How long should I treat my hens for coccidiosis and worms?

[Megfeenespo]

Hi there.
Back in June we had a sick hen, who we ended up taking in to the vet to verify what was wrong with her, in the interest of protecting the whole flock. We confirmed (through fecal testing) that she had both coccidiosis and worms (I cannot remember which type, now). She was also egg bound, poor girl. Sadly, that hen ended up dying, and we treated the rest of the flock (5 remaining hens) with Corid in their water for several weeks and 2 orally administered rounds of Valbazen (delivered 10 days apart). For a couple of months it seemed like everyone was doing really well. Then a few days ago, a noticed another one of our girls acting very lethargic and having difficulty eating. She also had a slightly messy butt, and was losing feathers. She expired today, and I am so distraught. I have kept hens in the past, and never had issues with parasites, but it seems this group, which we adopted, is having trouble overcoming the nasty bugs. We have 4 left now, and I want to do everything I can to ensure their current and future health. Assuming we have another eruption in either or both coccidiosis and worms, how long should I a) treat my gals for intervention, and then b) for prevention? At which point can I stop using the Corid and Valbazen? Many thanks in advance!

 

[nuthatched]

Was the recent hen that died showing signs of coccidiosis? or dropping showing signs of worms? What does your flock eat? where do they live?

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC.
There is something else going on besides coccidiosis and worms.
I suspect that your adopted hens have something else going on but I'm not certain what it could be.
IF another hen dies, I recommend that you contact your local extension office or state agriculture department or even your vet and see about shipping the bird off for necropsy to find out exactly what you're dealing with.
Birds should be put in the fridge and not frozen prior to shipment.

 

[Megfeenespo]

Welcome to BYC.
There is something else going on besides coccidiosis and worms.
I suspect that your adopted hens have something else going on but I'm not certain what it could be.
IF another hen dies, I recommend that you contact your local extension office or state agriculture department or even your vet and see about shipping the bird off for necropsy to find out exactly what you're dealing with.
Birds should be put in the fridge and not frozen prior to shipment.

Thank you, dawg53. That's very interesting. I just assumed it was coccidiosis and worms, since those were ailments identified by the vet who examined the first hen who was sick. I hope we don't lose another, but will consider your suggestions.

 

[Megfeenespo]

Was the recent hen that died showing signs of coccidiosis? or dropping showing signs of worms? What does your flock eat? where do they live?

Yes, she had these symptoms:

• Lethargy - definitely
• Diarrhea - possibly
• Loss of appetite
• No longer laying eggs ... I have to assume, as our egg count had gone down. We've also been dealing with severe heat, which I know affects production.
• Ruffled feathers .. more dirty feathers, which I think is indicative of worms? Same with feather loss.

I did not examine droppings for worms. She may have lost some weight. In addition to the symptoms listed above, it seemed like she was lacking coordination. She could reach up to drink water from the hung waterer, but struggled to make contact with food on the ground... like she strained to peck. Not sure if that was just loss of energy at the end.

The flock eats organic layer pellets, which we get from our local feed and garden store. They get scratch as a treat and meal worms. Though lately, with the heat, we give them frozen corn and peas instead of the scratch so as not to dehydrate. They get almost all of our kitchen scraps. except for the things we know are not good for hens. They have regular access to oyster shell and grit. And lately we've been digging black fly larvae/worms out of the compost to feed them too. I've also been putting a hen boost electrolyte mix in their water since its been so hot this summer.

They have a fully contained coop/hen house that is on stilts about 2 feet off the ground, with a run space under that, and then a generous, fenced in run beyond that ... roughly 96 square feet with an outdoor roost. We hang their feed to keep rodents out and their water to keep it cleaner. They have a super sweet setup that we worked hard to build. . Wish we could figure out what is going on with them!

Thanks for input.

 

[dawg53]

Yes, she had these symptoms:

• Lethargy - definitely
• Diarrhea - possibly
• Loss of appetite
• No longer laying eggs ... I have to assume, as our egg count had gone down. We've also been dealing with severe heat, which I know affects production.
• Ruffled feathers .. more dirty feathers, which I think is indicative of worms? Same with feather loss.

I did not examine droppings for worms. She may have lost some weight. In addition to the symptoms listed above, it seemed like she was lacking coordination. She could reach up to drink water from the hung waterer, but struggled to make contact with food on the ground... like she strained to peck. Not sure if that was just loss of energy at the end.

The flock eats organic layer pellets, which we get from our local feed and garden store. They get scratch as a treat and meal worms. Though lately, with the heat, we give them frozen corn and peas instead of the scratch so as not to dehydrate. They get almost all of our kitchen scraps. except for the things we know are not good for hens. They have regular access to oyster shell and grit. And lately we've been digging black fly larvae/worms out of the compost to feed them too. I've also been putting a hen boost electrolyte mix in their water since its been so hot this summer.

They have a fully contained coop/hen house that is on stilts about 2 feet off the ground, with a run space under that, and then a generous, fenced in run beyond that ... roughly 96 square feet with an outdoor roost. We hang their feed to keep rodents out and their water to keep it cleaner. They have a super sweet setup that we worked hard to build. . Wish we could figure out what is going on with them!

Thanks for input.

It sounds like your birds are well cared for and have a nice set up.
However, there are a couple of things that need to be addressed that contribute to coccidiosis and worm infections and this is just for your information:
Damp or wet moist soil conditions contributes to these infections. Scooping poop frequently helps deter these infections as well. Keeping everything as dry as possible is always best.

Where your feeder is hanging, like mine, I recommend putting a piece of plywood on the ground under the feeder. That way your birds wont have to peck the soil under or around the feeder to pick up and eat granules of feed. When birds do this, they can also pic up worm and coccidia eggs and swallow them. I place scrap plywood under my feeders and my birds are always penned. It's a simple deterrent.

Birds kept on the same soil will require frequent wormings. I'm sure you've heard of large livestock being rotated onto different pastures once in awhile. There's a reason for that, to keep the parasite load down. If kept on the same pasture, the livestock will get loaded up with worms and become sickly. It's the same with chickens, that's why I worm my birds monthly because they are always penned.
You can put sand in your pen to keep everything dry. Sand absorbs water and wont cause nasty mudpuddles that chicken love to drink from. Sand doesnt wash away like dirt or mud and dries quicker after it rains. It also deters parasites.

The last thing is to stop feeding them black fly larva and worms from the compost pile. They can be vectors for worm infections and no telling what else. If you want to give treats; give them dried meal worms bought at TSC or a feed store. Lucky for me, our Walmart carries them and are cheaper. Just give them a handful of dried mealworms for no more than once a week, too much may eventually cause gout.

 

[Megfeenespo]

It sounds like your birds are well cared for and have a nice set up.
However, there are a couple of things that need to be addressed that contribute to coccidiosis and worm infections and this is just for your information:
Damp or wet moist soil conditions contributes to these infections. Scooping poop frequently helps deter these infections as well. Keeping everything as dry as possible is always best.

Where your feeder is hanging, like mine, I recommend putting a piece of plywood on the ground under the feeder. That way your birds wont have to peck the soil under or around the feeder to pick up and eat granules of feed. When birds do this, they can also pic up worm and coccidia eggs and swallow them. I place scrap plywood under my feeders and my birds are always penned. It's a simple deterrent.

Birds kept on the same soil will require frequent wormings. I'm sure you've heard of large livestock being rotated onto different pastures once in awhile. There's a reason for that, to keep the parasite load down. If kept on the same pasture, the livestock will get loaded up with worms and become sickly. It's the same with chickens, that's why I worm my birds monthly because they are always penned.
You can put sand in your pen to keep everything dry. Sand absorbs water and wont cause nasty mudpuddles that chicken love to drink from. Sand doesnt wash away like dirt or mud and dries quicker after it rains. It also deters parasites.

The last thing is to stop feeding them black fly larva and worms from the compost pile. They can be vectors for worm infections and no telling what else. If you want to give treats; give them dried meal worms bought at TSC or a feed store. Lucky for me, our Walmart carries them and are cheaper. Just give them a handful of dried mealworms for no more than once a week, too much may eventually cause gout.

Hi there.

Thank you so much for all of this info. It is so helpful! I think you may have hit the nail on the head with the issue of damp/wet/moist conditions. Our girls are penned on dirt. I have a little sand in there, in the "holes" they've establish for dust baths. But recently it had become very wet down there because we thought it would be helpful to them to install a few misters along the top section of one end of the run to help cool the air temperature. We've been experiencing a record breaking hot summer. Between overuse of the misters (or from the sounds of it, use at all) and a recent thunder storm we had, it became very wet and muddy down there. We turned of the misters for awhile to let things dry up, but I bet the conditions for several days were prime for the establishment of coccidiosis and worm problems.

While I'm feeling terrible about our lack of awareness, I am also feeling very hopeful about the changes that we can easily make ... plywood under their feeder, adding more sand to the space, and raking up poop and kitchen scrap debris more frequently. We will also stop giving them worms from the compost. We assumed that would be a good/free protein treat. Once again ... introducing things without first researching. Learning as I go here.

Since we don't move them, it sounds like you would also recommend a monthly worming? Do you use Valbazen, or would you recommend something else? Should we also add Corid to the water regularly for the same reason? And what are your thoughts about egg withholding if we're medicating with these or other products?

Lastly, what are the first/earliest signs of both coccidiosis and worms? Hoping, with this new information, that we can avoid more in the future ... but if it persists, what is the best way to identify and rapid intervention measures to save a bird?

Many thanks again. I wish I had started using this community resource much sooner, but I'm grateful to be here now.

 

[dawg53]

Hi there.

Thank you so much for all of this info. It is so helpful! I think you may have hit the nail on the head with the issue of damp/wet/moist conditions. Our girls are penned on dirt. I have a little sand in there, in the "holes" they've establish for dust baths. But recently it had become very wet down there because we thought it would be helpful to them to install a few misters along the top section of one end of the run to help cool the air temperature. We've been experiencing a record breaking hot summer. Between overuse of the misters (or from the sounds of it, use at all) and a recent thunder storm we had, it became very wet and muddy down there. We turned of the misters for awhile to let things dry up, but I bet the conditions for several days were prime for the establishment of coccidiosis and worm problems.

While I'm feeling terrible about our lack of awareness, I am also feeling very hopeful about the changes that we can easily make ... plywood under their feeder, adding more sand to the space, and raking up poop and kitchen scrap debris more frequently. We will also stop giving them worms from the compost. We assumed that would be a good/free protein treat. Once again ... introducing things without first researching. Learning as I go here.

Since we don't move them, it sounds like you would also recommend a monthly worming? Do you use Valbazen, or would you recommend something else? Should we also add Corid to the water regularly for the same reason? And what are your thoughts about egg withholding if we're medicating with these or other products?

Lastly, what are the first/earliest signs of both coccidiosis and worms? Hoping, with this new information, that we can avoid more in the future ... but if it persists, what is the best way to identify and rapid intervention measures to save a bird?

Many thanks again. I wish I had started using this community resource much sooner, but I'm grateful to be here now.

We practically live in the Okefenokee swamp. So, I can tell you about heat and humidity, wet soil most of the time, deluges of rain etc etc etc....
Whether you worm your birds monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or once a year or never is your choice. It's your soil conditions that dictate how often you should worm your birds and you have to make that decision.

Corid should only be used if it's absolutely necessary, not to be used regularly.

I use a variety of wormers; Safeguard, Levamisole, Pyrantel Pamoate, Valbazen. Equimax or Zimecterin Gold for tapeworms only.
Valbazen is my go to wormer and I've been using it for a long time. Since Valbazen and Safeguard are benzimidazoles, they dont last long in the chickens system and are mostly excreted. That said, we eat the eggs after worming. However, if you believe that you or a family member may have a reaction to the minute residue in the eggs, by all means, toss the eggs in the garbage.

Earliest signs of coccidiosis and worms:
Anytime you see one or any of your birds acting "off" is the time to start observing the bird(s) in question. It may or may not be coccidiosis nor worms, it could be anything really.
The older the birds get, the less likely they'll have problems with coccidiosis. Again, soil conditions dictate how often you should worm.
You want to be proactive and not reactive, especially with chickens because they can "hide" their illness until it's too late to do anything about it.