small yellow dots in hen's droppings - what is this?

[Findelhuhn]

Hi there,
one of my two hens has small yellow dots in her droppings, and I think I even saw them moving in a fresh dropping. Please, if this is not too gross, look at the attached photo - have you got any idea what that could be? We had her de-wormed with Panacur just two weeks ago. She had these things in her droppings while taking the Panacur, then it stopped, another stool sample we took to the vet was negative as far as worms go, but now I see these yellow things again. I am a beginner with chickens, and this hen was a rescue - she wandered the streets for two weeks before we adopted her. Otherwise, she is healthy and good-looking.
Thank you so much for your advice!
Findelhuhn

 

[cafarmgirl]

Did you do a repeat deworming 10 days after the first treatment? That is always necessary to clean up anything that hatched after the initial treatment since the dewormer's don't kill the eggs. I would deworm again with Safeguard or Valbazen and stay on a regular program after that.

 

[dawg53]

At first glance they appear to be undigested seeds. However if you are sure saw them moving in feces, they could be either tapeworm segments or perhaps flukes. Are you sure you saw them moving?

 

[Findelhuhn]

Thank you both for your replies! After looking again today, I am pretty sure I saw them moving. Well, I never thought I'd follow a chicken around the yard waiting for droppings... *sigh*
I'll take another stool sample to the vet tomorrow, see what she thinks and how to treat it.

 

[dawg53]

FYI: Valbazen will take care of both tapeworms and flukes (and any other worms.)

 

[Findelhuhn]

Is there a place except the vet that has Valbazen?
I think I need to treat both hens, how can I make sure that they both get their share? One is tame and eats a lot, the other is shy and will not even take treats (doesn't know such a thing as a treat, obviously). I do not want to catch her if I can avoid it, she panics!

 

[dawg53]

Here's where you can order the valbazen:
http://www.wholesalekennel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=29
You will need a syringe without a needle to administer the wormer. Feed stores carry them.
If in fact you're dealing with tapeworms or flukes, follow these directions as tapeworms are difficult to get rid of:
Withhold the feed from both hens for 24 hours straight, water is ok. Then after 24 hours, shake the valbazen bottle well, then withdraw 1cc with the syringe and give it orally undiluted to one of the hens, then give 1cc orally undiluted to the other hen. The easiest way to do this is to preload your syringe and have someone hold the hen for you. Next, pull the hens wattles down and her mouth will open. She might shake her head and struggle, but hang on and dont let go, she will tire. Once she stops and her mouth is open, squirt the wormer in her mouth and IMMEDIATELY let go of her wattles so she can swallow the wormer on her own. If you dont let go of the wattles, the liquid could go down her windpipe and then there would be problems. Then do the same thing to your other hen.
Repeat this whole procedure in 4 days including withholding their feed. Then repeat again in 4 more days.
Wait several hours after each worming to feed them. Provide them a limited ration of feed as they will be very hungry. Placing the feed as free choice will cause them to gorge on the feed and possibly cause impacted crop or impacted gizzard. Gradually increase their feed ration back to normal (if that's what you normally do.)

 

[chickisoup]

Here's where you can order the valbazen:
http://www.wholesalekennel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=29
You will need a syringe without a needle to administer the wormer. Feed stores carry them.
If in fact you're dealing with tapeworms or flukes, follow these directions as tapeworms are difficult to get rid of:
Withhold the feed from both hens for 24 hours straight, water is ok. Then after 24 hours, shake the valbazen bottle well, then withdraw 1cc with the syringe and give it orally undiluted to one of the hens, then give 1cc orally undiluted to the other hen. The easiest way to do this is to preload your syringe and have someone hold the hen for you. Next, pull the hens wattles down and her mouth will open. She might shake her head and struggle, but hang on and dont let go, she will tire. Once she stops and her mouth is open, squirt the wormer in her mouth and IMMEDIATELY let go of her wattles so she can swallow the wormer on her own. If you dont let go of the wattles, the liquid could go down her windpipe and then there would be problems. Then do the same thing to your other hen.
Repeat this whole procedure in 4 days including withholding their feed. Then repeat again in 4 more days.
Wait several hours after each worming to feed them. Provide them a limited ration of feed as they will be very hungry. Placing the feed as free choice will cause them to gorge on the feed and possibly cause impacted crop or impacted gizzard. Gradually increase their feed ration back to normal (if that's what you normally do.)

just jumping in here to thank you Dawg for the link. Been getting mine from FirstState Vet Supply but this link is cheaper.

 

[Findelhuhn]

Chickisoup: 'The Lord is my Shepherd but I still get to scoop the poop'

Well, scooping poop & inspecting it is what I do in my spare time these days...

Dawg53, thank you for the detailed instructions! Especially for how to make them open their mouths and swallow, I think last time at the vet's she got the panacur down her windpipe. She kept her beak open sky-high and her neck stretched like a giraffe all the way home, poor thing... probably gasping for air!
Do I need to prevent them from eating grass as well (how?) or just take the feed away?
I went to see the vet today anyway, took a stool sample and they said the yellow dots were just that - yellow dots. I felt soo stupid, and paranoid! Now, if there was a prize for grossest and most disgusting new member, I'd stand a good chance of winning it - I went back home, took the camera, followed my hen for a bit and then filmed the fresh dropping. Yes they do move! I will refrain from posting the movie, though, except somebody is really very interested, in that case, feel free to contact me and we'll start a poop corner

Tomorrow another vet will be available who has more experience with the feathered creatures and I'll give her a try. My thought was that the vet might have the Valbazen and I could get it right away instead of ordering it from the web and wait a few days for it to arrive, but that didn't help much today. Might as well order it anyway...
Luckily, my hen does not look obviously sick or suffering, laid an egg as she always does and spent her day pecking and scratching and sun- and sandbathing with the other hen. Also, a good bit of the feed I provided in the morning had disappeared by afternoon. The only unusual thing is that she sleeps standing upright instead of sitting in the straw (she never sits on the roost). The other hen has taken over her favourite sleeping spot.

 

[brinda t]

So what did the vet say about the yellow dots?