Deworming question

[Weetamoo93]

It's been a long weekend and I'm as burnt as the splatter at the bottom of an oven.

First time I'm needing to deworm my chickens because I've seen round worms in their droppings. I'm ordering the new Safeguard dewormer for the flock, but have one older lady (5 years) who's been lethargic and not eating all week. She's not egg bound and will drink occasionally on her own; even so, I've been syringing her fluids occasionally and forcing a few kernels of whole corn as it's easiest make her eat. What I have on hand is a dewormer for puppies/small dogs and Reese pinworm medicine.

Which would potentially be better, and what dose? I think she needs something sooner than the Safeguard would arrive.

What I've given her in the meantime is a tums a day, electrolyte water, and molasses water (just two days to try to "flush" her and hopefully boost her energy), and last night coconut oil to lube from both ends when I checked for any egg. The last must've worked because she did a good size poop at last which was when I saw the worms (not many).

She's isolated to keep her quiet and for monitoring.

If this seems scattered-brained, forgive a mom of four under 7 (youngest being 6 months). It's been a more trying weekend.

 

[Susan Skylark]

Your hen is probably not suffering from parasites, she likely has them but they aren’t a huge cause of pathology in adult, well nourished critters. You’ll waste your dog dewormer, won’t do your bird any good, and may risk further upsetting her gut or even making her condition worse. Treating with something just to feel like you are doing something is never a good idea. Generic nursing care is much more important if you don’t know what you are treating and as you are already doing that, don’t look for other random possibilities, some things we just can’t fix.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Generic nursing care is much more important if you don’t know what you are treating and as you are already doing that, don’t look for other random possibilities, some things we just can’t fix.

Thanks. This is my general approach with my flock, especially considering chickens usually wait til the last day or two to show symptoms of anything, so I'm surprised she's still hanging in there. I'll keep up the general care. She seemed a little more alert today, but still generally huddles with her eyes closed.

I think I'd read somewhere (maybe reddit as I've been perusing general health issues) that chickens often decline starting around 5, too? She's a Partridge Plymouth Rock from a large-scale hatchery. I'm leaning towards she may have something going on that I cannot properly access without a vet or post-mortem assessment (which I'll certainly do if it comes to that).

 

[sillyduckz]

if you have a TSC nearby, it may be worth checking to see if they carry Nutri-Drench. it will buy you some time if you're waiting on medication to arrive. good on you for taking such diligent care of your bird with already so much on your plate, your girl is lucky to have you. hope all goes well for you and her

 

[Weetamoo93]

Based on this thread, I'm wondering if she's just at the end of her life. She's not really improving or depreciating, but just stuck in the middle looking uncomfortable.

Nothing stands out as wrong aside from remaining huddled with eyes closed. Her poop, while green with a few roundworms, looked and smelled pretty normal, her comb is bright red, her vent is moist, her abdomen is soft, her breathing sounds normal. Aside from acting a bit miserable, she appears healthy.

I'm also suspecting she may not be drinking any more. It may just be the end for this 5 year old hen.

 

[Eggcessive]

What is the “new” SafeGuard that you ordered? Most feed stores have SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer which is 10% fenbendazole. Dosage of that is 0.25 ml per pound of weight (about 1.25 ml for a 5 pound hen,) given once orally and again in 10 days for round worms only. To treat for most all worms except tapeworms, give it orally for 5 straight days. There is a low dose Aquasol SafeGuard that goes in the water but only treats round worms. I would get her taking some mushy layer feed and scrambled egg, since corn is not a complete or balanced feed and too low in protein. At 5 she may be experiencing a reproductive disorder. I would check her crop first thing in the morning to make sure it is emptying overnight.

 

[Weetamoo93]

@Eggcessive , thank you! The Safeguard I was referring to is an AquaSol. I'll try giving her mash, but the only way she's getting food is me physically putting it in her mouth. I know whole corn isn't complete, but I was hoping it would give her a boost of energy to get her appetite back. So far, that hasn't worked. She has been, slowly, digesting the corn I fed her. I can feel it in her crop after and by the next day it's empty.

I'll try dropping just the pellets down her mouth and see how that goes as far as her crop emptying overnight.

 

[Eggcessive]

Aquasol will treat round worms only. There is no egg withdrawal time.

 

[tigger19687]

I don't think putting pellets down would be a good idea. Stick with the Mash so that it is easily digested.
While I haev not had any old hens, I would think that she won't have anything in the gizzard to crush it and maybe not enough energy to do so.
If it is that she is old I do hope that she passes fast

 

[Weetamoo93]

Update: she is drinking on her own and ate while I was out and about

I'm wondering if the coconut oil got something moving through her system that got stuck.

But she hasn't laid an egg since I separated her.