First time worming questions.

[Canadianislupus]

I'm worming my chickens for the first time this spring and I have a few important questions first. I was able to find Safegaurd 10% paste and Piperazine dihyrochloride 53% powder. I am also 99% positive that some of the flock has gape worms. Which product would be the best to use? What dose and treatment plan would best deal with gape worms? Also what would the withdrawal period for not eating the eggs be? And would I be able to hatch the eggs I cannot eat, or would the wormer cause problems for the baby chicks?

 

[dawg53]

I'm worming my chickens for the first time this spring and I have a few important questions first. I was able to find Safegaurd 10% paste and Piperazine dihyrochloride 53% powder. I am also 99% positive that some of the flock has gape worms. Which product would be the best to use? What dose and treatment plan would best deal with gape worms? Also what would the withdrawal period for not eating the eggs be? And would I be able to hatch the eggs I cannot eat, or would the wormer cause problems for the baby chicks?

Take fresh fecal samples to a vet for testing before giving your birds any wormer. Gapeworm are rare in chickens. Piperazine will not treat gapeworm and safeguard paste isnt very effective in treating gapeworm.

 

[Canadianislupus]

My chickens show symptoms of gapeworms, other illnesses have been ruled out, and they have indirect contact with the local wild ring neck pheasants who are known to carry and spread gapeworms. I have also been told time and time again by breeders and other chicken keepers that they worm their chickens on a regular yearly schedule especially when they are using them for breeding. Also because they are kept outdoors they are almost guaranteed to have picked up some type of worm from the many mice/frogs they have consumed. Cats and dogs are wormed regularly for the same reasons.

 

[casportpony]

Dawg is correct, they are rare, but can be treated with Safeguard horse paste. The dose in the pictures below works out to 0.3 ml per kg. Paste or liquid, it's the same amount. I treated a hen with them once, but I think I gave her 0.5ml per kg for five days because I wanted to also treat for capillary worms.

Gapeworm info pictures:




Hope this helps.

-Kathy

 

[Canadianislupus]

Thank you very much! I realize that gapeworms are rare but some chickens show symptoms (gaping, wheezing, raspy voice) with no nasal or ocular discharge or other indicators of ill health. I live on a property frequented by ring necks. They even do their mating displays here. The area my coop and run is located on definitely had been frequented by them as well before it was fenced off. So in my opinion they are very likely to have been exposed to gapeworm.

 

[casportpony]

It sure won't hurt to treat them. FWIW, I read that it might be possible to detect them in young birds by shining a bright light through their trachea. Let me see if I can find that.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2653&Itemid=2942
Harm caused by Syngamus trachea, symptoms and diagnosis

Syngamus trachea can be very harmful, especially for young birds. They are usually not a problem in modern operations under confinement conditions. But they can be a serious problem in free-range poultry, particularly if the birds have access to humid environments with abundant intermediate hosts (earthworms, snails, etc.). These worms are often a problem in pheasant farms. In regions with a cold winter infections occur mainly during late spring and summer, along with the peaks in the populations of intermediate hosts.
A few worms are usually well tolerated, especially by adult birds, which usually develop natural resistance if previously exposed to the worms. But in heavy infections the worms cause inflammation of the wall of the trachea and an increased mucus production, sometimes mixed with blood leaking from the small injuries caused by the worms. Clinical signs include coughing, sneezing and respiratory disturbances. Initially the birds try to expel the worms vigorously shaking their heads. Later they repeatedly gape and breathe with a hissing sound. They refuse to drink, lose appetite and weight and become apathetic. Anemia can also occur. Deaths can happen, particularly in young birds.
Diagnosis can be confirmed in young birds through direct observation of the trachea against a strong light (after displacing the neck feathers and pulling the skin): adult worms can be seen inside the trachea. Characteristic eggs can also be detected in samples of the feces or of tracheal mucus.

 

[Canadianislupus]

Thank you, I had no idea you could see them like that! the youngest showing symptoms is 23 weeks old so I will try that with her around dusk so it will be easier to see if it works. If it does I will try to take pictures. So the treatment is 0.3ml per kg for 5 days, do I repeat after 10 days? How long before I can eat the eggs after? And would it be okay to hatch the eggs or would it negatively effect the hatchlings?

 

[casportpony]

Thank you, I had no idea you could see them like that! the youngest showing symptoms is 23 weeks old so I will try that with her around dusk so it will be easier to see if it works. If it does I will try to take pictures. So the treatment is 0.3ml per kg for 5 days, do I repeat after 10 days? How long before I can eat the eggs after? And would it be okay to hatch the eggs or would it negatively effect the hatchlings?

I don't know if one *has* to repeat in ten days, but many of the people in the peafowl forum do. Folk in the peafowl forum also say that haven't seen any negative side effect from incubating eggs laid during treatment, but some literature say not to.

fenbendazole pictures:



-Kathy