I think my chicken has worms, I am a first time chicken keeper and am not sure what to do.

[AspenChicken]

Hi,

I think my 6 month old speckled sussex has worms. She just started laying about two weeks ago, not sure if that is relevant.

Yesterday I noticed she did a foamy looking poop, I think it was a cecal poop because there was no white cap and it was soft looking. I didn't take a picture of it. It was like partly formed and partly foamy with tiny bubbles, it was a lighter more mustardy brown than the usual dark brown ones. Today she did another cecal poop (I think, again no white cap) that was not foamy and was more solid and clumpy looking. I decided to examine it since it seemed weird, and because i was worried about worms from her foamy poop yesterday. It looks like the poop has little stringy things in it which I suspect are worms, maybe I am imagining things but i thought i saw them.

I'm including a gross picture, sorry!

I'm not sure what to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. There are 3 other girls in the flock, I haven't noticed anything with them. Should I treat my speckled sussex, or all of the girls? Should I isolate her? Her behavior is totally normal.

Thanks so much

 

[LizzzyJo]

If you could collect a poop and run it under water on a towel so that you could see any worms more clearly it would help. I don't want you treating for worms if there are none. Her being a first time layer could be stirring up her system a bit.

 

[AspenChicken]

If you could collect a poop and run it under water on a towel so that you could see any worms more clearly it would help. I don't want you treating for worms if there are none. Her being a first time layer could be stirring up her system a bit.

That is a good idea, the things I think are the worms are so small its kind of hard to tell what is going on.

 

[Tonyroo]

What is she eating? And does she free range in your yard?

 

[AspenChicken]

What is she eating? And does she free range in your yard?

She is eating Texas naturals layer crumble feed, we give them mealworms and table/kitchen scraps, and yes she free ranges in the yard for a few hours on most days. They have a pretty big run too with piles of leaves and plant debris so they scratch around in there.

 

[Tonyroo]

I don't see visible signs of worms. Her poop is on a patterned rock which makes it difficult to see.

You should take pictures of poop samples from her and post it here to be sure.

 

[AspenChicken]

I don't see visible signs of worms. Her poop is on a patterned rock which makes it difficult to see.

You should take pictures of poop samples from her and post it here to be sure.

Thank you, I will try to do that, you're right its not the best picture

 

[LizzzyJo]

Worms are very tied to area, I've found. Some keepers have to treat all the time and some (myself included) not at all. It has to do with microclimate, cleanliness, free ranging, and a thousand other factors. All of this to say that worms are not inevitable and treating for them should not feel like a common place happening or obligation. Let's first find out for sure what is in that poo!

 

[Tonyroo]

I looked up your chicken feed it seem very limited in nutrition.

 

[AspenChicken]

Worms are very tied to area, I've found. Some keepers have to treat all the time and some (myself included) not at all. It has to do with microclimate, cleanliness, free ranging, and a thousand other factors. All of this to say that worms are not inevitable and treating for them should not feel like a common place happening or obligation. Let's first find out for sure what is in that poo!

I'm in Houston, TX and I've heard that in the south theres a lot of worm activity going on. The breeder I got them from told me to give them ivermectin four times a year but I haven't done that because it seems like theres a lot of controversy on whether it is effective or not. I've been doing some research now and it seems like the general consensus is its ok for chickens to have some worms so at least its not a dire emergency.