Worms?

[ajyetzer]

Hi everybody!

Today I was out in our chicken run and noticed a white thing lounging in one of my bird's fresh poop. Upon closer inspection I observed that it was a worm that was moving slightly. So I picked it up with a stick, put it in a plastic bag, and disposed of it.

The worm was about an inch and a half to two inches long and was totally white. It reminded me of an angel hair pasta noodle.

What type of worm this is this?

What I can do to correct the problem in my birds?

I have been raising chickens for three years, and I have never seen worms in their poop until now.

Thanks! : )

Anthony

 

[teach1rusl]

Sounds like tape worm to me... Safeguard goat wormer addresses several types of worms. You can put that in their water. Most wormer products out there are for goats, horses and cows, so you'll need to use a lot of math in your dosage...lol.

 

[ajyetzer]

Thank you for replying. : )

I was thinking that it might be a cecal worm.

Were I to treat them with the wormer that you suggested (in lower doses of course), would I have to stop using my hens' eggs for as long as I am treating them with the wormer?

 

[teach1rusl]

From what I've read (never experienced it w/my birds), cecal worms only grow up to 1/2 inch, while tape worms (I'm very familiar with, because dogs/cats can have them too) can be tiny pieces up to several inches.

Ivermec (I've used a few drops of paste on a treat to give to a chicken orally) can also be used. My advice is to read the labels, and if there is a meat withdrawl period, then I'd follow that with eggs. I do believe most recommend at least a 2 week withdrawl period with most products like that. Most likely nothing would come of it, but in case a human would be allergic to the product being used, better safe than sorry I suppose.

We did eat eggs after a use of antibiotics on a bird, but it was amoxicillin, and we knew we were okay with allergy issues (I did not eat them for 2 weeks because I AM allergic to amoxillin). Things like Frontline and such don't have a withdrawl period, but only work on external parasites as far as I know.

And if you go with safeguard, double check on whether it's used in water or given orally...now I'm 2nd guessing myself.