoors where their Brooder had been, and tomorrow will try a warm Epsom Salt bath - but now that she's off her feet I don't know if that is even safe to try. I think she did take a little food yesterday when she perked up for awhile. Could she just have an issue from overeating pumpkin - that is NOT a crop issue? I think most likely we gotta help her move eggs out. Additional Ideas are welcome. It breaks my heart to see her so listless. She didn't resist my picking her up with a towel as the others were clamoring for roosting postions. I hope sleep is the ticket...I'll look for a liquid nutri-drench alternative i can mix - hope a pellet or 2 of the wormer can be mixed right in, so I can get it under her tongue if needed. I did buy different Layer feed, Organic with Oyster Shell, in case she just wasn't having enough of the Eggland's Best Crumbles. My girl is so sweet, and so weak. Poor Goldie.
 
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Could you get some pictures of the droppings. Check her vent to make sure there are no maggots around her vent. SafeGuard pellets are really not easily dosed for treating worms. You would be better off using SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer or horse paste to worm them, or Valbazen. SafeGuard dosage is 0.25 ml per pound given once and again in 10 days to treat roundworms. Give it for 5 straight days to treat capillary worms.

Squiggly worms in dropping could be tapeworms or maggots. SafeGuard does not treat tapeworms. Equimax horse paste is good to treat tapeworms. Dosage is 0.16 ml given orally and repeated in 10 days. I would either get a fecal float by a vet on some fresh droppings, or post pictures of the poop.
 
Thanks for the replies. Goldie slept indoors for a while, then appears to have tried to get up one last time, and flopped down on her side and expired. Her wing was outstretched, head curved toward her chest, and her body was very stiff the first hour she died. I have to attempt a necropsy tomorrow, to see if it was an egg impaction, or if i can do something to prevent my other 6 chickens from getting this. Rest in Peace, Goldie.
 
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Sorry for your loss. If you do a necropsy, try to take pictures of her organs, especially the liver, intestines, and abdominal contents. You can also contact your state poultry vet in Salem to get a necropsy if you keep her body cold in a cooler, but do not freeze. Here is a list of state poultry vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm
 
I did a Backyard Necropsy and confirmed that internal laying was going on. Loads of gorey photos in an Article on the subject. I never saw any evidence of parasites so I did not treat the rest of the flock. Still wonder how to break down a 1 pound bag of SafeGuard Pellets to treat 6 Chickens however. Maybe I can figure out how to divide up the dosage by percent in the feed and 1/3 of what Turkey Tx is supposed to be? I'm not good at formulas - so I hope I get it right! idk if our state Extension service helps answer these kinds of questions. Willing to trade the bag to someone who has larger critters, in the Portland area.
 
I did a Backyard Necropsy and confirmed that internal laying was going on. Loads of gorey photos in an Article on the subject. I never saw any evidence of parasites so I did not treat the rest of the flock. Still wonder how to break down a 1 pound bag of SafeGuard Pellets to treat 6 Chickens however. Maybe I can figure out how to divide up the dosage by percent in the feed and 1/3 of what Turkey Tx is supposed to be? I'm not good at formulas - so I hope I get it right! idk if our state Extension service helps answer these kinds of questions.

Willing to trade the Rx bag to someone who has larger critters, in the Portland area...perhaps for some hatching eggs by March? Interested in EE, Olive Egger, Ameraucana, a variety of Legbars and Leghorns, esp Crested Cream Legbar, Prarie Egger, Red/Amber Star/Cinnamon Queen, Lohman Brown, Black Star, White Australorp. Cold hardy breeds only.
 

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