Worming Question, Dependent Hen

[vonchick]

I've been working with a 2 1/2 Y/O EE hen since the middle of October. First it was bird lice, which were successfully treated with Frontline Plus. I also wormed her with Wazine and Ivermectin. The treatments helped immensely. She was severely underweight and refusing to eat her usual layer pellets. I was planting a winter garden at the time (we're in north Florida) and she stayed close to me, eating the insects and grubs I turned up while I worked. She put weight back on and went back to normal life and feeding with the flock.

About a month after rejoining the flock, she molted, and dropped the all the weight she'd just gained. Nights were getting very cold, so I started bringing her inside in a pet carrier at night. About two weeks ago she stopped eating, so I wormed her again with Wazine. The positive effect was almost immediate, but after about a week she stopped eating again. I gave her a second worming with Safegaurd at 8 days instead of the recommended 10 because she was doing so poorly. Within 24 hours of receiving the Safeguard she was gobbling food - scrambled eggs, layer pellets and buttermilk. She looks good, her feathers have grown in and have a nice sheen, her comb has a good color. She appears to be clean, no lice or mites, and she has a lot of energy. Her weight is still low, though, 2 7/8 lb. (Since we found her with lice in October her weight has been as high as 3 1/4 lb. and as low as 2 1/2) Today is the fifth day since worming with Safeguard, and she's stopped eating again. The dose I gave her was the "BB on slice of bread." not the most accurate I now understand, and I'm wondering if the treatment was as effective as it should have been. Is it too soon to worm her again with Safeguard? She has had diarrhea (clear, watery poop) on and off (more on than off) since October. Should I be looking for something other than worms?

I've been working very closely with this bird since October, and now she only seems happy is she's with me. Since she's still very thin and the nights have been in the 30s, she's still spending nights inside. The flock free ranges on half an acre, with layer pellets available. Carmelita is now at the back door, trying to get back inside the house. She hasn't eaten anything, her crop is flat - no normal chicken behavior, scratching, hunting for bugs etc. I know that when I go outside she'll either tug at my pant leg to call for the "up" elevator or simply leap into my arms. While it's nice to have someone so happy to see me, this can't be right! Has anyone had a chicken become dependent while undergoing long term treatment? If so, any advice on how to get her to start acting like a chicken again? My husband says I'm her new flock...

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Laura (Carmelita the Hen's flock of one)

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

It sounds like coccidiosis to me. I had this happen to me with my flock. After worming, I repeated the worming to break the life cycle of the worms, and still they had watery diarrhea. Some do OK and can recover from it, and others not so much. The poo is very infectious to other chickens until treated. I like to treat everyone who has had contact with the poo (they pick at each others' poo).

I give Corid (in the cattle section of the feed store) 9.6% solution, 9.5 ml per gallon of water as the only drinking water for 5 days. Mix new solution daily and don't give vitamins at the same time. It is amprolium, which is approved for use in poultry by the FDA for treatment of coccidiosis.

Just my opinion! I am not sure of the diagnosis, of course!

She is just expressing love to you. That is normal with a chicken who has bonded with you. They are lovely beings.

Also- I would not repeat the wormer at this time. Wormers can kill a weak hen and you have treated recently- just my opinion. Some vets will do a fecal test for worms for a small fee (and cocci)- just take the poo in but call first to find out how much it costs.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh I just reread your post...the first time you treated with Wazine and the second Safeguard. OK then...I would assume that the Wazine may not have killed the type of worm she has since it only kills large roundworms.

Yes I would repeat the Safeguard but I am greatly concerned since you say she has stopped eating again. She will simply not survive unless she starts eating. I would do the Corid and see if that helps her. I wouldn't repeat the wormer until 10 days if it were me.

There are threads on tube feeding (casportpony does this) but I have never done it.

Sorry I don't know how else to help. Hopefully others will chime in too.

 

[vonchick]

Thank you! I have corid, I assumed that at her age she'd be immune. I'll give that a try.

It's not that I don't enjoy having a companion, I just don't want Carm to forget she's a chicken. I think she'd love being a free ranging house pet...

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you! I have corid, I assumed that at her age she'd be immune. I'll give that a try.

It's not that I don't enjoy having a companion, I just don't want Carm to forget she's a chicken. I think she'd love being a free ranging house pet...

Older hens can come down with coccidiosis if immunocompromised or exposed to new soil. Worms tremendously weaken a chicken and can kill them, as can mites/lice.

It of course may be another problem.

I hope she gets better soon!

 

[Scott H]

BB size dose of safeguard? Not enough IMHO. Pea size is recomended and if you do search on this site there are even more details on dosage. Hope she gets better.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

BB size dose of safeguard? Not enough IMHO. Pea size is recomended and if you do search on this site there are even more details on dosage. Hope she gets better.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/401534/bantam-dosage-for-ivermectin-paste
see post #4- note this is a thread on bantams
Dawg53 is very good with wormers.

I didn't catch this...very good job Scott H!!

 

[pwand]

Heres a good link for deworming with Safeguard, with dosage and information. Safeguard is better than wazine and ivermectin.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/812128/worming-with-horse-wormer

A good way to figure out what worms she has is to get a her poop tested at the vet. There are other worms that need a 5 day treatment in a row, like capillary worms. Tapeworms are hard to treat too. It depends if she has these.

Treat her again for lice/mites. Where she is older, she could have something else going on. Definately tries these to see if she improves.

 

[vonchick]

Thanks to all who replied! I think I'll start giving her the Corid, since it hasn't been 10 days since the Safeguard. I assume it would be very hard on her system to give both at the same time.

Because she's been mingling with the flock, should I dose all of them with Corid? My flock ranges in age from 9 months to 3 1/2 years. The only ones who have been treated with Corid are the youngest, a batch of bantams purchased from the feed store last spring. It was apparent when I got them home that they were passing blood, but when I called the folks who sold them to me for advice, they said they couldn't help, s they had never (never!) heard of chicks passing blood. It was when my next call, to the Farmers' Co op, was answered by a woman who taught poultry for the 4-H that I was told to treat them with Corid. The chicks were kept in isolation for a number of weeks after regaining their health.

If the Carm is still now well after the Corid, I'll dose her again with the Safeguard.

I've been afraid that her dependence on me and desire to be held is a symptom of ill health. My goal is for her to forage with the flock, coming to me only for the occasional cuddle.

 

[pwand]

Her dependance on you is because she has gotten use to you and enjoys being around you. My daughter gave our first four chickens so much attention that they would follow her around everywhere, jump on her. It was very cute. This would not cause her to get ill at all. She has something physically wrong with her. I would treat her for both. It could be one or the other and then one treatment gets delayed if she she actually has the other. I would treat with safeguard 5 days in a row and again in 10 days, just in case she does have worms that need more aggressive treatment. The Corid treatment I have no experience with, it probably wouldn't hurt to treat them all.