Treat for roundworms?

[bhawk-23]

Hello, I have a broody we are trying like heck to break. It’s been going on for about 1 week. I had her inside all day yesterday and put her out shortly before roosting with upper coop closed up. Had to bring her back in today because she went straight to the nest at sun up.
I just cleaned up a poo in her crate that had either a round worm or dried out grass clipping (I did not take a pic). This is the first time I’m seeing something like this in my flock and I clean my coop every other day, inspecting as I do, and pick up chicken poo in the yard since they free range. I went out to check again and still do not see anything concerning.

Since her immune system can be lower having MD on top of being broody this could have allowed her gut to colonize worms. Should I treat her? Treat the whole flock? Wait to see if she passes more since she is inside on white pee pads? She is not laying so I can do the 2 dose tx and just watch for symptoms in the others. I would do the slow kill if I did the whole flock.
I currently have 1 hen on baytril (2-3 more days) and another took her last dose last night. Flock has MD and MG.
Thoughts and advice are always appreciated. Thank you!

 

[bhawk-23]

Definitely has roundworms

Fast kill for her or slow kill for the whole flock?

 

[LindsayDarling]

I found a worm in one of my hens poop and treated the whole flock w fenbendazole .25ml x lb bodyweight. Each bird (fun times) Once then 10 days later. Im not sure how you shld proceed, im no expert. I have OCD n err towards caution There are threads on here of people who only treat the symptomatic n so on.

 

[coach723]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'slow kill' and 'fast kill'?
If you use Safeguard (fenbendazole) or Valbazen (albendazole) you dose twice 10 days apart for roundworm, and it's generally pretty safe. For roundworm, Safeguard dose is .23 ml per pound of body weight (it's fine to round up to .25ml) and Valbazen dose is .5 ml for a standard sized bird (actual math for Valbazen is "weight in lbs / 2.2 x 20 mg /113.6") If you suspect she has them, I would worm her. Roundworm in particular is really easy to pick up in the environment, the eggs survive a long time in the soil, so if they are there then all have been exposed. Most of the time you will never see one in droppings, they live their entire life cycle inside the bird and die and are digested. Occasionally one may get passed out in droppings, that can mean a significant load of worms. Sometimes you will see dead or dieing worms in droppings after treatment, but often they are just digested and absorbed.

 

[bhawk-23]

Unfortunately, this is not our first time dealing with them. But it is the first time since getting them all (knock on wood!) in a good place with MG and MD so I worry about dosing everyone if only one is symptomatic.

In the past I made mash with it and that is all they ate until it was gone. Then I put their crumbles out. It was a smaller dose but for consecutive days. I am trying to find that dosing again. It’s easier on their systems and has always worked well for us.

 

[coach723]

This is the thread on making a mash with their feed with it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/safeguard-mash-zero-day-egg-withdrawal.1254653/

 

[bhawk-23]

This is the thread on making a mash with their feed with it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/safeguard-mash-zero-day-egg-withdrawal.1254653/

You are awesome! I’ve done this method twice for fecal confirmed roundworms prior to and fecal confirmed elimination after so I like this method for us.

Thanks so much!!