Worming w/moxidectin??

[Hebandgene]

Searched for info on forums but not much recent that seemed relevant. Took a fecal sample to vet from a hen that has a weird butt (possibly vent gleet?? I can't figure it out.) Results showed high levels of cocci and miscellaneous worms. (Most people here worm twice a year, it's very humid and hot.) Vet recommended cocci med that I didn't recognize (forgot the name) and moxidectin for worms. Vet is not farm/poultry vet but will see birds if needed so not sure how much she knows.

I have 40 birds, none of which are unthrifty or sick, including weird butt hen. However, have a few who are missing feathers under their necks and they don't seem to be molting (two are especially bare), so something is going on. Have dusted and sprayed for lice and mites multiple times but on close inspections, don't see any evidence on birds and they are asymptomatic.

Is moxidectin the thing to use? Cydectin or Quest? Cydectin is very expensive. Would fenbendazole be a suitable alternative? Thanks!!

 

[Percheron chick]

Quest does not treat typical chicken worms. It is also very easy to overdose. I wouldn't bother. What worms showed up on the fecal? That will determine what product to use. You did he hard part.

 

[dawg53]

I dont recommend moxidectin neither, only as a last resort. There are plenty of other much safer wormers on the market, fenbendazole being one of them.
First, you want to take care of the cocci problem. Buy Corid 9.6% liquid solution at your feed store. It'll be in the cattle section. Dosage is 9.5cc's per gallon of water for 5 days. Make it fresh each day and dont add anything else to the mixture.

While you're treating your birds for cocci, order a 500ml bottle of Valbazen, here's the link:
https://www.jefferspet.com/products/valbazen-broad-spectrum-dewormer
Dose each chicken orally using a syringe without a needle. Give each chicken 1/2cc orally, then repeat dosing again in 10 days. It cannot be mixed in water for them to drink.

Here's how you worm them: It's best to worm birds early in the morning. The day before you worm them, withhold their feed in the afternoon starting at 4pm including the next morning, do not withhold their water, water is ok.
The next morning let them out into the pen and DO NOT let them out of the pen to free range, keep them confined and ensure there's no food for them to eat as I mentioned.

Get your bottle of valbazen and syringe (no needle needed) and draw 1/2cc. I like to put the liquid in the bottle cap and withdraw the white liquid in that manner, it's easier than drawing it out from the bottle itself.
Next, have a friend or loved one grab a chicken for you and hold it. Then firmly pull down the chickens wattles and shoot the liquid in her mouth and quickly release her wattles so's she can swallow the liquid on her own. If you dont release the wattles immediately, the liquid might go down the windpipe, then there would be trouble.

Once the chicken is dosed, have your friend release the hen OUTSIDE the pen so the hen can go about her business. Then have your friend grab another hen and repeat this procedure until all your hens are wormed. It shouldnt take long to do this at all.
Dosing each bird in this manner ensures each bird got properly wormed and dosed correctly, no guesswork about it.
Repeat this whole procedure in 10 days.

Please post a pic of the "weird butt hen" for us to help you see if it's vent gleet. A pic of her rear end will tell all.

The birds that are missing feathers under their necks could be from plucking their own feathers and eating them which would suggest they need more protein in their diet. Or, others birds are picking feathers off them. Other causes are overcrowding, boredom, or birds that are very low in the pecking order and not getting enough food to eat and yes...going into a mini molt is possible due to stress or just a plain old mini molt which is common.
You'll have to observe your birds and see if there's feather picking going on. Good luck, hope this helps and dont forget to post a pic of the weird butt hen.

 

[Hebandgene]

Thanks for your responses!

Percheron Chick - I asked the vet tech what worms so I would know what wormer to use but she said the results just indicated "miscellaneous parasites." Not very helpful. Last summer we had roundworms which I treated with Wazine but have seen no sign of them this spring. The ground here is so damp I'm sure there's all kinds of yuck living in it.

Dawg53 - Thanks so much for that great info! Will print it out. I already treated the cocci with Corid just as you indicated, so hopefully that's under control. Will do as you suggest with Valbazen. I have been watching for feather picking and don't see any sign of it and don't think overcrowding, boredom, and low pecking order are applicable considering which birds have the missing feathers. I'll keep watching though, esp to see if they are picking at themselves. It doesn't seem to be getting any worse so that's good news. Question - I have a few sizzles (not my problem birds) that seem to be having a mini molt. Can a mini molt happen even when a regular molt happened in the fall? Will see if I can get a pic of weird butt hen. She's already out today so might have to wait til I can get hold of her tonight.

 

[Hebandgene]

dawg53 - I remembered I had a pic of the weird butt hen from a few weeks ago. It's not great though, so I'll work on getting a better one when I return home in a couple days. It looks like her poops are watery but the ones I've seen her make aren't. She does have a little white crust around her vent but not much, and there is no unusual or foul smell. She lays normal eggs. No unusual redness or swelling around her vent. No sign of lice or mites tho I have dusted her and everyone else and sprayed the henhouse. The feathers on her backside are sparse and wilted as if she was wet but she's not. She's been like this for many months now and asks like a completely normal hen. I asked vet to check for yeast but I have to bring the hen in for her to do a skin scrape. Thanks for any advice you can give!