That's a roundworm. Wazine can be used for roundworms and mixed in water (won't treat any other worm), Safeguard liquid goat wormer or Valbazen can be used direct dose to each bird two doses 10 days apart. Roundworms are pretty common and easily picked up from the environment, so I'd treat the whole flock, and reinfection is common, you may have to worm regularly to keep them controlled. Some people worm once or twice a year, some more often depending on the worm load in your environment.
That is a roundworm, one of only two kinds that I know of that can be seen without a microscope. Valbazen or SafeGuard liquid goat wormer are good to use to get most chicken worms. Those are best given orally to each chicken. Valbazen 1/2 ml given once and repeated in 10 days is the dosage. SafeGuard dosage is 1/4 ml per pound once and repeated in 10 days is the right dosage. It also can be given for 5 straight days to treat difficult worms, such as capillary worms. Wazine 13 is only useful to treat roundworms, but not other worms, although it can be used in the water for 24 hours. Vets may be able to check poop specimens for both worms and what type, and to check for coccidiosis.
Thank you!!!
I have 50 chickens so using Wazine in the water seems more practical to me?!?
And a vet isn’t an option @Eggcessive
You say valbazen and safeguard is given best orally but can it be administered through drinking water?
Safeguard and Valbazen have to be given direct dose, they will not mix in water, they will settle out. The only possible issue with Wazine is that it is dependent on them drinking enough water to get the appropriate dose. If a bird is sick, weak, or low in the pecking order and kept from the water that could possibly prevent them getting enough. I do 28 birds (currently) direct dose every 3 months. I lock them up in the coop the night before, go out before dawn and take them off the roosts one by one, dose them and put them in the run. When the coop is empty, I'm finished.
There are two other products that I know of that are water soluble (I've never personally used either one - same concerns would apply to dosing in water), those are Wormout Gel, and Safeguard Aquasol which is very expensive.
Valbazen or SafeGuard liquid or paste will settle out in water. There is a new product called SafeGuard Aquasol that can be used in the water for 5 straight days. It is expensive though. For just treating roundworms, Wazine is the easiest and least expensive. It does not guarantee that there are no other types of worms. Here is some reading about the new product, although I find the dosing quite confusing and complicated: https://www.drugs.com/vet/safe-guard-aquasol-for-chickens.html
Edited to say that I have used Wormout Gel that Coach723 has mentioned. It is a 2 day treatment in the water. It treats all chicken worms, and it has a strong orange flavor, which I don’t know how well my chickens like it. It is pricey, but 100ml bottles are not too bad. Here is a link: https://www.jedds.com/shop/wormout-gel-vetafarm/
Most of the time the recommended egg withdrawl after dose for eggs is two weeks. Some toss the eggs, some feed them back to the chickens, some ignore the recommendation all together. Many of the same medications are used in humans. Most wormers are used off label for chickens, there are not any studies to determine what, if any, residue is passed into the eggs, so you will need to do that with which you are comfortable. The risk is mostly from an allergy to the medication. For meat I would follow the same recommendation myself. Valbazen carries a 27 day withdrawl before slaughter for cattle, 7 day withdrawl before slaughter for sheep and goats. Safeguard goat wormer has a 6 day withdrawl before slaughter for goats. Both are used off label for chickens so no stated withdrawl period for poultry. I've been using both of those for years, and have never personally had a problem.
There is another wormer that can be used, if you use it in separate waterers to ensure all your chickens drink enough of it to be effective. More importantly it will treat large roundworms such as the one in the photo as well as cecal and capillary worms.
You can purchase Prohibit (Levamisole) from Jefferslivestock.com or Tractor Supply Co (TSC.)
Dissolve one 52 gram packet (1.84oz) packet of cattle/sheep wormer in 3 quarts water to make a stock solution.
Add one ounce stock solution to one gallon of drinking water. Allow the birds to drink solution for one day, then remove it.
Again, it would be best to use several waterers, ensure the waters are plastic or galvanized metal without rust.
Put it out first thing in the morning before letting birds out of the coop. It must be their sole source of water to drink all day. Discard the treated water after they go to roost for the night and provide regular fresh water.
In severe cases, the treatment can be repeated every 5-7 days within a month.
For gapeworm, repeat every other day for one week.
Egg withdrawal period is 9 days.
If using Valbazen or Safeguard liquid goat wormer, giving it orally is best using a syringe without needle.
For large flocks; if they are different breeds, worm them by breed. Then you can finish up the other breeds the next day or the following day.
If they are all one breed, put a leg band on the ones you wormed, or worm them by coops if they have separate coops or mark their combs with a black magic marker. You have to think outside the box when worming large flocks. It's not as hard as you think really. Of course it helps to have someone hold the birds for you while you worm them, and it's quicker as well. I helped a friend worm just over 100 birds in one hour, it goes quick.
Do you process your chickens or are they pets?
We were getting ready to process about 20 of them this week. Will the worms harm the meat if I don’t medicate til after processing?