Symptoms and treatments for worms in chickens
Worms in chickens are a fairly common problem. Many consider this disease harmless, because it is rarely fatal. However, it is far from safe, therefore, if worms were found in farm chickens, treatment should be started immediately, without putting it in a distant box. Infection with worms can be easily confused with signs of a lack of vitamins, which is why it is so important to know how to recognize helminthiasis and how it can be cured.
Worms in chickens
Symptoms of the disease
Worms in laying hens are small parasites that affect the gastrointestinal tract and other internal organs of the host. The problem is that eggs are also susceptible to infection, and therefore worms in broilers are dangerous for humans.
Many farmers may wonder which worms are most common in household chickens, which form of infestation is more dangerous, and how the infection can be recognized.
The most common types of worms in chickens are roundworms and heterokis. Roundworms, parasitizing in the intestines, look like thin worms, are up to 12 cm long and are the causative agent of a disease such as ascariasis. If a hen is infected, the egg her egg also contains the infection.
Heterokidoses, in turn, are located in the cecum of a bird, their size is much smaller than in the first species: up to 1.5 cm. They can get into the ground and food of birds with guano, into the human body through a raw egg.
External signs of infection with worms in chickens
It is not difficult to understand that the chicken is infected with worms. Farmers can determine helminthiasis at the first stage by the fact that the chicken has no appetite, there are signs of vitamin deficiency, and the general condition is not changing for the better. As soon as the first symptoms of the disease became noticeable, it is important to immediately begin treatment: give medicine, give birds to drink with drugs for helminthic invasion.
Lack of proper treatment will adversely affect the protective functions of the chicken's body, which will significantly increase the risks of infection with dangerous viral diseases... In a situation where the number of parasites reaches a critical level, intestinal rupture occurs, the result is death.
In order to diagnose a chicken with maximum accuracy and prescribe the necessary course of treatment, you should contact a specialist for laboratory studies of poultry waste products. If it is not possible to implement it, it will be enough to pay attention to the following symptoms of helminthiasis:
- the weight of the carcass suddenly decreases;
- the level of egg production and the quality of the products are significantly reduced: the egg is small, the shell seems soft and damaged, the laying hens give few eggs;
- liquid droppings and dark spots around the anus, the egg comes out with blood;
- the color of the scallop fades;
- breathing of hens becomes heavier;
- chickens look sick, there is lethargy and lack of appetite, they can fall to their feet.
Since the infection occurs not only of the chicken organism itself, but also of the eggs, attention should also be paid to their appearance. The main feature will be fragile shell... You should refuse to eat such foods. Infection is visible with the naked eye, therefore, there is no urgent need to go to a laboratory for an analysis to establish a diagnosis.
Reasons for the appearance and methods of infection
There are often cases when the poultry farmer himself serves as the cause of infection, introducing parasites on street shoes. The risks of infection are significantly reduced when chickens are kept in cages. If the bird's diet consists mainly of animal food, the likelihood of developing helminthic infestation also increases significantly.
Also, you can not keep chickens with adults. In order to avoid damage to young animals, birds should be walked away from laying hens' droppings. Helps to avoid infection and prevention with special means.
Ways of infection of feathered worms
Where do bird parasites come from? Infection of chickens with worms occurs exclusively under favorable conditions for them, which include the following:
- the ground in the chicken coop is predominantly wet;
- the flooring in the room changes only occasionally;
- contaminated water, feed of inappropriate quality standards;
- the presence of snails, earthworms, because it is in them that parasites are usually present;
- the presence of mice, rats, wild birds, which are carriers of various kinds of diseases;
- purchase of already infected birds, because the disease is spreading at an unprecedented rate.
In order to prevent an endemic infection of the entire poultry yard, before the introduction of new individuals, prophylaxis with folk remedies should be carried out. Garlic and wormwood will have a destructive effect on parasites and will give the desired preventive effect.
You can solder wormwood with a decoction of both grown-up chickens and very small ones, whose age is less than a month, but it is better to use pharmaceutical remedies for worms: here you can only do harm with folk methods. Before giving the drug to chicks, it is tested on a couple of adults.
The danger of helminths in chicken meat for humans
Many poultry farmers wonder if it is okay to eat chickens with worms. The answer is quite simple and obvious - no, you cannot eat such meat. This is justified by the fact that the larvae and adults found in chicken meat are transmitted to the person who eats them.
Already developed chicken parasites will not be able to continue their vital activity in the human body, however, the larvae are able to spread through the body with the help of blood. The greatest danger to humans is ascariasis; simple heat treatment does not destroy it. You can see what the parasite looks like in the photo by typing the corresponding query into the line of any search engine.
Parasites in meat are a danger that lies in wait for anyone who prepares it incorrectly. It is for this reason that it is very important to give the product a high heat treatment.
Treatment of helminthiasis in birds
After the diagnosis is established, it is important to start treatment on time, to glisten all the birds; for this, garlic is most often used. The most effective will be the use of veterinary medicines. In their composition, they are dominated by antihelminthic substances that destroy adults of parasitic worms and their larvae. Here is a list of medications that are most popular due to their effectiveness in combating the disease:
- Flubenweta. This drug fights disease with amazing effectiveness. This medicine destroys all kinds of worms in chickens and their larvae. During use, it is important to follow the rules of use, observe the dosage indicated in the instructions.In specialized pharmacies, it is presented to the buyer in the form of 1% or 1.5% powder. An analogue of this agent - Alben has contraindications and is not suitable for broilers.
- Levomizol-plus. Also included in the list of drugs with high efficiency. To get rid of parasitic worms, it is diluted in water in the recommended proportions. Despite the fact that this is an imported drug, it belongs to the available funds.
- Piperazine. It is the most common drug, because it is used for the prevention and treatment of helminthiasis not only in layers, but also in other domestic animals. The tablets are crushed and added to water. It is recommended to drink such a mixture not only for large chickens, but also for day-old chickens if the slightest suspicion of infection is detected.
- Pirantel suspension. Also popular with bird breeding people. The course of treatment is carried out in several stages, with breaks a week, will help remove all types of helminths. If you have used this drug for the treatment of broilers, it is not recommended to include their meat in your daily diet for 60 days to fully recover the bird. Chicken eggs can be included in food after 5 days from the end of the panacea.
In most cases, the treatment of poultry for helminths occurs without negative consequences, but only on condition that it was carried out on time and properly.
Within a couple of months, the body of birds is fully restored, but it would be best to simply prevent infection, using certain methods of prevention. Folk remedies not only treat, but also prevent helminthic invasion in birds. Rubbed garlic in a liquid mash is the best prevention.
Prevention of helminthic invasion in birds
Many poultry farmers with extensive experience recommend replenishing the chicken diet with products such as pumpkin seeds, onions, garlic, lingonberries, rosehip and walnut broth. These food additives are crushed and added to food or water for worms for chickens.
Compliance with preventive measures will help to significantly reduce the risk of infection. After acquiring new individuals, quarantine should be systematically organized, anthelmintic drugs should be added to the feed, and hygiene standards should be adhered to in the chicken coop, namely:
- keep the room clean, systematically clean;
- change shoes before entering the chicken coop;
- make a concrete floor for the subsequent simplification of the disinfection process;
- trim plants in places where birds are walking.
Such prevention methods will not only reduce the likelihood of infection, but will also strengthen the body's ability to resist infectious diseases and improve their overall health.
Garlic can be added directly to dry food, but it is better to still prepare liquid mishmash... It is recommended to make such a mash once a month, it will help to remove the parasite and prevent infection.
Conclusion
Helminthiasis in broilers is one of the most common diseases, many farmers consider this disease harmless, therefore they do not pay due attention to the treatment of poultry, but this is not at all correct. Giving medicine for worms at the slightest suspicion of infection is the only correct strategy. Sometimes, in order to relieve symptoms, layers are given folk decoctions, the effectiveness of which is highly questionable. It is better to consult a veterinarian and if you give such funds, then only in combination with drug treatment.
It is important to remember that preventing the disease is much easier than treating it, and therefore regular prevention should be carried out: it is the key to the well-being of the farm.
There are quite common cases when the presence of chicken worms in the body was fatal, which is why it is very important to pay attention to the condition of the birds and monitor the slightest changes in their behavior or appearance.