Round Worms and Feathers Falling Out

[Katattack29]

My year and a half old Orpington is having problems again. She has always struggled more than any of the other birds with mite/lice overload. Her tail feathers were looking greasy and dirty like they usually do when she has mites, but I looked and only see a few lice eggs. Today, she is having diarrhea and I found a roundworm in her poop. I treated all chickens with pour on Ivermectin drops today. Hopefully, this helps with all the parasites. My other concern, looking at the base of her feathers they seem a bit.....dark and hollowed out in spots? Not sure how to exactly describe it but they have never looked like this before. I also noticed feathers all over the run today and assume they are hers. She molted in September so I don't know why this is happening. Is it the roundworms causing this? Thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos of the hen and some of the feathers with the hollowed out spots?

I would make sure to give the correct Ivermectin dose. See the link below for both Pour On and Injectable dosing, you will want to follow up as instructed in the link as well.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mites-lice-now-hen-growling.1242981/post-19965544

Clean out your coop and spray down the roosts/housing with a permethrin based poultry spray in 7 day intervals to get rid of the lice and mites.

The Ivermectin given correctly, may take care of lice/mites, but I wouldn't rely on it to get rid of the worms. I would treat her with Safeguard (Fenbendazole). Dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight give orally once, then repeated in 10 days. This dose and timeline treats Roundworms only. If you want to treat for other worms excluding Tapeworms, then give the Safeguard for 5 days in a row.

Hollowed out feathers and feather sounds like mites, maybe depluming mites. Does she dig at her skin? The Ivermectin should get rid of those. You may find that you need to repeat the Ivermectin more than once.

 

[Katattack29]

Thank you! Lots of good info! I’ll see if I can get a pic tomorrow and hopefully the feed store has the wormer paste.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you! Lots of good info! I’ll see if I can get a pic tomorrow and hopefully the feed store has the wormer paste.

You can use either the liquid or paste. Depending on how many chickens you have, the liquid may be more economical.