Hens have worms

[Juststartinout]

when I was cleaning out the coop today I noticed a fresh poop that was a bit runny with little white worms wiggling around. I am new to the backyard chicken community, as well as to being a chicken owner. I have been eating the eggs from my girls. Clearly at least one of them has worms. I’m grossed out. I searched to see if there was information concerning the safety of eating eggs from a hen with worms. I have not been able to find any information concerning eating eggs of an infected hen prior to worming them. can anyone offer advice?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a picture? I worry that the tiny worms may be maggots. Are they moving in fresh poop? Can you examine some of the hen’s vent areas to see if they have poopy vents or maggots one the vent openings? This is known as fly strike, and can be deadly. Maggots are fly eggs that hatch, and can eat through the body’s skin. Treatment for fly strike is to give a lukewarm soak in a little dish soap and water, or in Epsom salts water. Betadine or chlorhexidene may be added to disinfect the skin. Here is some reading about fly strike:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes/

 

[DLA]

Do you have a picture? I worry that the tiny worms may be maggots. Are they moving in fresh poop? Can you examine some of the hen’s vent areas to see if they have poopy vents or maggots one the vent openings? This is known as fly strike, and can be deadly. Maggots are fly eggs that hatch, and can eat through the body’s skin. Treatment for fly strike is to give a lukewarm soak in a little dish soap and water, or in Epsom salts water. Betadine or chlorhexidene may be added to disinfect the skin.

If it isn't maggots and you rule that out then most chickens that spend time outside eating bugs and stuff in the yard carry some sort of worm load. Get the poop tested to find out what kind of worms you're dealing with so you can get the proper dewormer. Some of those have a period of time where you shouldn't eat the eggs.

 

[Juststartinout]

Do you have a picture? I worry that the tiny worms may be maggots. Are they moving in fresh poop? Can you examine some of the hen’s vent areas to see if they have poopy vents or maggots one the vent openings? This is known as fly strike, and can be deadly. Maggots are fly eggs that hatch, and can eat through the body’s skin. Treatment for fly strike is to give a lukewarm soak in a little dish soap and water, or in Epsom salts water. Betadine or chlorhexidene may be added to disinfect the skin. Here is some reading about fly strike:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes/

Sorry about the delay, I myself seem to have come down with some kind of a stomach bug.

Do you have a picture? I worry that the tiny worms may be maggots. Are they moving in fresh poop? Can you examine some of the hen’s vent areas to see if they have poopy vents or maggots one the vent openings? This is known as fly strike, and can be deadly. Maggots are fly eggs that hatch, and can eat through the body’s skin. Treatment for fly strike is to give a lukewarm soak in a little dish soap and water, or in Epsom salts water. Betadine or chlorhexidene may be added to disinfect the skin. Here is some reading about fly strike:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes/

No poopy vents or maggots!
I do have a hen that is ill and is quarantined. She is the only one with a pasty vent but no worms in her droppings.
I was in the coop a few times today and all the droppings looked ok. I am still wirried about eating the eggs.

 

[coach723]

Most of the time you will not see worms in droppings, they live their entire life cycle inside the bird and are digested after they die. Seeing them in droppings can sometimes indicate a heavy load of worms. Eating the eggs is not an issue, while it can happen that a worm can get into an egg, it's fairly rare, and you would see it when you cracked the egg. It would be dead, and most worms are host specific and don't cross species. I deal with roundworm all the time and eat the eggs, no worries. If you cannot get a fecal test done, then I would recommend that you worm them (if you are quite certain that what you saw was not any kind of maggot). Since you don't know what worm exactly I would recommend that you get some Valbazen (it's labled for cattle, you can buy it online) and worm them all. For a standard sized bird the dose is 0.5 ml orally, and then repeat that dose in 10 days, that will take care of everything except tapeworm. You can also use Safeguard, but since you don't know what worm specifically you would need to treat for 5 days in a row, and the dose is .23 ml per pound of body weight.

 

[Juststartinout]

Most of the time you will not see worms in droppings, they live their entire life cycle inside the bird and are digested after they die. Seeing them in droppings can sometimes indicate a heavy load of worms. Eating the eggs is not an issue, while it can happen that a worm can get into an egg, it's fairly rare, and you would see it when you cracked the egg. It would be dead, and most worms are host specific and don't cross species. I deal with roundworm all the time and eat the eggs, no worries. If you cannot get a fecal test done, then I would recommend that you worm them (if you are quite certain that what you saw was not any kind of maggot). Since you don't know what worm exactly I would recommend that you get some Valbazen (it's labled for cattle, you can buy it online) and worm them all. For a standard sized bird the dose is 0.5 ml orally, and then repeat that dose in 10 days, that will take care of everything except tapeworm. You can also use Safeguard, but since you don't know what worm specifically you would need to treat for 5 days in a row, and the dose is .23 ml per pound of body weight.

Sorry for being so late to respond. I wormed the flock and am happy to say worm free

 

[SAMnELLA]

What did you use to deworm them, please. I have a hen that has white threadlike worms ? in her watery poop. I've never seen this before, help.

 

[coach723]

You can use Safeguard Liquid Goat wormer or Safeguard horse paste, those are usually available locally. Or Valbazen, that is labeled for cattle and usually has to be ordered online. If you have birds that are molting then Valbazen is a better choice, Safeguard may cause feather growth issues. Many have used Safeguard during molt with no issues, but some say that they have seen feather issues with it if used during molt, so it's possible.
Both are dosed orally, so you will need an oral syringe. It's not difficult to do.
Safeguard dose (for either form) is .25 ml per pound of body weight, dose 5 days in a row. Valbazen dose is .5 ml for a standard sized bird, two doses 10 days apart. ( Actual math for Valbazen dose is "weight in lbs / 2.2 X 20 mg /113.6" )

An inexpensive digital kitchen scale works well to get weights.
Lock them in the coop at dark, go out before first light in the morning and take them off the roosts and dose them one at a time (I would worm them all), put them in the run after, when the coop is empty you've done them all. They are usually calmer in the dark, for any that don't like to be held you can wrap them in a towel like a burrito, to hold their wings.
Pull down on the wattles, put the medication in the beak, more towards the front no more than .5 ml at a time, and let them swallow. Repeat until the whole dose is given. Don't squirt it forcefully, you don't want them to aspirate the medication. If using one of the liquids, shake it up well before drawing the dose, it settles out. You can get oral syringes at most tractor supply stores and many feed stores down to about 3 ml size. Most pharmacies carry oral syringes, just ask, they will probably have 1 ml size. You can also buy them on amazon, I buy them in bulk.

 

[SAMnELLA]

You can use Safeguard Liquid Goat wormer or Safeguard horse paste, those are usually available locally. Or Valbazen, that is labeled for cattle and usually has to be ordered online. If you have birds that are molting then Valbazen is a better choice, Safeguard may cause feather growth issues. Many have used Safeguard during molt with no issues, but some say that they have seen feather issues with it if used during molt, so it's possible.
Both are dosed orally, so you will need an oral syringe. It's not difficult to do.
Safeguard dose (for either form) is .25 ml per pound of body weight, dose 5 days in a row. Valbazen dose is .5 ml for a standard sized bird, two doses 10 days apart. ( Actual math for Valbazen dose is "weight in lbs / 2.2 X 20 mg /113.6" )

An inexpensive digital kitchen scale works well to get weights.
Lock them in the coop at dark, go out before first light in the morning and take them off the roosts and dose them one at a time (I would worm them all), put them in the run after, when the coop is empty you've done them all. They are usually calmer in the dark, for any that don't like to be held you can wrap them in a towel like a burrito, to hold their wings.
Pull down on the wattles, put the medication in the beak, more towards the front no more than .5 ml at a time, and let them swallow. Repeat until the whole dose is given. Don't squirt it forcefully, you don't want them to aspirate the medication. If using one of the liquids, shake it up well before drawing the dose, it settles out. You can get oral syringes at most tractor supply stores and many feed stores down to about 3 ml size. Most pharmacies carry oral syringes, just ask, they will probably have 1 ml size. You can also buy them on amazon, I buy them in bulk.

Thankyou, I already used the safeguard horse dewormer today.