# Please help. Urgent advice needed.



## chickenhut (Aug 8, 2014)

Hello, and I'm sorry for my first post here being so 'dramatic', but I urgently need advice on my chickens.

I'm a new hen owner, and am learning as I go. I got 2 RIR hens and have been enjoying them for 5 months now. I build them a coop and they are semi free range in my garden. Eggs every day. Happy chickens...

... until 4 days ago, when they both started looking poorly, were off their food, and stopped laying. 

I thought egg bound, initially, so was giving warm baths, and 'sick chicken diet' along with their usual feed. That hasn't really helped, and while they haven't gotten any worse, they were still looking poorly and depressed.

Symptoms: very red combs, that have flopped. A little weak on feet. Siting and standing a lot sleeping during the day. Diarrhea. Lack of appetite. No eggs.

Other than that, they looked normal (eyes, and nostrils clean and clear, no breathing difficulties, tails up, and not pale). No blood in their pooh.

One thing I noticed in among all the runny poops, was worms. Lots and lots of worms! Segments of flatworms, live flatworms, and possibly even red ones.

Now I got into a panic...

I gave wazine in their water... then I read that that doesn't cure flatworms, so I gave a small dose of Valbazen last night as well. (Probably too much to do both in one day? But this morning both hens are alive...) thankfully. As I said, I got in to a panic!

This morning though they are still poohing out LIVE worms. 
Is that normal...? shouldn't they be dead worms?

I now don't know what to do. I can't quarantine my birds because they've literally been all over my garden, and presumably pooped... so I can't put them onto fresh ground. They've obviously poohed in their run, which means, potentially picking up more worm eggs... and...

The wormer hasn't worked...? (the worms still alive)

And I don't know if I can do it again or if I have to wait 14 days... in which case, my chickens won't survive (because they are totally off their food). 

I've mixed in ACV and garlic and some DE into their food, which they haven't eaten...

There's lots of wild birds, squirrels and I've noticed rats! coming to the garden since getting them... which probably helps to spread diseases and things, and it's very wet and rainy here at the moment. 

So I'm in need of advice. How do I save these birds and rid them of worms QUICK! Is there anything I can do?

Thanks.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Is this how you administered it? 8cc water 1cc Valbazen then give 2cc of the mixture orally to each bird.

Some parasites are always present, its the over load that does damage.


----------

