Sick Rhode Island Red hen

[Fthersnfur4fun]

Help! One of my RIR is acting sluggish and yesterday I noticed some poop on our step that looked like it had blood in it AND definitely worms. Of course she is the only one of our flock of five that does not like to be handled let alone caught. She is the only one that has a messy but too. We really don't have a way to separate her from the rest. I have been reading all the posts for Cocci and worms but what do you do if they have both? Can your treat both with one thing? Also, she still seems to be eating and drinking. My husband let them out this morning and verified it is her that pooped the blood and worms we found on the step. We are currently going out to clean the coop and treat it with DE. We already lost one chicken a month or so ago. Now I wonder if she had the same thing. Thanks for any help everyone can give me.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Help! One of my RIR is acting sluggish and yesterday I noticed some poop on our step that looked like it had blood in it AND definitely worms. Of course she is the only one of our flock of five that does not like to be handled let alone caught. She is the only one that has a messy but too. We really don't have a way to separate her from the rest. I have been reading all the posts for Cocci and worms but what do you do if they have both? Can your treat both with one thing? Also, she still seems to be eating and drinking. My husband let them out this morning and verified it is her that pooped the blood and worms we found on the step. We are currently going out to clean the coop and treat it with DE. We already lost one chicken a month or so ago. Now I wonder if she had the same thing. Thanks for any help everyone can give me.

Welcome to BYC.

Can you post some photos of the poop and the hen?

Get a tub of warm soapy water and clean up her bum so you can see what's going on.

If you are seeing worm in the poop, then you will want to de-worm her.

You can use Valbazen 1/2 ml orally and then repeated in 10 days for each chicken or Fenbendazole (Safeguard, Panacur) at 1/4 ml per pound for 5 days in a row.

Let us know how she is doing.

 

[Fthersnfur4fun]

Thanks for the reply! I forgot to ask if you can still eat her eggs? Can I get those medications at Orschelain or Atwoods? Those are the only 2 farm stores close. So we can't put it in their water? It has to be orally?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/11/control-treatment-of-worms-in-chickens.html

Thanks for the reply! I forgot to ask if you can still eat her eggs? Can I get those medications at Orschelain or Atwoods? Those are the only 2 farm stores close. So we can't put it in their water? It has to be orally?

No, don't feed the eggs back to her.
I'm not familiar with either feed store, so you may want to call them to see what they carry.
Those de-wormers settle out of water, so orally would be best.


The following thread has directions for mixing in with feed.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2015/11/control-treatment-of-worms-in-chickens.html

 

[Fthersnfur4fun]

I just meant can WE still eat the eggs?. However she doesn't lay on a regular basis. I saw her in the nest box an hour or so ago but when I went to collect there were no eggs in that box. We thought in the beginning she was egg bound but she acts fine other than this other issue. Can worms affect laying?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I just meant can WE still eat the eggs?. However she doesn't lay on a regular basis. I saw her in the nest box an hour or so ago but when I went to collect there were no eggs in that box. We thought in the beginning she was egg bound but she acts fine other than this other issue. Can worms affect laying?

If you de-worm her with one of the meds, I mentioned in my first post, do not eat them. Throw them away for 14days after the last dosage is administered.
Worms can affect laying, but she may have other issues since you are finding blood in the poop as well.

Did you clean up the rear end so you can see what's going on?
Any photos of the poop?

 

[Fthersnfur4fun]

The only wormer Atwoods had was Wazine 17 so we bought that yesterday and started them all on it. We cleaned up her bottom but can't see anything out of the ordinary. She acts sluggish for a while but then perks up again. Here are the pictures you asked for. I don't see any more worms now. My husband checked her and said he is pretty sure there is an egg waiting to exit. She seems to have trouble laying. I don't see any more blood either.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The only wormer Atwoods had was Wazine 17 so we bought that yesterday and started them all on it. We cleaned up her bottom but can't see anything out of the ordinary. She acts sluggish for a while but then perks up again. Here are the pictures you asked for. I don't see any more worms now. My husband checked her and said he is pretty sure there is an egg waiting to exit. She seems to have trouble laying. I don't see any more blood either.

The Wazine will take care of roundworms.

If you think she is having trouble with laying her egg, give her a soak in a warm epsom salts bath. Give her some extra calcium like TUMS (just crush it up and they will usually just eat it).
You can use some KY Jelly to lubricate the vent. Keep watch on her.
Encourage her to drink water.

Let us know how she's doing.

 

[Fthersnfur4fun]

Well, no more worms or blood but she has only laid one egg since and it was under where they roost at night. It also was soft and looked like it had mucous encasing it. And it was very large. This is only the second egg she has ever laid. I'm worried she will always have this issue. Both of her eggs were very large.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Well, no more worms or blood but she has only laid one egg since and it was under where they roost at night. It also was soft and looked like it had mucous encasing it. And it was very large. This is only the second egg she has ever laid. I'm worried she will always have this issue. Both of her eggs were very large.

If she lays one like that again, try to post a photo of it. We'll take a look.

Offer some oyster shell free choice if you aren't already doing it. She may also benefit from some extra vitamins, something like Poultry Nutri-Drench or Rooster Booster Poultry Cell.

Here's some info on egg problems and some of the causes:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/12/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard.html