sick chickens again

[PurplePoppiPpl]

Have you ever wormed these chickens? It may be that they are dealing with worm load.

There are a number of wormers you can use, the BYC Moderator Flockwatcher posted these great links the other day, check them out:
Common External Parasites in Poultry: Lice and Mites:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

And two threads about worming:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ll-seeing-live-worms-in-poo/0_20#post_9315842

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...r-crd-parasites-are-rampant/0_20#post_7474233

And another BYC member, TheDragonLady, recommends this worming schedule:

All babies are wormed with Wazine in their water at 2 + 3 weeks. Wazine is
never used again .
Safeguard 10 % Goat wormer, alternating with Valbazan at 4 weeks, 6,8,10,
12, 14 weeks
1/4 cc at 4,6,8 weeks
1/2 cc at 10,12,14 weeks.

5 mos on...... I check fecals, and worm about 4 times a year with the
Safeguard, or with Valbazan. 1 CC per Big bird over 8 lbs.

Hope this helps!

i bought wazine after someone thought my chickens might have worms but havent used it because i have been treating them with antibiotics and didnt want to overwhelm them i have chicks that are about two weeks now should i worm them soon?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

i bought wazine after someone thought my chickens might have worms but havent used it because i have been treating them with antibiotics and didnt want to overwhelm them i have chicks that are about two weeks now should i worm them soon?

I doubt there's any way chicks at 2 weeks of age could have possibly contracted worms.
Are they in a brooder area on bedding or wire or are they outdoors?
Worms don't just come out of the air nor are they passed vertically from hen to chick through the egg.
The chickens have to consume something that is a secondary host like earthworms, beetles, etc.

 

[Lenka]

would it be at all beneficial to treat my chickens with the duramycin right now or should I wait a week to see if the ACV helps at all?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'd still get a fecal sample and find a state lab to send a bird to if another goes down.
I understand wanting to do something but giving them a drug without knowing what ails them isn't a good idea.
Lots of things could be going on: fungal, viral, protozoal, algael, nutritional, wimpy genes, etc - none of which are bacterial, the only thing duramycin can treat.

 

[Lenka]

Anyone know any state labs that I can send a fecal test to? I'm in ma and I'm trying to google labs but can't find anything. I called the local vet and they will only do a fecal if I bring one chicken in. ( and general visit is 89$) but they are willing to run more then one fecal at that point. I don't know what to so anymore. This is so frustrating - I feel like I totally failed at keeping chickens this time around

 

[casportpony]

Try doing a search for your State and veterinary diagnostic lab. For example, I live in California, so I would search california veterinary diagnostic lab and the search results are:

https://www.google.com/search?sourc...2j0i22i30.0.0.0.29601...........0.8Ko6Ton7vfE

Or you could see if there is a lab here:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

-Kathy

 

[Lenka]

well I emailed and called the state ag department about getting my chickens tested, since they will do the blood test for free. I also called an old professor of mine that knows chickens and diseases and he suggested using frontline plus to get rid of internal parasites, but he didn't say what dose (the dog one, would I just use the one for the smallest dog?) Would safegaurd do the same thing though?

 

[casportpony]

Do you have Safeguard?

-Kathy

 

[Lenka]

Yup I got some from agway a few weeks ago. I also just made a vet appointment for the sickest looking one because I don't want to lose anymore by playing guessing games with the symptoms. I feel like an idiot for doing it, but the visit is gonna be free ( with a coupon) and hopefully I will get some answers

 

[Lenka]

Took the chicken to the bet last night... Vet thinks it's mereks disease...