Poop Exam

[DobieLover]

I just brought home three new pullets, 2 leghorns and 1 California white. All about 8 months old.
They are much smaller than my girls, 6 months old: 2 EE, 1 Delaware, 1 RIR, 1 BR, 1 Sussex, 1 olive egger, 1 black Australorp.
I don't have enough space to do a true quarantine but the new girls are in an isolation coop/run.
One of the LH seems quite thin, maybe a body condition score of a little under a 1. My pullets run about a 2. The other 2 new pullets are a little over a 1. They came from a free range farm with horses, donkeys, cows, goats, pigs, guinea fowl, geese and ducks.
I worry about worm load, especially with the one being so thin.
I see no other signs of ill health. They have clear eyes & nostrils, clean legs with no lifted scales, vents look good & I don't see any signs of external parasites.
I will be watching for Coccidiosis during their isolation as they will now be exposed to the different strains on my property.
Here are pictures of two sets of poop that were on the towel in the crate they were transported in.

Should I treat them with Fenbendazole without having had a fecal float? Or should I just monitor?

 

[azygous]

It sounds like they have a good chance of being infested with worms. I'd go ahead and give them the wormer.

They also sound like they could be suffering from malnutrition. The size compared to your existing flock indicates this. They could benefit from Poultry Nutridrench for a couple weeks, and maybe fermented feed so they can benefit from the enhanced nutrients instead of plain dry feed. They should catch up in size and weight over the next year.

Remember, coccidia works both ways. Your flock may not have resistance to the coccidia that may be present in the new chickens' stools. When you put them all together, perhaps a preventative round of Corid would be a wise idea while all the chickens build resistance.

 

[dawg53]

I agree with Azygous. Hit them with the fenbendazole 5 days in a row. Then corid for another 5 days. Careful with the Poultry Nutri Drench. I wouldnt give it no more than 5 days because it contains molasses and can cause diarrhea. Lesson learned long ago lol.
Buttermilk mixed in feed for a couple days will help as well.

 

[DobieLover]

Thank you both for replying!
I will start worming them today.
If they do not get ill from coccidiosis during their isolation, I will do the preventive course of Corid for the entire flock once they have been co-mingled.
I've fed fermented from day one with my original group and that is what the newbies got last night. I actually did mix 9 drops of Nutridrench into the feed before giving it to them. They practically inhaled it. I'll keep adding a small amount of it to their feed and monitor for diarrhea as @dawg53 warned.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I can do a proper fecal exam for you (for free, no strings) before you treat them if you'd like. You can mail me some fresh poo in a ziplock bag/envelope and I will PM you results. If you are interested, send me a PM. (seriously!)
For what it's worth, those photos are of what I perceive to be normal-looking feces.

 

[DobieLover]

I can do a proper fecal exam for you (for free, no strings) before you treat them if you'd like. You can mail me some fresh poo in a ziplock bag/envelope and I will PM you results. If you are interested, send me a PM. (seriously!)
For what it's worth, those photos are of what I perceive to be normal-looking feces.

PM sent...

 

[rebrascora]

They came from a free range farm with horses, donkeys, cows, goats, pigs, guinea fowl, geese and ducks.
I worry about worm load, especially with the one being so thin.

I'm not sure why people feel that a farm environment like this is somehow more risky as regards worms? In my opinion, free range is more healthy than penned and since most worms are species specific, there is no real risk from them running with other animals as far as I am aware.
Leghorns and California whites (which I believe are a leghorn cross)are supposed to be petite compared to the other breeds you have, so I would not be overly concerned about that and perhaps being raised on a farm, they may not have had a high protein feed like your own birds to give them an optimum start.
It is really kind of @Sue Gremlin to offer a faecal float service to you and I for one would be very interested in the outcome if you would be kind enough to post it and Sue doesn't mind you m the results public?

 

[rebrascora]

I will say that it looks like there is some shed intestinal lining in the poop photo you posted. A little can be normal but if that continues then it may indicate worms or coccidiosis but hopefully Sue's testing will clarify that situation.

 

[Saaniya]

Orange poop ...
Remind me first for coccidiosis
Then worms have u deworm them

It is good they enjoy so many different animals company but make sure ur all animals are wormed and healthy

I will.minitor closely for one u mentioned thin I will look for her poop


If u can go then I will recommend fecal float
Before starting the Medicine because sometimes something else going .

 

[DobieLover]

I'm not sure why people feel that a farm environment like this is somehow more risky as regards worms? In my opinion, free range is more healthy than penned and since most worms are species specific, there is no real risk from them running with other animals as far as I am aware.
Leghorns and California whites (which I believe are a leghorn cross)are supposed to be petite compared to the other breeds you have, so I would not be overly concerned about that and perhaps being raised on a farm, they may not have had a high protein feed like your own birds to give them an optimum start.
It is really kind of @Sue Gremlin to offer a faecal float service to you and I for one would be very interested in the outcome if you would be kind enough to post it and Sue doesn't mind you m the results public?

I'm not necessarily thinking that their exposure to all the other farm animals is the cause for worms. And I agree that a free-ranged bird should be overall healthier than a penned one. I also agree that LH are a petite bird compared to my breeds. But these girls are TINY.
I have not put them on the scale yet but I intend to when it stops raining here.
What really got me worried about worms was the body condition of the one LH. She is overly thin. And the other 2 are also too thin IMO.
I will hold off on the worming until Sue get's back to me on the samples I am sending her Monday. If she wishes, she can post her results here so we can all benefit.