Newby issue with Cecal worms

[BenSeb]

Hi

We've had 6 hens for around 3 months now and they have been very healthy and happy, all laying fine.

We chose to use the deep litter system and it's been working well, no smells, etc. We've been turning it weekly and adding fresh bedding to the top layer and cleaning the perches. We've also added lots of DE powder around the coop and run, mainly to prevent red mite (no issues so far..), and ACV to their water.

Thought we were doing so well as they are all so happy, but we went on holiday for a couple of weeks and when we came back, were told 1 or 2 of the hens seemed a bit off and were having loose foamy poos and had dirty, ruffled bums.

We suspected worms, so I ordered some Verm-X to give them and have done this for 3 consecutive days (double dose).

Today I noticed the hen that seemed to be affected the most had a poo and you could visible see the worms moving - all tiny (a few mm) white worms, so I'm suspected Cecal worms from my google skills...

I'm hoping not to use any chemical wormer as we've kept the hens organic so far, and eat the eggs each day.

I feel we've been a bit negligent in not de-worming them regularly but wasn't aware this was required.

They free range most of the day, and I've been laying some wood chip down in the run so they are not walking in the dirt/poo.

Does this present an issue with us using deep litter as I'm concerned the coop will have lots of eggs in if so, do we need to do a full clean and start again?

Any tips to clear this up? Many thanks

 

[coach723]

A picture of the worms would help, but if they look like this they are tapeworm segments.

Usually if they are visible in droppings its either tapeworm or roundworm.
Verm-x is herbal, and while I don't want to start an argument, my experience is that herbals are fine for prevention, but once you have an infection you need to resort to chemicals to treat. If they are tapeworm then a product with praziquantel is best and easiest for treating them. Where are you located generally? It will be easier to get suggestions for specific products that way. If they are tapeworm then the method of infection is via a vector, meaning they eat another critter that is infected with them, like earthworms, slugs, etc. Roundworms on the other hand are direct infection via picking the eggs up directly from the soil.

 

[dawg53]

Here's a pic of chicken cecal worms for comparison with Coach's video of tapeworm segments.

 

[BenSeb]

Thanks for the replies. Here’s a pict, is this any help?

 

[dawg53]

Those are tapeworm segments. Buy Equimax equine wormer at the feed store and give a regular pea size amount of the paste orally to each chicken, then repeat again in 10 days.
Your birds have been eating infected insects which are the vector for tapeworms.

 

[dawg53]

Save your money, dont buy Verm-X nor DE. Here's a link regarding Verm-X.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2012/01/ve...eal-evidence-to-show-it-is-safe-or-effective/

 

[BenSeb]

Thanks for the info

Any organic suggestions for sorting or is the only option pharmaceuticals? (What do organic poultry keepers do in this situation)

 

[dawg53]

Thanks for the info

Any organic suggestions for sorting or is the only option pharmaceuticals? (What do organic poultry keepers do in this situation)

When using organics, there are some things to consider and ask:
What are the proper dosages for each chicken by weight vs organic product? How long and how much to dose in order to be effective, if effective at all? Is there a risk of overdose? Are there side effects? How about contraindications with other products? Withdrawal periods for eggs or meat? Are there official studies regarding the products safety, health, and welfare of chickens rather than a blogger or hearsay? Proof of the products testing?
Do you have a dog or cat, and do you worm them monthly to prevent heartworm and other worms, ticks and fleas? If you or a loved one had worms, would you use organics, or go to your doctor and get wormer medication?

Chickens are more susceptible picking up worm eggs from the soil than any other animal because they constantly peck the ground. They pick up the eggs and are ingested then excreted and then eggs become infective. Then the chicken picks them up again and is infected internally. That is called the Direct lifecycle. When chickens eat infected insects such as your birds have done, it is called the Indirect lifecycle.
If you get the chance, take look at the poultry worms Direct and Indirect lifecycles along with symptoms of each worm that chickens can get, and the end result which is death unless treated with tested and proven chemicals.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you want to dose by weight you can use 0.03 ml of Equimax per pound of weight. For example, a 5 pound chicken will get 0.15 ml or 15 hundreths of an ml.

 

[coach723]

Agree with @dawg53 completely. Most herbal wormers 1. focus on prevention rather than treatment 2. many contain laxative herbs to 'flush' out the worms 3. are required to be used year round in some fashion in order to be 'effective' resulting in costs as much or more than the chemicals.
I did not find them effective and gave up on them long ago. Pumkin seeds, squash seeds, and DE were not effective. The only 'proof' I've found is anecdotal and there is never a mention of testing before treatment to ensure that there were worms and what kind, or testing after treatment to make sure the treatment worked. My chickens are much healthier overall being wormed with an effective product at intervals appropriate to my environmental worm load.
If you get a fecal done they can identify the exact type of tapeworm (there are many) which can identify the interim host, which may help you in reducing that and lessening incidence of infection.