PLEASE HELP!! small white worms in poop

[Nambroth]

Poor Roberta.

I find that chickens her age (2 years+) do not commonly experience viceral Marek's as much as younger chickens. Can they still get it? Yes. But generally in older birds we see wasting, gradual decline, sometimes ocular problems and secondary infections. The paralysis is somewhat less common in older birds.

Does she still seem to demonstrate paralysis?

Please do check her ASAP for being egg bound. It can cause the symptoms you describe. If it is egg binding, you can help save her life.

Is there any chance she may have eaten anything moldy or rotten? Has she had access to a compost pile or bin, or any areas with standing water such as a pond, stagnant puddles, a ditch? Could she have eaten any decaying materials?

Is there any chance that she may have gotten into any moldy or bad feed?

Is there any chance that she may have eaten any lead? Lead is somewhat common on old homesteads, etc.. or in places where hunting, shooting, or varmint and/or bird hunting has happened. A single lead BB pellet can cause lead toxicity. Leaded paint chips and old parts in the soil can cause it too.

If you are certain she is not egg bound, keep her hydrated. Feed her nutritious and if you'd like you can offer B vitamin supplementation in her food. B is water soluble and won't harm her, and it may help her if she has nerve damage (though it can take a long time to heal).

 

[PreciousCrystal]

oh my gosh! thank you!

I haven't introduced other chickens for a year now so I don't know where Mareks would have come from. (we only have four hens)

very unlikely chance of led. our subdivision was built 15 years ago and we don't have any old things sitting outside.

I checked her for an egg stuck inside her. I put a lot of vaseline on finger wrapped in sarran wrap (no gloves) and went up to my middle knuckle in her vent (which she didn't like very much) and I didn't feel anything besides soft and warm.

I put a crushed b in her water. haven't seen her drink any yet, but she's eating, so I assume she'll drink when she get thirsty. though I do have a dropper if you suggest keeping her watered that way.

she is using her leg more and more, still not able to put her full weight on it.
poor thing tries to walk and when her leg doesn't cooperate she looks upside down at it like she'd checking if it's still there.

also she has quit panting.

yes to the moss water, there is a bucket that catches drips from our roof that I let get full before I water plants with it. and she chickens drink out of it when they are on that side of the house.
could it have given her toxicity?

 

[PreciousCrystal]

here's a pic of her funny little self. she's the top chick out of our little flock and when the three other girls went to bed they were all over the place. It seemed they didn't know what to do with our Roberta to lead them to bed. I wonder if they missed her today.

 

[Nambroth]

oh my gosh! thank you!

I haven't introduced other chickens for a year now so I don't know where Mareks would have come from. (we only have four hens)

very unlikely chance of led. our subdivision was built 15 years ago and we don't have any old things sitting outside.

I checked her for an egg stuck inside her. I put a lot of vaseline on finger wrapped in sarran wrap (no gloves) and went up to my middle knuckle in her vent (which she didn't like very much) and I didn't feel anything besides soft and warm.

I put a crushed b in her water. haven't seen her drink any yet, but she's eating, so I assume she'll drink when she get thirsty. though I do have a dropper if you suggest keeping her watered that way.

she is using her leg more and more, still not able to put her full weight on it.
poor thing tries to walk and when her leg doesn't cooperate she looks upside down at it like she'd checking if it's still there.

also she has quit panting.

yes to the moss water, there is a bucket that catches drips from our roof that I let get full before I water plants with it. and she chickens drink out of it when they are on that side of the house.
could it have given her toxicity?

Is it possible she could have simply injured herself? Sometimes panting in chickens (that are not too warm) can indicate pain and/or exertion, so maybe she is starting to feel better.

It seems lead toxicity is rather unlikely since you live in a new development. Zinc is another to worry about, but it is somewhat less common in chickens than in birds such as parrots (parrots are more likely to chew on galvanized wire caging, etc).

You can check her crop periodically to see if it has fluid in it. It will not always hold fluid (it empties pretty often) but it might give you a better idea if she is drinking or not, since it's unreasonable to watch her every moment of the day. I suggest against forcing water on her with a dropper (unless she likes to willingly drink from it!) because the risk of aspiration is very real. If one ever has to force fluids, it is best to 'tube feed' directly down into the crop via a tube, that way it is not able to go into a bird's lungs.

Marek's, unfortunately, does not need other chickens to spread it. It can blow in in the wind, be carried via 'transport' such as: Wild birds, our shoes and clothes (accidentally pick up at the feed store, for example), etc. Since it is spread in dust-like dander, it's very easy to accidentally transport it.
Still, I would personally consider other reasons. Don't discount Marek's entirely, as doing so would be irresponsible if it is indeed Marek's, but explore other options first.

Toxicity via roof runoff water is something that can happen. It is an accumulation; essentially you are taking your entire roof's surface area of pollutants, materials in the shingle, roofing nails, gutters, etc... and it all runs into a single area. Because this essentially concentrates it, any micro-accumulation of materials, minerals, metals, toxins.. etc.. end up on the bucket. It sounds like it's not much, and her symptoms seem too sudden for it to fit well, but it might be a good idea to cover your bucket with a mesh that the water can drip through but that the chickens can't get down to drink from. Even something like a plastic crate that is made of mesh could work well.

 

[PreciousCrystal]

Ok update. she still hasn't laid an egg. but still no signs of one inside her (i squish her butt checks and everything is soft) and she is pooping normal.

she's standing more. ready to get our of her small bin. Some times she holds one leg up or rests on her knees.
But now it looks as if the right leg is hurt, she limps on it more. so either I forgot which leg she couldn't use or the paralysis switched sides. is that even a possible thing?

Feeling her butt cheeks I saw some redness

never mind the oily feathers as I got vasilene all over the place when I lubed her vent.
the pic shows only some as they are on both side and farther up her sides. I am not squeezing her hard, definitely not hard enough to bruise her.

So maybe she did get hurt. or are they the spots on the skin starting because she has Mareks?

I still haven't seen her drink, but eating fine. I have crushed eggshells for more calcium in there too.


thank you for the info of the roof water. makes total sense. I will keep the chickens from drinking our of it.

 

[PreciousCrystal]

SHE LAID AN EGG!!! I was so happy I put her in the back yard to walk with other chickens.

she still limps a little.

she walked a few steps and pooed a hug glob. I saw white dots in it. at first it looked like tiny bits of egg shells. then on second glance - THEY WERE MOVING!!!
She has worms!!



I grabbed her up and put her back in her rubbermaid tub and added some DE to her food.

I went outside and cleaned up her poop and poured vinegar on it so it wont spread to te other girls.

This picture looked exactly like her worms.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/421028/worms-in-feces-graphic-and-horrible-picture
they folk on there said its a type of tape worm. being that So much is visible it is a serious infestation. that some meds wont work and I should get the poop tested by a vet to find the right meds.
AND i found advice from one blogger "You may or may not see worms in their poop. Most of the time they are absorbed as protein. DE and vinegar are ineffective against worms. DE is useless when wet, inside the chickens' system...it's wet."

Do you agree with all these statements?

should I keep her quarentened ???

Think I might try 10mg/kg Praziquantel
like this article :http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26652
Any suggestions of what to feed her to help her get rid of these things??

 

[Eggcessive]

She does have tapeworm from that picture. I would look at the stools of the rest of your chickens to see if they also have them. Zimectrin Gold equine paste is supposed to be very good to treat it. Dawg 53 is the worm expert here on BYC. Here is a thread where he gives the dosage: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/902329/tapeworm-in-hens-prazinquantrel-dosage-needed

 

[dawg53]

Worms cause a lot of problems as you've found out. Withhold feed (not water) from your hen for 24 hours prior to worming, this will weaken the tapeworms making the wormer more effective. Here's a link, go to post #3 for treatment and dosages for tapeworms:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/877378/recurrent-worms-tapes-poo-pic-included

 

[PreciousCrystal]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Let me know If I got this right:

I have her in solitude, took a way food. Water still available.

In 24 hours I give her one pea sized Zimectrerin Gold.

(when do I give food back and return her to the other three girls?) I liked your suggestion of giving some Avian Super Pack to increase her strength. when should I do this?

in ten days I repeat the withholding food for 24 hours, repeat one pea sized Zimecterin Gold.

Do not eat her eggs at all until 14 days later.


Do you suggest I de-worm all of the girls at the same time? I haven't been looking at their poop (they have a ton of roaming/pooping space) to see if there are any egg cysts. But what I read said the tapeworm releases eggs only part of the day, so some poop might not show signs of infestation.

I'm so glad to have found Backyard Chickens!!! you guys are the best!

 

[dawg53]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Let me know If I got this right:

I have her in solitude, took a way food. Water still available.

In 24 hours I give her one pea sized Zimectrerin Gold.

(when do I give food back and return her to the other three girls?) I liked your suggestion of giving some Avian Super Pack to increase her strength. when should I do this?

in ten days I repeat the withholding food for 24 hours, repeat one pea sized Zimecterin Gold.

Do not eat her eggs at all until 14 days later.


Do you suggest I de-worm all of the girls at the same time? I haven't been looking at their poop (they have a ton of roaming/pooping space) to see if there are any egg cysts. But what I read said the tapeworm releases eggs only part of the day, so some poop might not show signs of infestation.

I'm so glad to have found Backyard Chickens!!! you guys are the best!

Once you've given your infected hen the z-gold, wait at least 3-4 hours before giving her anything to eat. Instead of Avian Super Pack, give her buttermilk and chopped boiled egg(or scrambled egg) mixed in her feed as a mash to eat. She will be starving but only give her a little to eat at a time, gradually building up her food intake during the day...back to normal. If you dont gradually feed her, she will gorge on the food which can cause impacted crop or gizzard. You dont want this to happen. Once she's back to eating normal, return her to her flockmates, but watch for picking/fighting in the pecking order. Repeat this procedure when you reworm her in 10 days.
Consider purchasing valbazen in the near future and worm all your birds on a regular basis, especially if your soil is warm and moist/wet most of the time.
http://www.jefferspet.com/products/valbazen-broad-spectrum-dewormer