WORMING with Fenbendazole - - How much?

[casportpony]

Equimax or something containing praziquantel would be my choice to treat tapes. Can you post a picture of the praziquantel sold in Canada so I can verify that it's the same as the stuff sold here? The stuff sold in AU is different, so that why I'm asking.

 

[RWBP]

We have 4 plymouth barred rock hens. We keep them in an 8'x8' chicken tractor on grass 'pasture' and usually let them out to free range for an hour or so every evening. They love to eat worms and whatever else they can find in the yard. I feed them fermented food, dry food, scratch, and whatever they can find in the yard. To be honest, I even dig worms for them.

Well, why I'm here..... I had today off from work and let the ladies out to get the morning worms since we got a bit of rain last night. I was bored, so I googled earthworms and benefits to chickens. Well I found more than I bargained for. . . I knew letting them out would expose them to possible disease vectors, but I had never even heard of gape worms. I have noticed my chickens do 'the gape' in the past, but it isn't a constant thing. And I usually always saw them do it after stuffing themselves. . . So i figured it was digestion, burping, or something like that. I googled gape worms and I'm pretty confident my ladies have them, one for sure. She is smaller than the rest and always has struck us as a bit underweight and just 'looks different' than the other 3.

Reading this newly discovered info to me about gape worms, I immediately thought of Red (The one hen I'm pretty sure has a substantial load) and that must be what I have noticed in the past in her gasping for air. So I took a closer look at their poop today, and sure enough it looks like someone rolled their turds in very tiny sesame seeds. I spent all day searching and reading online about worms and worming.

I've decided to go with Safeguard Liquid. Planning on doing 1.5 mL per bird in an oral syringe. I'd like to dose them the same relative time each day. My plan was to do a dose each morning for 3 mornings. But then I thought about maybe doing a dose tomorrow morning, and then a dose for the next 3 nights. Any thoughts on that? I figure I'd give them a good amount to start with since everything I read online says it's pretty much impossible to overdose with Safeguard. I wouldn't be able to dose them longer than 3 days in the mornings, since I would have to leave for work before it is light (we don't supplement light; don't plan on it). That's the only reason I was thinking of doing two doses tomorrow.... Or should I just wait for night and do 5 doses in the evening?

Any thoughts on moving their tractor related to medicine administration? I figure they are gonna get re-exposed since we continue to plan on letting them free-range and eat worms. I just want to reduce their worm load, and especially for Red in particular. I was thinking of moving their coop during day 3 (sunday) so they would be on fresh ground during the end of their treatment. Does it even matter, since they are going to be inevitably re-exposed?

Does 1.5 mL per Plymouth Barred Rock per day of Safeguard Liquid for 3-5 days sound like the right dose? Would giving 3 mL tomorrow spaced out by about 10 hours be too much?

 

[RWBP]

If this doesn't clear up the 'seasame turds' I will try something for tapeworms. . . I'm just gonna try this for now. I looked at their turds' for a bit today and didn't see one thing crawling or moving. Just like someone rolled their turds in seed shaped eggs. . .

 

[paneubert]

We have 4 plymouth barred rock hens. We keep them in an 8'x8' chicken tractor on grass 'pasture' and usually let them out to free range for an hour or so every evening. They love to eat worms and whatever else they can find in the yard. I feed them fermented food, dry food, scratch, and whatever they can find in the yard. To be honest, I even dig worms for them.

Well, why I'm here..... I had today off from work and let the ladies out to get the morning worms since we got a bit of rain last night. I was bored, so I googled earthworms and benefits to chickens. Well I found more than I bargained for. . . I knew letting them out would expose them to possible disease vectors, but I had never even heard of gape worms. I have noticed my chickens do 'the gape' in the past, but it isn't a constant thing. And I usually always saw them do it after stuffing themselves. . . So i figured it was digestion, burping, or something like that. I googled gape worms and I'm pretty confident my ladies have them, one for sure. She is smaller than the rest and always has struck us as a bit underweight and just 'looks different' than the other 3.

Reading this newly discovered info to me about gape worms, I immediately thought of Red (The one hen I'm pretty sure has a substantial load) and that must be what I have noticed in the past in her gasping for air. So I took a closer look at their poop today, and sure enough it looks like someone rolled their turds in very tiny sesame seeds. I spent all day searching and reading online about worms and worming.

I've decided to go with Safeguard Liquid. Planning on doing 1.5 mL per bird in an oral syringe. I'd like to dose them the same relative time each day. My plan was to do a dose each morning for 3 mornings. But then I thought about maybe doing a dose tomorrow morning, and then a dose for the next 3 nights. Any thoughts on that? I figure I'd give them a good amount to start with since everything I read online says it's pretty much impossible to overdose with Safeguard. I wouldn't be able to dose them longer than 3 days in the mornings, since I would have to leave for work before it is light (we don't supplement light; don't plan on it). That's the only reason I was thinking of doing two doses tomorrow.... Or should I just wait for night and do 5 doses in the evening?

Any thoughts on moving their tractor related to medicine administration? I figure they are gonna get re-exposed since we continue to plan on letting them free-range and eat worms. I just want to reduce their worm load, and especially for Red in particular. I was thinking of moving their coop during day 3 (sunday) so they would be on fresh ground during the end of their treatment. Does it even matter, since they are going to be inevitably re-exposed?

Does 1.5 mL per Plymouth Barred Rock per day of Safeguard Liquid for 3-5 days sound like the right dose? Would giving 3 mL tomorrow spaced out by about 10 hours be too much?

No comment about dosage length or amount, but I will chime in that it is hard to overdose (like you said). So you could always do your best with the syringe and then also put it in their water......at least then you know they are getting a little during the day when you are at work.

 

[RWBP]

I thought about that. The water bowl we have in there is a 5 quart bowl, so it lasts them quite a while before I even notice any level change. I usually change it every few days, so I hardly ever even notice a level change. I read about the constant stirring needed to keep safeguard properly suspended in water, and this would obviously be impossible for me to do while at work.

If I do add it to their water, I will remove their large bowl for a pie saucer or something with much less volume and mix accordingly.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I had never even heard of gape worms. I have noticed my chickens do 'the gape' in the past, but it isn't a constant thing. And I usually always saw them do it after stuffing themselves. . . So i figured it was digestion, burping, or something like that. I googled gape worms and I'm pretty confident my ladies have them, one for sure.

So I took a closer look at their poop today, and sure enough it looks like someone rolled their turds in very tiny sesame seeds.

I've decided to go with Safeguard Liquid. Planning on doing 1.5 mL per bird in an oral syringe. I'd like to dose them the same relative time each day. My plan was to do a dose each morning for 3 mornings. But then I thought about maybe doing a dose tomorrow morning, and then a dose for the next 3 nights. Any thoughts on that?

Does 1.5 mL per Plymouth Barred Rock per day of Safeguard Liquid for 3-5 days sound like the right dose? Would giving 3 mL tomorrow spaced out by about 10 hours be too much?

Can you post photos of the poop with the sesame seeds?

Gapeworms are fairly rare and you would see the bird "gaping" all the time, just not occasionally. You would see respiratory distress and the bird would also be coughing trying to dislodge them from the throat.

Safeguard (Fenbendazole) is given orally by the pound. You need to weigh each bird and give them the correct dosage. Dosage is .23ml per pound of weight, given for 5 days in a row. This will take care of most worms.

If you think you are seeing tapeworm segments (see video below) you will want to treat with Praziquantel this is also given orally by weight.

It is always a good idea to get a fecal float.

 

[RWBP]

Thanks for the response! I will try to get a good pic here in a few when the ladies get up and moving around.

I did spend a substantial amount of time gathering different poops around my yard yesterday. I put them on a hard surface and poked at them with sticks and leaves. All the "eggs" are seed shaped ... Like squash seed shaped. I didn't notice one thing moving in their poops I examined. Not one slight movement in about ten different turds. When I did poke at them and move them around, the poops would shed a lot of eggs and they would be laying on the surface I used to examine, also no movement .

The gasp done by our one chicken, Red, is usually done after eating lots of earthworms fast. . . I initially thought it was because the earth Worms were still moving in her croop and trying to get out, basically.

I'm gonna start with the safeguard for now. We bought them as "15 week old pullets" last June. We were going to worm them when we got them, but never did. Safeguard seems to take off most anything, except the tapes .

I have also noticed a bit of blood in some of the stool under their sleeping spot in the mornings. So I was also maybe thinking it could be cecal worms? I'll get a pic up in a few...

 

[RWBP]

This is just a random thought, but if I'm supposed to put roughly 1.5mL of safeguard liquid for a 6# bird directly down it's throat.... Then why only 3mL in a gallon of water, of which they may drink a few ounces from? It doesn't sound like putting it in their water at that concentration is gonna give them anywhere near what is recommended.

Wouldn't I want to put 3mL in like a quart of water?

 

[casportpony]

This is just a random thought, but if I'm supposed to put roughly 1.5mL of safeguard liquid for a 6# bird directly down it's throat.... Then why only 3mL in a gallon of water, of which they may drink a few ounces from? It doesn't sound like putting it in their water at that concentration is gonna give them anywhere near what is recommended.

Wouldn't I want to put 3mL in like a quart of water?

The 3 ml per gallon or quart amount is not enough and is unlikely to treat anything other than large roundworms.

 

[paneubert]

The 3 ml per gallon or quart amount is not enough and is unlikely to treat anything other than large roundworms.

Yep. Welcome to the world of creating drug resistant bugs via underdosing. Haha!