Broody mama has lice; 4d chicks do too. Now I’m wondering about all the other symptoms…

[aliris]

I draw up meds into a needless syringe, then direct oral dose each bird.

If you are going to deworm all the adults, then yes, I'd deworm the broody hen too.

It's much easier to go out early and get each hen while they are roosting and medicate them. I pick one off the roost, dose her, then set her in the floor, go to the next.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

ty! I just _scored_ a syringe of the correct size not from CVS which is useless, but from the big-heart animal hospital down the street. I know they will know nothing of chickens so wouldn't bother asking, but they do, apparently, have "lots" of these small syringes! I didn't have the nerve to ask for 5 more... lol. It would be easier if they were measured out in advance but that's OK. This will do.

There are so many opinions about refraining from eating eggs subsequent to using this medication. Thoughts on that?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad you found a syringe that will work!

Egg withdrawal period...general guideline would be 14 days after last dose. Some do not observe the period, a lot depends on the medication and who is going to be eating/using the eggs. If you sell or give away eggs, toss them.

 

[aliris]

Thank you - nah, just us. Maybe clear out a little worm residue inside us too? lol. But we'll wait a couple weeks.

The drama here over the syringe! Bottom line is: seriously little of the paste is the proper dose, so others want to know this. It's worth hunting down a syringe with 0.2ml gradations <3ml. Try vet hospital! There has been a lot of fighting in this household trying to work out a plan prior to just getting the damn syringe. They probably sell it online too, so if ordering online, might want to add a <3ml syringe to the order.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Good thoughts.

Sometimes you can ask your pharmacist for an infant syringe (or two).
I asked at my pharmacy (for a needleless infant syringe), she was like oh, is your baby sick?!! I'm sorry. I told her, Nah...I want to give one of my hens medication. She laughed and laughed it was a first for her, she gave me 3 syringes. I scored!

 

[Debbie292d]

Good thoughts.

Sometimes you can ask your pharmacist for an infant syringe (or two).
I asked at my pharmacy (for a needleless infant syringe), she was like oh, is your baby sick?!! I'm sorry. I told her, Nah...I want to give one of my hens medication. She laughed and laughed it was a first for her, she gave me 3 syringes. I scored!

I am going to try that! I don't own one and should have a few.

 

[aliris]

The start of a two-week useless clutch! We'll discard the eggs until the praziquantel levels recede.

Stuffed a bunch of Equimax into 5 chickens last night at 4am. Everyone seems to have survived. The one I'm pretty sure is producing the poop with worm segments is very lethargic, sleepy. Does this mean anything? Stress from dealing with dying parasites? Ongoing fatigue from the infection?

Babies continue to be clean and growing like crazy. Mother wasn't happy about being away from babies, and the feeling was mutual but quick. She goes on a tear scratching the floor when I do something she doesn't like, it's almost funny if it weren't so fearsome. Babies have learned to stay away and let her calm down, lol. She could hurt one with her powerful leg thrusts! When I take her out she presses her beak into my arm. Doesn't actually peck but makes the pointy end very obvious. I think she does know I'm trying to help, though.

How long before the lethargic one might gain back strength? Should I try to isolate her so as to identify her poop to check for segments?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'd give the weak one some electrolytes, then see if she will eat.

Not sure if the dewormer would act that quickly to make her sick from worm toxicity, she's started acting lethargic in a few hours after dosing?
@dawg53 thoughts?

She may be having trouble with an egg? Hard to know. Hydration, get some calcium into her and see how it goes.

Glad Mama hen and babies are doing so well!

 

[aliris]

Ah, I chose not to give them calcium pills tonight - bad move perhaps. It's after dark, should I give them some anyway?

 

[aliris]

I was just reading about reactions and actually in other animals, reaction to the lysing, or whatever it would be called, from dying tapeworms seems to happen very quickly. And the praziquantel is cleared quite quickly too, though remains in the liver. This is what I was looking at... https://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2695&Itemid=3023

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If the hen is lethargic due to trying to lay an egg, then yes, I'd give the Calcium.