Lethargic Hen, Low Appetite

[Eggcessive]

I would worm all of your chickens, since when one has them, others do. Worming depends on climate, and worming at least twice a year is about the norm. Most chickens would not need sugar water after worming. SafeGuard and Valbazen are both pretty gentle, working gradually to kill eggs. But it is up to you if you want to do that. Some people never worm, though. Keeping the bedding dry as possible is helpful. Sand is good to use in the run when it is wet. Good to hear your sick hen is a little better.

 

[Winchikn]

I would worm all of your chickens, since when one has them, others do. Worming depends on climate, and worming at least twice a year is about the norm. Most chickens would not need sugar water after worming. SafeGuard and Valbazen are both pretty gentle, working gradually to kill eggs. But it is up to you if you want to do that. Some people never worm, though. Keeping the bedding dry as possible is helpful. Sand is good to use in the run when it is wet. Good to hear your sick hen is a little better.

Thank you.

It gets very rainy and snowy in our part of British Columbia from November through spring (March-May). I will start to take more notice of the wet and worm cycles.

My bedding gets changed pretty regularly and I am slowly adding sand to my run but it's a large area, partly in our orchard, so I can only add so much ... and when the ground remains frozen underneath nothing drains!

The shock incident with my one hen worried me enough that I think it will make it a habit to give vitamin/electrolytes on day of worming, assuming this can do no harm.

Thanks again.

 

[Winchikn]

Another development - I think I'm dealing with tapeworms. I assumed roundworm because I've seen those in poop in the past but I just noticed these in another hen's poop this afternoon:

Can I use Safeguard to treat tapeworm? I also have piperazine or horse Ivermectin (10 mg/mL)? Will any of these work?

This is all I have on hand but I may be able to order other meds online to Canada... maybe.

Worm nightmare!!

 

[Winchikn]

**UPDATE - I found this medication available locally that contains moxidectin and praziquantel - posts indicate the latter is what I need. Is this safe to use?

ZOETIS Quest Plus Gel Horse Dewormer & Boticide, 0.4 fl oz (11.5 ml)​

Description
Quest Plus Gel (moxidectin/praziquantel) when administered at the recommended dose level of 0.4 mg moxidectin/kg and 2.5 mg praziquantel/kg (2.2 lb) body weight is effective in the treatment and control of gastrointestinal parasites in horses and ponies

I think can also get Eqvalan Gold (Ivermectin and praziquantel) just over an hour's drive away. Would that be preferable?

 

[Winchikn]

Closing this thread out, I hope, with an update that I got some Eqvalan Gold and dosed the four of my hens who seemed 'off' this morning - including the one who I'm 99% sure has tapeworms (who seems in fine form and is not the hen that prompted this thread - that hen has been improving since I treated her with Safeguard a few days ago, which indicates the antibiotics were not needed).

I found multiple poops with roundworms today and I think a couple with tapeworm proglottids or eggs. Not quite the tapeworm extravaganza I thought might come out, but I guess it's good that the ivermectin in the Eqvalan seems to be dealing with roundworms.

I'm concerned the tapeworms will be hard to eradicate but will redose with the Eqvalan in 10-14 days, and will worm my whole flock one more time for roundworm with wazine or safeguard a bit later in spring once things dry up a little more

For now, I think the acute situation is under control!