Could this be worms?

[tlck9]

Hi All



I found one of these in poo last week and I have given my chucks a dose of fluenvet, each day, dipped a mealworm into the worming powder and administered it to each one to ensure they are getting it.

However this is the same type of "thing" I had back on October, the vet gave them a strong wormer, which eggs had to be destroyed with.

Any thoughts on if this is worms returning?

I found this one along with another in poop again today. It is good they are coming out and is this normal, or is this a bad infestation?

[RichmondHens]

Looks like it to me. How often do you worm and do the birds get a change of ground at all? I would suggest either using the premedicated pellet from Marriages (has Flubenvet added) or if you only have a very few birds then buy the tub of 2.5% powder and mix your own so all they eat all day for a week is medicated feed. I think it's a bit hit and miss dosing an item of food. Mealworms are not that big and I wouldn't imagine you get much powder on one. Better to withdraw all treats and ensure they only have treated pellet instead. If they are on the same ground 24/7 year round then worm 4 times a year. Add a hefty dose of fresh garlic to the drinking water too as this is a natural worm repellent, although it won't kill them. If there is any possibility of moving the hens onto fresh ground so you can lime and rest the existing that will be of great benefit too.

[VirginVegGrower]

I worm three - four times a year with Flubenvet. Some say twice a year. Victoria whatshername - the chicken vet suggest every 2-3 months. So given what you've had come out, I would say a seven day course would do no harm. Do they free range? Mine do, hence I worm more regularly.

[VirginVegGrower]

Looks like it to me. How often do you worm and do the birds get a change of ground at all? I would suggest either using the premedicated pellet from Marriages (has Flubenvet added) or if you only have a very few birds then buy the tub of 2.5% powder and mix your own so all they eat all day for a week is medicated feed. I think it's a bit hit and miss dosing an item of food. Mealworms are not that big and I wouldn't imagine you get much powder on one. Better to withdraw all treats and ensure they only have treated pellet instead. If they are on the same ground 24/7 year round then worm 4 times a year. Add a hefty dose of fresh garlic to the drinking water too as this is a natural worm repellent, although it won't kill them. If there is any possibility of moving the hens onto fresh ground so you can lime and rest the existing that will be of great benefit too.

I've seen talk of Stalosan...which lime is it you use please RH as I don't treat my ground after they've been on it. Do you need to then isolate that ground after treating? Sorry so many questions again.

[tlck9]

hi All, this is what I cant understand, I worm them about 3/4 times a year, they were moved to new ground when I had the new run made up, which was August last year - sadly its a fixed run. They had been on the same ground before for 2 years - so we moved them to fresh.

I also gave them a wormer from the vet in October last year.

I will do as you suggest and mix up there food with wormer instead. I have been putting granulated garlic in their water? does it have to be a clove???

My next plan was to sanitise the ground with the Netrex stuff as I have a container of it.

Arrrrghhhhh,

[tlck9]

ps, I current feed them on Smallholders meal/crumble mixed with crediton mill mash, they dont seem to eat pelletts, could I put pelletts in for the duration or will they starve?

[VirginVegGrower]

I cut grapes in half last time and smeared some onto the insides as it sticks. Have usually used sultanas too, with good effect and the same method. Then I put some into their boiled rice as it does stick on that. This way I can be sure they all get some. I can never do the feed thing, mix with oil first business and it did not work for me. A lot seem to though so maybe that's just me. I am still on a learning curve. Thank goodness chooks are nature's forgivers.

[RichmondHens]

Just mix the Flubenvet powder with your normal feed, that will be fine.

Stalosan is a powder disinfectant designed for using inside the houses (and stables, sheep pens etc etc). The lime you need to use is just bog standard builders lime. But then you do need to keep birds off for 3 months. I don't need to lime as my birds have enormous (by most people's standards) pens on grass which are also moved 2 - 3 times a year. The ground never wears out and in the summer the birds can't keep up with the grass and it needs to be mown! So mud and bare ground is not an issue here, beyond the enormous dusting craters they like to dig in the summer! Although when birds free range they are picking up more insect life and therefore risk picking up more parasites, it's actually birds on fixed runs 24/7 that seem to suffer more as they are constantly pecking around in their own poo. Free rangers therefore are foraging in a more healthy way. But if free range is not possible then the best solution is to have two fixed runs and move the birds every three months which gives the ground a chance to recover and any parasites to die off, although worm eggs are very resilient and can remain in the ground for a long time. Sunshine is supposed to kill them though.

[VirginVegGrower]

Just mix the Flubenvet powder with your normal feed, that will be fine.

Stalosan is a powder disinfectant designed for using inside the houses (and stables, sheep pens etc etc). The lime you need to use is just bog standard builders lime. But then you do need to keep birds off for 3 months. I don't need to lime as my birds have enormous (by most people's standards) pens on grass which are also moved 2 - 3 times a year. The ground never wears out and in the summer the birds can't keep up with the grass and it needs to be mown! So mud and bare ground is not an issue here, beyond the enormous dusting craters they like to dig in the summer! Although when birds free range they are picking up more insect life and therefore risk picking up more parasites, it's actually birds on fixed runs 24/7 that seem to suffer more as they are constantly pecking around in their own poo. Free rangers therefore are foraging in a more healthy way. But if free range is not possible then the best solution is to have two fixed runs and move the birds every three months which gives the ground a chance to recover and any parasites to die off, although worm eggs are very resilient and can remain in the ground for a long time. Sunshine is supposed to kill them though.

Sunshine...what's that? Thanks again RH.

PS. we move cube and run every couple of weeks on the grass area. They don't reduce it to mud, but it would be difficult to lime it and partition off.

[tlck9]

Thanks Richmond hens, I will give it a go. Sunshine???? Whats that then, will have to look that one up - my run is covered, so thats probably not helping either! oh well, i cant win but at least theyre not muddy

[Prince of Durham]

I buy the feed with it already in. They get it twice a year, March and October. Seems to keep mine in good order. The wormer only kills what's in the system for a short while. So this may have grown after the treatment. I'm not sure how fast they grow.

[tlck9]

i've read that common round worms can find there way into eggs, has anyone experienced this. My neighbours have some of my eggs, should I stop giving them out?

What do other people do in these situations

[chris]

Not experienced it, but I always check the eggs when I crack them open I've had 1 bad egg in a couple years of keeping them - which I'm guessing was due to a hairline crack in the shell, bacteria got in and it then went bad. It looked like chicken poo was in the egg - pretty grim, though my wife saw it not me. (I'd have spewed! )

[RichmondHens]

i've read that common round worms can find there way into eggs, has anyone experienced this. My neighbours have some of my eggs, should I stop giving them out?

What do other people do in these situations

If eggs are cooked thoroughly there is no risk. Maybe suggest to your neighbour that she doesn't have soft boiled eggs until the worming programme is completed. Or if you don't want to let your neighbour know about the worms then just say the hens have been a bit off colour or something.

[RichmondHens]

Not experienced it, but I always check the eggs when I crack them open I've had 1 bad egg in a couple years of keeping them - which I'm guessing was due to a hairline crack in the shell, bacteria got in and it then went bad. It looked like chicken poo was in the egg - pretty grim, though my wife saw it not me. (I'd have spewed! )

The worst experience with eggs I've had is opening an unhatched one post incubation which exploded with a loud bang all over my T shirt, the contents were thick and green and smelt absolutely disgusting. Even after a shower I was convinced I still smelt of rotten egg!