I am so demoralized at this point...

[FunnyBunny89]

Something I would recommend is that if your property is contaminated I would spray your entire property with permethrin. No permethrin will not kill tapeworms, but it will kill the insects that carry them. When we moved here we had to go scorched earth and sprayed three times a year with permethrin. Our property was infested with ticks and sand fleas which both carry tapeworms so I wasn’t messing around. Not to mention the ticks were so bad my dog had 40 ticks on her just from being outside for 30 minutes (she had just taken her flea and tick med a week before). My kids couldn’t play outside without being doused in deet and still I would find ticks on them. I couldn’t do chores without being covered in sand flea bites even with jeans and boots on. It was horrendous to say the least. We now spray once a year in the spring and haven’t had any issues.

That tick problem sounds terrifying! I'm glad you were able to get a handle on it. Sheesh.

 

[FunnyBunny89]

You're correct, they are definitely tapeworm segments. Insects are the vector for tapeworm infections in poultry. It's nearly impossible to eliminate insects in the environment, but not all insects are tapeworm infected.

You are also correct that wild birds can be a carrier from eating infected insects, then excreting their contaminated feces onto your property. I've had this happen many years ago when I lived in south Georgia. It was a constant battle and at the time, due to migrating Robins during the Fall. I had about 20 chickens and at least half of them were tapeworm infected.

I caged infected chickens in the garage for treatment and inspected poop each morning under roosts inside the coops each morning before letting the chickens out for the day. That way I could easily see which birds excreted the contaminated poop containing segments. I also had the time to follow them around the yard while they foraged first thing in the mornings inspecting their poop for segments, then I could catch the bird and cage her for treatment. I was an official chicken poop inspector.

It was an ongoing battle but perseverance eventually paid off. Also, we got freezing temps which killed off the vector for the tapeworm eggs which are insects. The soil froze and killed and wiped out the eggs also.

Tapeworm infected birds can cause blood to show up in feces, same with other worms. I know this from experience. It's not coccidiosis in your birds, it's the tapeworms.

I've dealt with lice and mites as well. Just follow the instructions in post #3.
You'll get through all this eventually, I did.
Here's pics of caged tapeworm infected birds in my garage many years ago:

View attachment 3988536View attachment 3988537

Okay, I took one of my hens to the vet this morning (for unrelated reasons) and she also told me that the cold temps and rain should wipe out any tapeworms in the dirt around the coop. That's a relief! I only have one bird right now showing worms in her poop, so hopefully one or two treatments is all it takes and maybe we will finally be in the clear. I had my hen's poop checked at the vet, no coccidiosis. So I will forego corid after all.

Okay, I bombed the coop today after vacuuming up all the feathers and loose materials. The vet said the lice load on my hen was very small, so my efforts are paying off in that regard. I'll just keep checking them for the next few weeks and treat as I find them. The dust I used in the coop is supposed to be good for 28 days so I shouldn't have to dust again, theoretically.

Man! What a marathon today was! I literally got everything out of the coop, bombed it, restocked the feeders, and got everything back in to the coop moments before a major rainstorm came out of the blue. We had zero rain on the forecast

 

[FunnyBunny89]

If you get the chance, please post a photo with worms in the poop. I'd like to identify them to ensure you're dealing with tapeworms rather than one of the several types of roundworms which might require a different wormer to eliminate them.
I forgot to add that worms can cause blood in feces if left untreated.

There's an easy way to deal with lice or mites inside a coop. Please read post #3 in this link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mites.1336970/#post-21863007

Thank you very much for this list and all the information you shared. It helped me a lot. It's hard for me when I start to feel alone and isolated while dealing with difficult issues, and I am definitely the only one willing and able to care for my chickens none of my mom friends who have chickens ever dealt with tapeworm or lice, so they didn't have any tips to offer. Hearing from someone who has dealt with it is much more reassuring. I appreciate it!

 

[dawg53]

Thank you very much for this list and all the information you shared. It helped me a lot. It's hard for me when I start to feel alone and isolated while dealing with difficult issues, and I am definitely the only one willing and able to care for my chickens none of my mom friends who have chickens ever dealt with tapeworm or lice, so they didn't have any tips to offer. Hearing from someone who has dealt with it is much more reassuring. I appreciate it!

It can be frustrating at times but once you get everything under control, everything runs smoothly like clockwork. Keep up the good work!