Long struggle with worms

[trudyg]

I've been fighting a worm problem for some time now. In the poop, I see small, clear worms. I do not see rice-looking things, just these clear wrigglers. This is the same kind of worm I had years ago and Dawg53 was great help in clearing that up. So, I did a major coop clean, bleached roosts/poop tray/ ramps, sprayed everything well with permethrin spray, put new bedding and, after cutting/trimming the grass very short, put a 2" layer of sand in the areas where they dust bathe (under the raised coop and inside an outside shade structure). I dosed each of the 7 hens with Equimax and gave a spritz of permethrin under each wing the evening I cleaned the coop.

On day 7 after this, I dosed them with Equimax again and gave another spritz of permethrin. (No, I didn't see mite/lice, but I'm covering all my bases). So, 2 Saturday's in a row. Not even 7 days later, on Thursday, I go to scoop and there are worms again. I scoop daily and have been watching carefully, so this was a surprise. So, I once again dosed with Equimax. didn't see worms again during the week, dosed again 10 days later and, here we are, 8 days later and I see worms.

I wasn't thinking or I would have taken a picture. I dosed them the day before yesterday, same day I saw the worms (Thursday), so I don't expect to see any today. It appears to be only one poop pile that has the worms, but I can't figure out which one is the one who has them or I would isolate her. I am pulling the Equimax up into a small syringe and administering it directly into their mouth, and then putting the dosed ones in my shed until they are all done, so I know they each got a dose every time.

So, my question: should I try a different medication? If so, what? I know that I should watch each bird until she poops and then check for worms, to figure out who is the infected one. For some reason, probably my ADD, but I get distracted and then don't see it, but I'll keep trying. As an aside, if I'm using Equimax (which has ivermectin), wouldn't that also kill any lice/mites? Is it overkill to spritz the permethrin on the bird?

 

[dawg53]

I really need to see a close up photo or two of the feces in order to determine what's going on. Are you sure they arnt maggots? In hot weather they can show up in feces quicker than most people think. Check you birds thoroughly for fly strike. If any of them have poopy butt, there's the possibility that flies have laid eggs in it and when the bird poops, you see tiny maggots mixed in the feces, a precursor for fly strike.
Hold off on the Permethrin unless you actually see lice or mites on your birds or in the coops.
The easiest way to get rid of poopy butt in warm or hot temps is to wash their butt off with the sprayer on a garden hose, full blast if you have to. Then release them.

 

[trudyg]

Oh, yes, several have poopy butts. It's been so wet this year, hot and steamy here in the South. I feel like I had the flies under control, using vanilla car fresheners, keeping the poop scooped and letting them have the entire 4 acres to roam on instead of the 1/2 acre pen. I'll wash butts today. I don't like cold weather, but this wet, stormy summer is awful.

 

[dawg53]

Oh, yes, several have poopy butts. It's been so wet this year, hot and steamy here in the South. I feel like I had the flies under control, using vanilla car fresheners, keeping the poop scooped and letting them have the entire 4 acres to roam on instead of the 1/2 acre pen. I'll wash butts today. I don't like cold weather, but this wet, stormy summer is awful.

I can relate. I live further south of you on the south edge of the Okefenokee Swamp. It has done nothing but deluge rains every day this summer. One day partly sunny, 5 days deluges.

 

[trudyg]

Here's one picture. I separated the worms onto the roost, they look like longish brown cylinders amid the pdz.

 

[trudyg]

Sorry, I don't know how to make it bigger.

 

[dawg53]

Here's a Youtube video showing tapeworm segments in chicken poop. Look closely at the moving segments.

 

[dawg53]

I couldnt see the photos you posted close up, even when I magnified the pics they turned blurry. I couldnt tell if they were segments or maggots.

If they are segments, that means you've got to somehow prevent your birds from eating insects. Insects are the vector for tapeworm infections in your birds.
I know it may seem impossible to prevent your birds from eating insects, but you must somehow get the insect population under control.

Pen your birds up for a couple of months and treat your property where they forage with an insecticide. Do an initial application, then follow up in two weeks with a second application. Then, release your birds after two weeks, or if you choose, keep them penned. I keep my birds penned and they are as happy as can be. We have too many predators here to let them roam our property and is an automatic death sentence.

In the meantime, this will give you time to get your birds "clean" using the Equimax.

 

[trudyg]

The worms in the video are white compared to the ones I have, and smaller. Mine are probably twice as long and more clear. I'm going to assume they are maggots, if only because I've treated and the worms are back right away. Out of 7 hens, 2 have very dirty butts, 2 are marginal and the other 3 are clean. I've got some work to do. Thanks.

 

[dawg53]

The worms in the video are white compared to the ones I have, and smaller. Mine are probably twice as long and more clear. I'm going to assume they are maggots, if only because I've treated and the worms are back right away. Out of 7 hens, 2 have very dirty butts, 2 are marginal and the other 3 are clean. I've got some work to do. Thanks.

Yep, sounds like maggots. The tapeworm segments in the video dont get any bigger than that. Good luck.