Narcolepsy/Lethargy & Miraculous Worm Cure...Too good to be true?

[mbfarms]

I was given 3 young pullets several months ago (wyandottes & speckled sussex). First one of the W started showing signs of lethargy and extreme fatigue that bordered on narcolepsy. She would literally fall asleep in the middle of the lawn. She was killed by a dog. Then the other W started having the same symptoms and within days was taken by an owl. (Before everyone starts to think I'm a terrible mother, these are really the only losses we've had and in retrospect I like to tell myself that it was because they were so weak). When I noticed the same symptoms in the third pullet, I knew from reading on BYC and from friends' advice that it could be worms. I treated her and the rest of my flock on Saturday with febendazole. Within a day she was much better and by today she's seemingly normal.

So my question is: Do wormers act that quickly? Or was it likely something else that has resolved itself without intervention?

Any advice based on your experience with worming and these symptoms would be SO VERY MUCH appreciated!

Thank you.
Mary Beth

 

[dawg53]

Yes, most wormers work quickly...a difference between night and day. Give them buttermilk mixed with scrambled egg for a couple of days to rebuild their immune system and strength. Reworm them again in 10 days to kill worm larva hatched from eggs missed by the first worming. Then give them another few days of buttermilk mixed with eggs. There's a 14 day withdrawal period after using fenbendazole.

 

[mbfarms]

Thank you. I've been giving them yogurt, which they seem to love. Will that work as effectively as buttermilk?

We have been holding back eggs, thank for the reminder. I'm wondering if they are safe for animal use? For example could I feed them to the dogs or even to the hens? Seems a shame to waste eggs they've worked so hard on!

 

[mbfarms]

And as long as I'm asking questions, do you regularly medicate your flock? We live in a very dry desert area, where ticks and fleas cannot survive. (I only give that as an indication of the climate.) The sick hens all came from a much wetter, more humid climate, which may be why they got sick and noone else did?

Based on this do you have any advice as to how often/when I should preventively medicate for worms?

Also, do you recommend reworming with the same product or something else to prevent systemic tolerance to the medication?

 

[dawg53]

Buttermilk is more easily absorbed than yogurt. Yogurt tends to pass through them. I dont recommend feeding eggs back to dogs, check with your vet first. Some dogs might be allergic to fenbendazole/panacur. I dont recommend feeding the eggs back to your chickens, this will extend the withdrawal period due to the wormer residue in the eggs. More importantly it helps build worm resistance the next time fenbendazole is used. It's best to toss the eggs in the garbage. Since you live in a desertlike area, you might only need to worm your birds once a year. Worms weaken a birds immune system, opening the door for all types of diseases to invade their systems. A worming schedule is best to keep your birds healthy. It's best to rotate wormers. I mainly use safeguard (fenbendazole) and valbazen (albendazole.)

 

[mbfarms]

Thanks, Dawg53. I actually wormed with fenbendazole based on some of your advice I had read posted elsewhere. I'm hoping to put mine on a rotating 6 mo schedule, worming all brown egg layers at one time and six mo later worming the colored egg layers. That way I won't be eggless again! I also ended up having to treat a girl for a bacterial respiratory thing. Also used your advice I found posted somewhere regarding use of Tylan50. Worked like a charm, but alas, having to hold back eggs yet again. Boo hiss. DYK the suggested hold back by chance? It's been a week, and I'm thinking 2 weeks?
Thank you for being such a great source of reliable info here!

 

[dawg53]

Seven days after using the tylan 50? The eggs are safe to eat. Tylan passes quickly out of their system.

 

[mbfarms]

Thank you. You are so right about the quick-acting Tylan. One of my hens had had the same thing but got over it on her own. The second kept getting worse until I finally injected the Tylan. Within hours her cough was gone. She was a new bird!

I just read through this feed since it's been a while since we started it, and I have a couple of quick followups regarding wormers.
1) If the chickens (I have 1 roo) do not show signs of worms, I will still medicate at least 1 time per year. But should I still medicate twice at 10 day intervals? Or is that only for chix showing signs of illness? (I did do that when they were sick, both times with fenbendazole)
2) When you say to rotate wormers, do you recommend rotating between annual/semiannual preventive treatments or do you mean at the 10 day interval?

Thank you in advance!
Mary Beth

 

[dawg53]

1. Medicate twice at 10 day intervals.
2. Either is acceptable, it's up to you how to rotate wormers.