Hammerhead worms.

[Abriana]

Yoikes! Creepy...

 

[aart]

Honestly I wonder if this isn't what got my EE. Her abdomen was slightly squishy so I thought water belly. The thing is she ate alot of earthworms, i'd see her pull them up all day. I saw her not an hour earlier just being a chicken, at lunch she was in a perfect sitting position dead as a hammer.

Hard to say if there's be enough toxin....nothing I read mentioned any secondary 'victims', plus they pretty much eat what they poison, nor any predators as the taste wold be bitter.

Did you open her up to see what you could see?

 

[Johnny98]

My property has a fair amount of hammerhead worms, chickens have no problems with eating them, at least mine sure don't. Not bad for fishing either but they are usually too thin to get on a hook very easily.

Good to know that they are at least useful in keeping some yankees up where they belong.

 

[aart]

Good to know that they are at least useful in keeping some yankees up where they belong.

And the snow keeps ya'll down there

 

[Chickassan]

There would be more than enough, and since it works through injection, injestion or inhalation it could have been the worms if she didn't have sense enough not to eat them. If she did actually try to spit one out it wouldn't have been possible they are impossibly sticky. I didn't do a necropsy on her, wish I had now but honestly I wouldn't have known what to look for. The toxin blocks sodium channels so it would cause damage I couldn't see, I could have ruled out or determined water belly though.

Hard to say if there's be enough toxin....nothing I read mentioned any secondary 'victims', plus they pretty much eat what they poison, nor any predators as the taste wold be bitter.

Did you open her up to see what you could see?

How do you manage? They are solid sticky.

My property has a fair amount of hammerhead worms, chickens have no problems with eating them, at least mine sure don't. Not bad for fishing either but they are usually too thin to get on a hook very easily.

Good to know that they are at least useful in keeping some yankees up where they belong.

 

[JeanInPgh]

i just found these in my yard in pgh pa & its still winter here..So much for the info online that claims they cant survive outside in Pennsylvania (even tho all 3 species were discovered here first one is even NAMED after PA)

Last year i had never even seen one of these now my yard has HUNDREDS..
i was trying see if theres any way to kill them when I read they also produce the same neurotoxin as pufferfish & cane toads. thats good to KNOW

i just picked them up & threw them into a bottle of soapy water (along w the slugs) but these nasty creatures are under every rock I pick up
Does anyone know if slug bait would work on these?

 

[The Phantom]

 

[TheDuke148]

I found one up here in Chicago not too long ago. It was munching on an earthworm. I almost fed it to the chickens! Threw some salt on it, hope that helped.

 

[Chickassan]

Wow! I forgot about this thread!
I dont know if salt kills the nasty things but you seasoned the crap out of it for sure.

I found one up here in Chicago not too long ago. It was munching on an earthworm. I almost fed it to the chickens! Threw some salt on it, hope that helped.

 

[polka_dottie]

Just found this nightmare fuel in Western NY (south of Buffalo). Looks like the only way to actually kill them is with salt or vinegar as chopping them up results in creating two worms. Here's hoping the hens are still good!