Sorry no pretty picture here
Internal and External
Parasites in your chickens
Let’s go
ahead and get the yuck factor of raising chickens out of the way. Parasites are
not something to be Squamish about and they are going to be on and in your
chickens at some point. Parasites are a constant threat to your flock. An
infestation of external or internal parasites can be much more than just a
nuisance, some can be life-threatening. Recognizing symptoms and understanding
effective treatment plans is essential to maintaining a healthy flock.
External Parasites
External
parasites, including lice and mites, attack poultry by either sucking blood or
feeding on the skin or feathers. Flocks infested with lice or mites can show
similar symptoms: decreased egg production, reduced appetite and weight loss.
Because early detection can prevent a flock outbreak, regularly check your
flock for external parasites.
Poultry lice are tiny, wingless parasites with
broad heads. Lice spend their entire life cycle on the chicken, but do not suck
blood. Instead, they eat feathers and dry skin usually found below the vent.
Lice can be controlled with: nicotine sulphate, malathion 4-7% dusts, or
stirfos.
Mites are spider-like creatures that are
so small they are hard to detect. They typically survive on a chicken's blood,
tissue cells, or feathers. Mites do not need to live on chickens to survive;
some types live in the chicken coop and only crawl on the bird to feed. Common
poultry mites include: Northern Fowl Mites, Red Mites, and Scaly Leg Mites.
The Northern Fowl Mite is the most common external poultry
parasite and can be very hard to eliminate. It lives on the bird at all times
and sucks blood from the chicken to survive. These mites can live up to three
weeks and are commonly spread through bird-to-bird contact. Treatment includes:
nicotine sulphate, malathion, stirfos and carbaryl.
Red Mites live on birds during night and feed
on their blood. Found throughout the chicken coop in tiny crevices or in
nesting boxes, these mites can live up to one year without feeding on hens.
These parasites can carry fowl cholera, fowl pox or New Castle disease.
Treatment includes: painting walls, roosts and other cracks with carbolineum,
other anthracene oil or malathion.
Scaly Leg Mites live under the scales of chickens'
legs. These mites will leave white encrustations between the scales, but, if
left undetected, thick scales will build up on the legs. This parasite spreads
slowly throughout the flock. Treatment includes dipping the infected birds'
legs in hot water and then in a petroleum based oil.
Prevention and early detection can
control external parasites within your poultry flock. Clean and disinfect the
chicken coop regularly along with any nesting boxes. Reduce foot traffic in the
chicken coop and avoid contact with wild birds. When new poultry arrive, a
quarantine of at least two weeks will allow time to carefully examine and treat
the birds if necessary.
Internal Parasites
Internal
parasites can be common in backyard flocks. Common internal parasites include
roundworms and tapeworms.
Roundworm is picked up from the ground as
chickens scratch around eating bugs - beetles, snails, slugs, grasshoppers,
ants, and earthworms - that are contaminated. The adult worm lives in the
intestine where it lays eggs which are excreted in the birds’ droppings and
transmitted throughout the flock as the chickens scratch for food. Birds
suffering from roundworm infections are usually thin with poor feather quality
and often suffer from diarrhea.
Tapeworms are flat, ribbon-like worms
comprised of numerous sections. Tapeworm larvae can be carried by intermediate
hosts such as slugs, termites, and snails. When chickens eat these infected
bugs, they pick up the parasite which attaches itself to the wall of the
intestine. Segments of the worm will break off and pass through the chicken in
its droppings where it can spread to other birds in the flock.
If you suspect roundworms or
tapeworms, contact your avian veterinarian. Identifying what parasite is
present in your birds will get your chickens started on the right treatment. If
one or two birds are symptomatic of infection, the whole flock should be
treated. Treatment for internal parasites may include: piperazine,
phenothiazine, or dibutyltin dilaurate. Good litter management can break the
worms' life cycle. Other control measures include avoiding overcrowding in the
chicken coop and prevention of contact with wild birds.
Sanitation is the key to preventing
infestation of both internal and external parasites within your flock. For the
tools you need to care for your backyard flock, trust the experts at Southern
States.
More Tips on controlling Parasites
External
The hen
house bedding needs removing, and then cleaning thoroughly, with an approved livestock
dust. Repeat this step in another 14 days and make sure to pay special
attention to corners and crevices, and roosts.
When dusting
chickens’ heads use a small toothbrush to apply the dust. The respiratory
system of a bird is sensitive to dust and problems can result if they intake
too much dusk.
Use a shaker
container or recycled parmesan cheese container for dusting. Turn chickens
upside down holding their feet, shake the dust into the underside of their
feathers, lay them down on their chest and get their back and neck.
Mosquitos: If you don’t want to use a
pesticide, you can use a natural prevention such as apple cider vinegar or
garlic cloves. Just place this in the water and this is usually enough to deter
these flies or mosquitos from resting there. Do not use “Mosquito Dunks” in
chicken water. If you have a very dense population of mosquitoes you should
probably vaccinate birds against avian pox.
Blowflies: also known as filth flies, don’t
bite but they can be very irritating and can transmit tapeworms to chickens. If
a hens’ vent area is particularly dirty and unkempt a fly may well lay eggs in
the matting. When the maggots hatch out, they will eat the flesh underneath and
burrow down – this is known as flystrike (Myiasis). Depending on the severity
of the infestation it can kill a chicken.
Botfly: Their eggs are laid on the skin of
the chicken and the larva will burrow down into their tissue where they mature.
When they are mature they exit the tissue and drop to the ground where they
pupate and turn into a Botfly.
Lice: A female louse can lay between
50-300 eggs in her short 3 week lifespan, so you need to make sure to treat
your chickens as soon as you spot any lice. To treat your chickens you just
need to use a poultry dust. Again like with Fleas, make sure to focus on the
wings, saddle feathers and main tail area. In 14 days repeat the dusting and
then check again a further 14 days later. You should find after the second
check that all the lice are gone- if they aren’t, dust them again and wait a further
14 days.
Note: Before you run and jump
screaming into the shower, lice are species specific. You cannot get chicken
lice, they might jump on you, even bite you, but they won’t set up house on
you!
Chicken Dust Bath
The best
thing to make a chicken dust bath out of is a kiddie pool.
If it is
going to be placed outside at the mercy of the weather, you will need to make a
few cuts with a box cutter or similar, on the bottom the entire length of the
pool to release rainwater.
A mixture of
wood ash and peat moss (about half and half) is what I use in my ‘chicken spa’.
Filter the larger chunks out and use the finer wood ash. Make sure you fill the
wading pool up to 2-3 inches from the top and there you have it.
The birds
get quite enthusiastic in their ‘spa’ tossing the contents near and far. I top
it off as frequently as needed!
Internal
Generally,
treatment for chicken worms consists of worming the entire flock. Some people
prefer to worm chickens at least twice a year as a precaution, even if they
don’t see worms or symptoms. It doesn’t hurt to worm as a preventive measure if
you follow the directions for the worm medication. However, we don’t believe
that home flocks need to be wormed as a precaution if they appear healthy and
you don’t see worms in the droppings.
If you worm
meat chicks, you need to follow label directions about how long to keep the
birds before they can be butchered for eating; you don’t want pesticide
residues to remain in the meat.
Treating
cocciodosis in chickens: Coccidia are most often a problem in young, growing birds, but
occasionally Coccidia can cause problems with older birds, especially if they
get bacterial diseases such as ulcerative colitis. Birds under 3 weeks seldom
show symptoms. Slightly older chicks from 3 weeks to 30 weeks may have bloody
diarrhea, anemia, pale skin color, listlessness, poor appetite, or dehydration.
Young birds with heavy infestations of Coccidia often die.
Chickens get
Coccidia by ingesting oocysts, which are immature Coccidia that are passed in
fecal matter. The oocysts contaminate feed, litter, and soil and can last for a
year in the environment. They can be spread by shoes, clothing, equipment, wild
birds, pests like rats, and infected chickens.
Good
treatments for coccidiosis are available.
Feeding baby chicks a starter feed medicated with coccidiostats (which kill
Coccidia) is advisable for the first month. You also can put certain
medications into the chickens’ drinking water. Amprolium and Decoquinate are
commonly available coccidiostats. If older birds seem to be infected, you can
treat them with these medications as well.
Not so
common internal parasites:
Capillary
Worms: These are
tiny hair like worms that effect the crop and upper intestines. A severe
infestation of capplilaria worms can cause your hens to lay eggs with
completely colourless yolks!
Gape
Worms: These worms
are red forked type worms that settle in the bird's windpipe, causing them to
gasp for air, cough and shake their heads in an effort to dislodge the worms.
More on Internal wormers
There are
many dewormer products out there that are effective in treating worms in
poultry, however these are the more common ones used here in the U.S.
Wazine (Peperazine)
is used to treat Roundworm infestations only. It is a liquid added to the
drinking water and is the only source of water for 24 to 48 hours. 1 ounce of
Wazine per gallon of water. Repeat in 10 to 12 days. There is a 14 day meat and
egg withdrawal period for this product.
Ivermectin
is effective in controlling cecal worms along with some external parasites as
well. There is a 14 day meat and egg withdrawal period for this product.
Fenbendazole
is effective against all worms, however only removes some Tapeworm species. The
brand name Safeguard contains Fenbendazole. The liquid form of this product at
a 10% suspension (Safeguard Liquid Goat Wormer) is more effective than the
paste form. For heavy breeds, 1/2 cc each day for 3 days. For small breeds, 1/4
cc each day for 3 days. There is a 14 day meat and egg withdrawal period for
this product.
Valbazen
(Albendazole) is a broad spectrum wormer and takes care of nearly all worms,
eggs and Tapeworms. For heavy breeds, 1/2 cc for 3 days. For small breeds, 1/4
cc for 3 days. Repeat in 10 days. There is a 14 day meat and egg withdrawal
period for this product.
Always
follow all the instruction for dosages on labels and be mindful of meat and egg
withdrawal periods.
What do we have at Woodville Ace for Chicken
Parasites?
External
Hi-Yield
Garden, Pet & Livestock dust, Permethrin .25%
Sevin Dust,
Carbarl 5%
Bimectin
(ivermectin) injectable cattle wormer. 2 drops under each wing for external
parasites.
Diatomaceous
Earth: both internal food grade and external for dusting
Internal:
Wazine,
Piperazine Base for Round worms only (do not use in chickens producing eggs)1 oz per gallon. Only works on round worms.
Safeguard, Fenbendazole
goat wormer 3.78 mil per gallon. Works on all worms.
