plan of attack for heavy worm load?

[brettzim]

I have had a rash of unexpected deaths in my young flock of chickens. I have lost three this spring and found one this morning sitting on the perch with her eyes closed when everyone else was up and at 'em. I don't remember having any special chicken management practices from when we had chickens when I was a kid so I have been doing a lot of reading to try to educate myself as to the possible causes. I have narrowed it down to three possible things: respiratory illness in the flock, Mareks or a worm overload. I inherited a flock of chickens from my neighbor, got a few from a farm down the road and then had a batch of chicks from the feed store. I worry that one of the outsourced hens brought some cooties (a respiratory disease) into the flock so I expect that could be causing the deaths. I had a hen go off her legs and then slowly weaken over a month and she just passed away this last week. I treated her originally for bumble foot, then gave her antibiotics and pour-on ivermectin and finally wormer her with wazine. I had her tested for Mareks and am waiting for the results. But, I examined poop in our coop and found roundworms in them so I am worried a worm infestation could be the cause of these deaths. I have not had a worming plan prior. I am making management changes including: apple cider vinegar in their water, adding garlic to their diet, dusting the coop with DE during each weekly cleaning. I have wazine if I need to use it but was going to first try a wormer by Durvet called Strike III. It does not have an egg withdrawal period and I have read mixed reviews on Wazine being appropriate for laying flocks (we sell our eggs) and have heard good things about this product (I believe it also goes under the label Rooster Booster Triple Threat wormer). I would love advice on what to do for this hen who is greatly weakened right now. I noticed she is very thin so I checked the rest of my gals and, to varying degrees, I feel they are almost all thin. They eat all they can and often have a bit of food left in the hopper at bedtime. I don't want to dose this sick hen with Wazine and give her a toxic overload of dead worms in her system. But I don't think she'll eat the Durvet pellets right now as she is so lethargic. I am hoping that better management and a dosing of this Stroke III wormer will prevent any more sick/dead hens but would definitely take advice if anyone has some to offer. I am hoping my problem is that I have not been preventing worms (thin hens, worm in poop seem to point to that) and that is what has killed some of the gals. The alternative would be one of the other things I mentioned and that is a whole can of worms (no pun intended) I am hoping to avoid. Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

[brettzim]

Sorry, I wrote a novel in that one post and somehow still forgot something. I have equine Safeguard paste I could give her too. Not sure if anyone has had success with this against roundworms?

 

[donrae]

Sorry, I don't worm, so can't advise you there. I'm wondering if you have a space issue, though? How many birds and how much space? Something's going on to have parasites, and overcrowding's always my top thought.

 

[brettzim]

Thanks for your response. I have a 12x12 coop that goes out into a 12x24 run. I originally had around 30 birds but now am down to 24 (a coyote got one, a couple died of what I expect was old age and then the others to whatever I am chasing down with this thread). I am working on fencing in a half acre that they will have free access to but they are currently in the coop/run. Also, when I converted this old shed into a coop my neighbor helped me (the one who gave me my original flock). She insisted on insulating it, not putting in windows and covering the dirt floor with chain link and then osb. Since doing that I have realized what a mistake it was to make the coop so airtight and will be putting in windows this spring to allow better ventilation. Not to mention, the roof leaks so it can get humid in there. I am wondering if coccidiosis is something to consider as a culprit. It's not something I've knowingly dealt with before but clearly knowing is half the battle for me. Additionally, because I understand ventilation is an issue in this coop I clean it every week to be sure there is minimal ammonia build-up. And this past month I have been dusting with DE at every cleaning and I feel that is helping keep it dry in there.