I noticed that my little girl had a small spot of ringworm. Not big and I'm not really worried, after all, fungal not really a worm. But, i can't figure out where she got it. According to what I have learned, you can get it from contact with an infected person/animal, indirect contact with a surface, and most uncommon, soil. No one I know has it, no one else in the house shows having it, none of the pets have it. That leaves the chickens. Can the chickens even get ringworm? How do I check them for it and how do I make sure she doesn't get it from them again? thanks for any help with this Rachel
tbc, I thought it was considered common also. I pretty much thought little kids that grew up in then country generally got pin worms and ring worm from playing outside, and it was considered gross, bit dealt with using regular measures. then I go to read and it says soil has to be HIGHLY contaminated. What does that mean?
Getting ringworm from the soil is very common. I can attest to that! I am an avid gardener and I have picked it up myself from just working the soil in the spring and summer months. I have no idea who your source is, or what "highly contaminated" means. Just my experience. It is hard to eradicate if you get a bad case of it though. Ma
Two real common ways for petless people to get ringworm are a) petting other peoples' infected dogs or cats, or b) wearing clothing worn previously by someone with ringworm, e.g. thrift shop clothes. Google sez birds in general, and chickens in particular, can in fact get (and pass on) ringworm. However it is said to be uncommon, and Gail Damerow does not even mention it in Chicken Health Handbook (although the more I read that book the more inaccuracies I find, hmmmmm), so I doubt that it is at *all* common from chickens. Have you been to the Dr and had it definitively diagnosed as ringworm, though, since there are a LOT of various things, mostly assorted fungal infections, that can look like ringworm but strictly speaking are different things. Good luck, Pat
My boys get it from the wrestling mats sometimes. It's very contagious for cats and dogs.... once they get it it's very hard to get to clear up completely, though some seem to be more sucseptible (sp?) than others. You can use Lotramin or the cheaper Walmart anti-fungal cream. That works good. Gentian Violet will also kill, I hear. Have heard you can cover it in clear nail polish and that is sposed to smoother it, but we didn't have much luck with that. We use the cream whenever we get a small outbreak and keep him from rubbing it on his siblings and the dog Good luck......... I hate it as much as I hate head lice, which luckily we have had no bouts with for years now. Also, herbally...... black walnut is sposed to help with ringworm. And for those dealing with lice, a mixture of Tea tree and cinnamon oil.
Ma, my source was www, it kept mentioning those three ways. But then again, the CDC has it listed as "moderately contagious" which I think is false. i had always thought it was pretty easy to pick up in the dirt, and boy, has she played in the dirt this week. Not to mention we have been putting in fences and a lot of dust has been kicked up. I have not been to the Dr with her, and I may decide to go that route. It doesn't itch her and I find that sort of odd. But in appearances it certainly looks like it. I will put either tea tree or miconizole on it tonight. thanks for all your input, just hearing that getting it from the dirt is nice because I don't feel like I have to go on a wild hunt for where she got it. None of the animals have shown any sort of symptoms. Lets hope it stays that way. Rachel
I have 10 hens that are kept in a very well ventilated inside and outside with cover shelter. As a matter of fact, I haven't seen any chicken coops quite as elaborate and clean as ours. I clean it at least once a week by replacing the fir shavings and straw in the nesting boxes. I have 2 buffs, 2 rhodies, 2 silver lace, 2 araucanas and 2 leg horns. Awhile ago, the two rhodies started to lose their feathers under the front part of their necks. I never see them picking or anyone else picking at them. We've checked them for mites and find non. It hasn't gotten much worse, but not better either. Soon after one of the silver lace started to lose them there as well. No other chickens though. We started given them a supplement to make sure they aren't lacking in anything based on the "chicken lady" at our feed store. They currently eat organic layer pellet, organic cracked corn, free choice of oyster shell and grit. We give them lots of fresh veggies and fruit and that's it. Occassionally they are let out to free graze in the grass and dirt on our property. Recently I came down with ring worm. No idea how or where. No other animals have it that we can see and I certainly don't garden. It is on my thigh, higher than where my leg would be visible to anything when I wear shorts and I've been wearing pants for the last several weeks. I noticed it about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I'm wondering if possible my hens have it but it doesn't have the same circular shape as mine? Any suggestions for my hens would be greatly appreciated. I'm not worried about me, maybe grossed out and certainly shocked as to how I could have gotten it, but I'd like to solve the mystery with my hens. Thanks, Heather
I'm 45 years old and never had lice or ringworm until I moved to Texas!! I don't know that I even knew anyone with them. I also wondered where I got the ringworm but never suspected it could have come from the chickens. ETA: Oh yes, I forgot, my SIL and her girls had lice; the kind that was from a third world country and resistant to everything except kerosine. Yes, you heard me right, the stuff you burn in oil lamps.