worming just one chicken?

[llnmaw]

Good idea? Or bad? I've run out of ideas on what to do for one of my 3 year old hens who is wasting away. She has lost so much weight and I really just cannot figure out what else to do for her.

So I'm going to worm her. But....I'd really like to not have to worm everyone and toss eggs from all of them for however long. This hen hasn't laid in some time so no eggs to toss.

Suggestions on wormers? On a tablet and the search function is fussy!

Thanks

 

[sbhkma]

If one has worms, they'll most likely all have worms. It makes way more sense to de-worm them all, just like when you de-worm horses, cattle or other livestock. Sure, you have to toss eggs, but that's a small price to pay for the health of your hens. I hope the sickly hen perks up! Have you seen her eating or drinking at all? Try giving her some watermelon to get fluid and electrolytes into her? Checked her for mites? Egg bound? How's her crop? She pooping normally? De-worming is a good place to start, but she also needs some nutrients in her.

 

[cafarmgirl]

X2. While deworming does mean you have to toss eggs for a while not deworming means putting your birds health at serious risk. Worm infestations do a lot of damage internally as well as causing birds to weaken and just waste away. In my opinion a regular deworming schedule is more then well worth the health of my birds.

I would suggest Valbazen or liquid Safeguard for goats. Both are very safe and effective.

Your unwell bird may have worms and/or she may have something else going on as well. But I would start by making sure she's parasite free and go from there.

 

[Sarevan]

Valbazen -one half cc/ml for standard size chickens, one quarter cc/ml for smaller chickens including silkies. You can use an oral syringe to squirt it down their throats individually or you can inject it into a small piece of bread and give each chicken a piece of bread....they gobble it up. - dump the eggs for two weeks. Second dose in 10 days.

Safeguard liquid goat wormer is .5 cc oral dose for a bird 2-5 lb straight out of the bottle with a syringe. A Bantam would receive .25 cc. Dose is repeated 10 days later

There is some also in a paste form that work too. IF one hen is wormed all should be as they could just reinfect each other otherwise and the one could become more sick.

She has no crop issues? Not eating, poo is normal? Have you thought of tube feeding her? Checked her for mites/lice? That can be bring a hen down too. Have you checked her vent internally to see if any laying issues as not laying? What breed is she? Some production egg layers do come to end of laying about this age, internal egg laying, and other problems.

Try giving acv in water, giving her vitamins to boost her, probitics, garlic in water, electrolytes. Anything to assist her health.


I'm on a tablet too and have issues with searching and sometimes viewing forums.

 

[dawg53]

If one has worms, they'll most likely all have worms. It makes way more sense to de-worm them all, just like when you de-worm horses, cattle or other livestock. Sure, you have to toss eggs, but that's a small price to pay for the health of your hens. I hope the sickly hen perks up! Have you seen her eating or drinking at all? Try giving her some watermelon to get fluid and electrolytes into her? Checked her for mites? Egg bound? How's her crop? She pooping normally? De-worming is a good place to start, but she also needs some nutrients in her.

x3

 

[llnmaw]

Thanks guys! I have the wormer and will get them wormed tomorrow.

Sarevan and dawg53.....

She has been unwell looking for a couple of weeks now. Tried all the usual things and she never improved. She is eating but not vigorously, did have watery clear poops for a while, but now hardly poops and it is thick and pasty. Her butt feathers are a disaster!!! Her vent is dry and small. I checked her for being egg bound without much success, but pretty sure that is not the issue. I gather she would be dead by now anyhow.

She is just listless and spends most of her time resting, not roosting at night anymore but gets herself into the coop fine. She follows the flock out of the run but quickly separates herself to lay down. I am unable to entice her to eat much of anything. All the standbys she turns her nose up at. She will eat oatmeal.

Will try the other food suggestions to see if I can boost her up.

Thanks for the info thus far. I was being silly (hopeful really!! gonna miss those yummy eggs!) Thinking I could just worm one chicken......

 

[llnmaw]

Forgot to mention she is an Orpington. Thought we would have a bit more laying time with her...

Also re: her vent. It is very dry and closed up looking. About a week ago I tried to get my finger in there to asess her and I could not get my finger very far in there. I thought i was relatively familiar with anatomy of a bird having dissected a few of our previous sicks ones we culled. I could only insert my forefinger up to the second knuckle.

Normal?

She has not laid since the fall.

Appreciate any additional thoughts you might have!.

 

[bugflipper]

I've never had worms in any poultry (been raising for decades). I put 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water and that is the only water they ever have to drink. There's no taste transferred to the eggs. It creates an acidic environment inside the chicken that's not conducive for rearing parasites and bacteria. Actually everything on the farm gets the same; sheep, cows, game birds, waterfowl and so on. I don't have to worry with sick animals or worming so it's well worth making the vinegar once a year and adding it every time I refill. At the grocery store you want the one that says with mother, which is the digested apple pulp and yeast.
Have a good day.

 

[dawg53]

I've never had worms in any poultry (been raising for decades). I put 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water and that is the only water they ever have to drink. There's no taste transferred to the eggs. It creates an acidic environment inside the chicken that's not conducive for rearing parasites and bacteria. Actually everything on the farm gets the same; sheep, cows, game birds, waterfowl and so on. I don't have to worry with sick animals or worming so it's well worth making the vinegar once a year and adding it every time I refill. At the grocery store you want the one that says with mother, which is the digested apple pulp and yeast.
Have a good day.

We've been down the ACV road for years. My birds get worms. I guess your soil is sterile.