Potential worms? Maybe just intestinal shedding?

[Intentfire280]

I was doing some morning duties before heading off to work when I noticed one of the girls walking in front of me dropped something that looked a bit off. Anyways I took a few photos, and then ran it under water to remove all of the dirt and poop from the weird bit. I feel like I might already know the answer but does this look like worms? Can intestinal shedding look like this? I ask because they've been acting pretty much normal and active with absolutely no other issues apart from not laying eggs.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

At first I was leaning towards intestinal shedding until I saw what looked almost like a fluke in the middle three pictures. In the last picture where you separated everything it really looks like a fluke.

 

[Intentfire280]

To add details this is a welsummer who is a little over a year old. I'd say her weight has remained pretty constant. Appetite for feed is healthy and behavior has been pretty standard to the rest of the flock with plenty of exploring around the yard. Also of note is that the flock is coming out of a recent bit of dry fowl pox that went through but seems mostly done apart from some scabs that are showing fresh pink after the black has popped off. A couple of them also seem to be molting but I'm not sure if the one who I think dropped the poop is one of those or the other in the photo. The front one who I don't think is molting, or at least not as hard, was the first to stop laying eggs all the way maybe at the end of July. The one in the back of that photo stopped laying somewhere in the beginning of September, and one that isn't really in the picture good but is also molting like the one in the back stopped laying right about at the end of September. I took two photos of the front one because I am fairly confident it was her.

 

[Intentfire280]

At first I was leaning towards intestinal shedding until I saw what looked almost like a fluke in the middle three pictures. In the last picture where you separated everything it really looks like a fluke.
View attachment 3961299

Well I still have it sitting on the lid I used so it might be worth prodding.

 

[Intentfire280]

At first I was leaning towards intestinal shedding until I saw what looked almost like a fluke in the middle three pictures. In the last picture where you separated everything it really looks like a fluke.
View attachment 3961299

I have the luxury of work from home right now so I got a chance to get more photos. I don't really know what that thing in the photo is but it wasn't squishy like everything else. Took a couple more photos and broke it apart and I think it might have just been a seed or something that was already on the floor when i lifted the dropping .

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Make sure you seriously wash your hands thoroughly. That is 100% a fluke you can even see the mouth on it.

 

[Intentfire280]

Make sure you seriously wash your hands thoroughly. That is 100% a fluke you can even see the mouth on it.

I did just in case, but thanks for the concern. So anything I can do about it then?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I did just in case, but thanks for the concern. So anything I can do about it then?

They need wormed with an dewormer containing Praziquantel. I know Zimectrin Gold (horse dewormer) can be used for chickens and contains it. I believe there are also some poultry specific dewormers I have seen online with it.

 

[Intentfire280]

They need wormed with an dewormer containing Praziquantel. I know Zimectrin Gold (horse dewormer) can be used for chickens and contains it. I believe there are also some poultry specific dewormers I have seen online with it.

Dang, maybe it's just cope from me not wanting to have to deworm but is is there any sort of chance it was already on the ground? I left for like 10 minutes or so to get my phone to take that first photo and then I did poke it around a bit before to try and separate one of the red stringy bits. Can they look like that just resting on the ground? Just asking because it looks sort of separate from the rest of the dropping like maybe I moved it on there on accident if it was already nearby. If I had even considered something other than just worms I would have not disturbed the site at all before photos. In any case I guess I better search for something to order.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Dang, maybe it's just cope from me not wanting to have to deworm but is is there any sort of chance it was already on the ground? I left for like 10 minutes or so to get my phone to take that first photo and then I did poke it around a bit before to try and separate one of the red stringy bits. Can they look like that just resting on the ground? Just asking because it looks sort of separate from the rest of the dropping like maybe I moved it on there on accident if it was already nearby. If I had even considered something other than just worms I would have not disturbed the site at all before photos. In any case I guess I better search for something to order.

If you have never dewormed your chickens they most definitely need it done. Flukes do not just lay on the ground they require a host to survive.