Hello, I have 41 hens who are nearly 8 months old. Their coop is lined with pine bedding, and their run was sand, but we have had some heavy rains so the run is wet and mucky. They were free ranging nights and weekends, but it is dark when we get home from work and there was a recent fox attack, so they haven't gotten out a whole lot this month. For the past month they have been eating Purina Layena Crumbles, and have free choice oyster shell. I also put Apple Cider Vinegar in their water. I have never wormed them, but figured it is time to start with Wazine. and in the past two weeks they have been eating a ton of food. We have our first broody hen, so I brought her inside this evening to watch her and feed her, and she pooped a fairly lively worm that was about three inches. She pooped a few more times, and each time there was a worm, or worms, but they all looked dead. It definitely looked like a roundworm. Tomorrow I am going to a farm about an hour away to get several bags of their organic chicken feed, and Wazine. After 2 weeks I would give them Safe Guard (Fenbendazole) . I undersand that the wazine gets rid of the roundworm, and safeguard takes care of other worms. In reading through the threads I realized that I may also be dealing with gapeworm. There are a few who shake their heads, and yawn/cough, have wet nostrils. I see this primarily in my Jersey Giants, and when they sneeze, it's LOUD. It almost sounds like a bark.
I am going to the vet tomorrow morning with 3 guinea pigs. My vet is awesome with most animals, but I think she is afraid of the chickens, so i can't bring them. She has no problem with their fecal samples, so in a few days I should know exactly what worms I am dealing with. I don't know if gapeworm would show up in their poop, since it lives in the trachea. Not all birds seem sick. I have an Egger, Ginger, who spends a lot of time in the house. Her poop looks solid and I don't see any evidence of worms. I know there could certainly be larvae, but she is a plump bird and looks/acts very healthy, except she too has a wet nose.
So....do I proceed with Wazine and treat roundworms first, gapeworm later? Or is the gapeworm the bigger concern? Wazine followed by Safeguard, or maybe start with Safeguard, and follow up with Ivermectin?
I am going to the vet tomorrow morning with 3 guinea pigs. My vet is awesome with most animals, but I think she is afraid of the chickens, so i can't bring them. She has no problem with their fecal samples, so in a few days I should know exactly what worms I am dealing with. I don't know if gapeworm would show up in their poop, since it lives in the trachea. Not all birds seem sick. I have an Egger, Ginger, who spends a lot of time in the house. Her poop looks solid and I don't see any evidence of worms. I know there could certainly be larvae, but she is a plump bird and looks/acts very healthy, except she too has a wet nose.
So....do I proceed with Wazine and treat roundworms first, gapeworm later? Or is the gapeworm the bigger concern? Wazine followed by Safeguard, or maybe start with Safeguard, and follow up with Ivermectin?
