Caecal Worm

Affiliate Link
Disclosure

The Caecal Worm, type of internal parasite that infest the ceca. They are extremely common and thrive on the ground or litter of overcrowded bird enclosures. Cecal worms have a direct life cycle. Adult worms produce eggs while inside their host (the infected chicken), which it passes within its feces. The eggs remain in the soil or litter for several weeks or are ingested by another chicken. Once inside the chicken, the larvae hatch in the upper intestine and relocate to the ceca. Eggs are also ingested by earthworms, which are then consumed by the chicken, who becomes infected through the earthworm.

The worm it's self is relatively harmless; however, it can carry ‘blackhead’, another parasite, which normally affects turkeys but can occasionally affect chickens. Blackhead burrows into the caeca, leading to inflammation and yellow droppings. Chickens are often show no clinical signs but may shed their eggs in their faeces. The parasite migrates to the liver causing damage which can result in death. 

 Unfortunately, in the UK there is no specific licensed treatment for blackhead. so targeting the Caecal Worm is the preventative option.

A reduction test worm egg count 10-14 days after treatment is recommended to ensure this has been effective. For heavy infections you may want to consider retreating again 3 weeks on with the aim of trying to break the lifecycle.

Symptoms include:

Diarrhoea, foamy droppings, or pale or yellow droppings
Anaemia, pale comb
Loss of appetite, weight loss
Reduced egg production, paler egg yolks, or threads in egg whites
Hens look depressed and dull

Steps to take to protect you birds from roundworm:

Disinfect sheds with a Poultry Disinfectant which destroys worm eggs

Clean, disinfect, and change litter regularly
Use deep litter bedding system in the coop so the birds do not eat faeces
Separate birds from possible intermediate hosts
Implement a program to control insects and rodents
Use a disinfectant and ground sanitiser that destroys worm eggs
Introduce apple cider vinegar and crushed garlic into the birds drinking water
Use feeders and waterers designed to minimize contamination of your chicken’s food.
Keep treats off the ground where possible

SUGGESTED TREATMENT FOR CAECAL WORM:

Treating Your Chickens

As suggested on other worm pages, the first thing you should do is to find out what you are up against The first thing to do is to find out what you are up against by doing a worm egg count. A worm egg count is the primary way to detect Caecal Worms.

It's also important to avoid needless overuse of medications. The limited nature of the chemicals available to treat parasites in birds makes it even more important to target them appropriately and use them only when necessary to slow the development of resistance.

Once the problem has been identified, if Hairworm is the problem it's treated in the same was as Roundworm. These are your options:

1. Add Kernfarm Flubendazole 1% to your chickens feed as per manufactures instructions. This will allow you to continue with your usual feed without without upsetting your birds routine.

2. Replace ALL food with flubendazole medicated feed for 7 days - that unfortunately means no supplementary mix or treats!

3. Treat your birds with an Ivermectin product as per manufactures instructions

4. It's prudent to add natural worm repellent to their drinking water to make the worms digestive tract and gut less attractive to parasites.

a) Apple Cider Vinegar is a known as worm repellent, add a generous splosh of the proper live stuff with the mother.

b) Adding Garlic to their drinking water is know to help, either a couple of cloves (crushed allows the water to penetrate better to release the natural oils) per bird or add a drop Essential Garlic Oil per bird.

c) Add Verm-X liquid to you chickens drinking water to maintain gut vitality

5. Feed you chickens layers pellets that discourage internal parasites and maintain intestinal hygiene (added Verm-X).

Caecal Worm Products

Treatment for Chickens

Westgate Labs Worm Egg Count Kit for Poultry or other Birds

What will the test show?

Gastrointestinal worms that live in the bird’s guts. In poultry these include roundworm, gizzard worm, hookworm hairworm, caecal worm etc.
Gape worm which lives in the windpipe.
Eimeria (coccidiosis), a microscopic parasitic organism called a protozoa.

The test is not definitive for tapeworm but will be reported if they are present in the sample.

Kernfarm Flubendazole 1% 60 gram tub - the only approved treatment for worms in poultry in the UK

Effective against Gapeworm,
Large Roundworm, Caecal Worm, Hairworm and Gizzard Worm in Chickens, Turkeys and Geese. Activity includes adult worms, larvae and eggs.
Withdrawal periods:

Treated birds may be slaughtered for human consumption only after 7 days from the last treatment.

There is no withholding period for chickens producing eggs for human consumption

Follow manufacturer instructions

Heygates Layers Pellets with Flubenvet (5Kg) Other Sizes Available

Replace ALL food with flubendazole medicated feed for 7 days - that unfortunately means no supplementary mix or treats! The birds will eat the correct dosage for their size during this time, larger birds eating more. Medicated feed has a shelf life of approx. two months.
Withdrawal periods: