What kind of worms are these??

Granny23

Songster
Aug 2, 2021
334
682
201
Fontana, California
My 4 hens free range in my small backyard. I found what I thought were tapeworm segments in one hens droppings a couple months ago. I got medication from my feed store and wormed them all...twice. Once and then 2 weeks later. I thought we were good but started seeing them again so I repeated it again in all 4.
Now I'm wondering if I am worming for the correct worms!! I cannot believe we have that many worms, slugs etc to keep reinfecting my girls. To top it off my 2 puppies, (Lacie the standard Goldendoodle, who is 17 weeks now and her little sidekick Mia, who is 12 weeks old and half mini Aussie and half jack russell) are eating every tasty morsel they can get to before I do!!! 😂
I actually poop scoop my yard multiple times a day not only for my dogs but because of the chickens. Even before I got the dogs I did it.
Anyway I have sent a picture of a fresh sample so hopefully you can see what I do in the stool. I had a sample for my vet last Tuesday but it fell out of my purse on the way to the car.
Thanks for any suggestions!!
 

Attachments

  • 20220708_145926_HDR.jpg
    20220708_145926_HDR.jpg
    908.5 KB · Views: 40
Do you see if any of the white specks is moving when it is fresh? What medicine did you treat for tapeworms and how much? Tapeworms are spread by eating an intermediate host, such as earthworms, snails, slugs, grasshoppers, beetles, and if worm eggs are eaten. Sometimes the white specks can be from something else, such as grit, or insect larvae. If you get another sample that looks like tapes, post another picture. Here is a food video of tapeworm segments in poop:

 
My 4 hens free range in my small backyard. I found what I thought were tapeworm segments in one hens droppings a couple months ago. I got medication from my feed store and wormed them all...twice. Once and then 2 weeks later. I thought we were good but started seeing them again so I repeated it again in all 4.
Now I'm wondering if I am worming for the correct worms!! I cannot believe we have that many worms, slugs etc to keep reinfecting my girls. To top it off my 2 puppies, (Lacie the standard Goldendoodle, who is 17 weeks now and her little sidekick Mia, who is 12 weeks old and half mini Aussie and half jack russell) are eating every tasty morsel they can get to before I do!!! 😂
I actually poop scoop my yard multiple times a day not only for my dogs but because of the chickens. Even before I got the dogs I did it.
Anyway I have sent a picture of a fresh sample so hopefully you can see what I do in the stool. I had a sample for my vet last Tuesday but it fell out of my purse on the way to the car.
Thanks for any suggestions!!
Do you see these move at all?!!!
Looks like Oyster Shell that's been polished in the gizzard to me.

1657341472605.jpeg
 
Do you see if any of the white specks is moving when it is fresh? What medicine did you treat for tapeworms and how much? Tapeworms are spread by eating an intermediate host, such as earthworms, snails, slugs, grasshoppers, beetles, and if worm eggs are eaten. Sometimes the white specks can be from something else, such as grit, or insect larvae. If you get another sample that looks like tapes, post another picture. Here is a food video of tapeworm segments in poop:

The tapes in the video are like dog or cat tapes, the larger segments. What Im seeing, as soon as the hens poop, are VERY tiny and when you touch them they go into a little ball.
(Reminds me of when you touch a garden snails feelers. Lol.)
Thank you.!!! Im going to take a stool sample to my guys at the feed store and see what they say. Im not sure what medicine the pills they gave me are.
 
Do you see these move at all?!!!
Looks like Oyster Shell that's been polished in the gizzard to me.

View attachment 3179233
Yes they move. They are very tiny and I see the stool as soon as it hits the ground so it isn't something after the fact. The hens are happy and eating and laying every day too. But after 4 worming I'd hope they'd be gone. At least temporarily.They do get oyster shell but thats not it. I was a vet tech for almost 30 yrs so I know tapeworms but I am new to chickens.
My small yard cant be that fertile with earthworms, slugs etc...but what do I know. 😂
 
The tapes in the video are like dog or cat tapes, the larger segments. What Im seeing, as soon as the hens poop, are VERY tiny and when you touch them they go into a little ball.

Im not sure what medicine the pills they gave me are.

They are very tiny
So they are like the segments in the video Kim posted.
What are the pills you used? Do they have a name or packaging?

Back in May, you had a thread and it was suggested you use Equimax since Praziquantel is the product of choice to use for tapes in chickens. Did you use that? https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/best-wormer-for-my-chickens.1524866/
 
Yes they move. They are very tiny and I see the stool as soon as it hits the ground so it isn't something after the fact. The hens are happy and eating and laying every day too. But after 4 worming I'd hope they'd be gone. At least temporarily.They do get oyster shell but thats not it. I was a vet tech for almost 30 yrs so I know tapeworms but I am new to chickens.
My small yard cant be that fertile with earthworms, slugs etc...but what do I know. 😂
When I lived in SE Georgia, it seemed every time I got my birds tapeworm free, one or two other birds would show tapeworm segments in feces.
I caged the infected birds in the garage and dosed them with either Zimecterin Gold or Equimax equine paste wormers. Then redosed them again in 10 days and released them a day later.
One time, I had 5 birds in separate cages treating them for tapeworms.
After the initial dosing and within one hour, I observed the actual tapeworm(s) excreted in feces.
The tapeworm(s) were excreted in various shapes and sizes; stringy like jellyfish tentacles, twisted 'off white' in color sections with small bits and pieces.

As you already know, an insect is the host for tapeworms, Chickens eat the infected insect and get infected.
Each segment you see in feces carries thousands of tapeworm eggs. The segments work their way onto and into the soil where insects eat them and then become the host, starting the tapeworms lifecycle all over again.

Perhaps you can pen up your birds for a period of time and spray your yard to eliminate insects. Of course it's temporary but at least it will break the tapeworms lifecycle.
Or, section off one part of your yard and treat it as necessary. It's the only way to end the lifecycle.
You have to hit worms hard and fast. Roundworm eggs contaminate soil, same with tapeworms.
 
When I lived in SE Georgia, it seemed every time I got my birds tapeworm free, one or two other birds would show tapeworm segments in feces.
I caged the infected birds in the garage and dosed them with either Zimecterin Gold or Equimax equine paste wormers. Then redosed them again in 10 days and released them a day later.
One time, I had 5 birds in separate cages treating them for tapeworms.
After the initial dosing and within one hour, I observed the actual tapeworm(s) excreted in feces.
The tapeworm(s) were excreted in various shapes and sizes; stringy like jellyfish tentacles, twisted 'off white' in color sections with small bits and pieces.

As you already know, an insect is the host for tapeworms, Chickens eat the infected insect and get infected.
Each segment you see in feces carries thousands of tapeworm eggs. The segments work their way onto and into the soil where insects eat them and then become the host, starting the tapeworms lifecycle all over again.

Perhaps you can pen up your birds for a period of time and spray your yard to eliminate insects. Of course it's temporary but at least it will break the tapeworms lifecycle.
Or, section off one part of your yard and treat it as necessary. It's the only way to end the lifecycle.
You have to hit worms hard and fast. Roundworm eggs contaminate soil, same with tapeworms.
I agree and know what you are saying is true. To make matters worse my 2 puppies are eating the stools too! I scoop my entire yard multiple times a day but they get to them anyway.
Thank you for the information and solution suggestions.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom