WORMS causing rasping breath, bloody diarrhea in chicks?

[vivaciouswoman]

I started a thread yesterday, but I discovered something new, so I'm starting over. Old thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ing-breath-rales-diarrhea-with-blood.1259694/

I had a chick with rasping breath that seemed to be made better when it came inside into the climate controlled air. However, it had bloody diarrhea. The consensus was that I was dealing with coccidiosis, and I should get Corid and treat.

So I did that. But this afternoon, I found this beast in the water bowl of the Murderous Mommas (two hens tried and convicted of killing their own chicks), who had occupied the same coop and run that the babies are now in:

We have had no rain, and the earth here is horribly dusty and dry. Everything green is dying. So I don't think this thing wandered out of the ground on its own. I'm assuming that my Murderous Mommas have roundworms (although, how did the thing get into their water bowl??). Safe assumption? And since they were in the enclosure that the babies are now in...connecting the dots here.

Could all of this be a roundworm (I assume that's what it is) problem and not coccidiosis at all? I have a crossbeak chick who is failing to thrive who I will have to cull tonight. I'd rather not, but if I gather up the courage, should I try to look at its intestines?

I'm all itchy now. Crawly sensations all over my body. EEEUCK!

 

[vivaciouswoman]

Questions on my mind:

1. How does a roundworm get into a water bowl? Can those buggers make it all the way through the digestive system, up the crop, and out the beak? Or did it come out in the poop and crawl its way to hydration? Or is this some sort of weird coincidence? (The chances of coincidence seem remote!)
2. Could the chicks, who were moved to the run a couple of weeks ago because we couldn't keep them cool enough in the outbuildings, have roundworm already?
3. Would a roundworm infection cause them to have raspy breathing? I'm hearing a lot of sneezing/coughing sounds from a number of the chicks.
4. If the chicks are likely to have roundworm, do I stop the coccidiosis treatment or continue? Treat for roundworm simultaneously or wait for coccidiosis treatment to end? How do I support GOOD health while feeding them what are essentially two courses of poisons?

Thanks for any help!

 

[vivaciouswoman]

NOTE: I have 8 Buff Orpingtons in with the babies, and they are a couple of weeks older than my babies, and they are from the store, so they may have had shots and/or medicated feed that my chicks have not had. The Buffs do not seem to be sick or sneezing, but the younger chicks are.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

@KikisGirls

 

[vivaciouswoman]

Note: the chicks have been in that run for about 12 days, so it is possible that we have immature roundworms in their intestines, and these can be very destructive, from the reading I've done.

 

[dawg53]

That's an earthworm, not a roundworm.

 

[Birds of a Feather]

That looks like a normal earthworm.

 

[vivaciouswoman]

You think? Where the heck did it come from? It's bone dry here in lower central mid-Michigan. We haven't had rain in days, and it has been in the 90s. Everything green that isn't irrigated daily is dying. Weeding my garden is a breeze because the dirt is bone dry for a long, long, long distance, even with 2 hours of drip irrigation per day.

Where on EARTH did it come from???

I'd love it if you're right!

 

[Kiki]

That's an earthworm, not a roundworm.

Agreed.

 

[Kiki]

Note: the chicks have been in that run for about 12 days, so it is possible that we have immature roundworms in their intestines, and these can be very destructive, from the reading I've done.

I would not worry about 12 day old chicks having worms.
Like @dawg53 said above...this is NOT a roundworm.