A topic revisited, gapeworm, a clear and present danger

I have been asked to give a friend of Coopslave’s some assistance with ascertaining what may be wrong with some chickens that this person purchased.  It is believed that she purchased ill birds.  New to keeping chickens, this is awful.  I do not know any of the symptoms yet, and I am not an expert, but Coopslave mentioned I had dealing with gapeworm, and yes I have.  Once.  About 2 years ago, with my buff Orpington rooster, who at that time was 20 weeks old.  I find it imperative to share my knowledge, I am compelled and I just cannot stop.  If I did not share things I have learned, I consider that to be hoarding, knowledge hoarding, and a hoarder I am not.  

So as this request  got me to thinking about a health issue that I had with one of my birds, I thought I would bring the topic back to life, which I had began so long ago.  I will firstly recap the gathered information in that thread, my compilation of information, it follows below in quote boxes and then the actual thread will be linked below.  I hope that, as we come into the wintertime, that if others see these particular symptoms of gapeworm, that this thread may help others out.  Have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Following in quotes is the recap of the entire thread's information:

The gapeworm treatment using panacur (fenbendazole 5 ml per four litres for three days) was 100% effective for the treatment of gapeworm.

Many will not have the time or wish to review all the posts regarding my experience with this worm, so I will recap, very briefly, as briefly as I can, my time with it.

About three weeks ago (this is very vague), I noticed one of the young buff orpington cockerels (20 weeks old now) displaying a gurgling sound. This was discernable as I walked into the coop, so picture quite a loud sound. I left him alone and kept watch on that. When I moved him and his comrades of the same breed and age into a new coop to be alone for a time before selection of who to keep in the new breeding pool, I noticed something else. It would appear that he had a bit of a time breathing and stretched his head out, opened his mouth slightly and pulled in, what I presume to be air. Which it was, of course. This young fellow was the only one displaying this very noticeable gurgling sound. Considering that he was the only one in all my yards, which is comprised of about 50 birds, I thought that very odd, so really did not suspect a respiratory illness. I had recalled reading something about a worm the chickens can get in the throat, called gapeworm and did some research. After this research, considered that since we have so many worms, snails, grasshoppers, blue bottle flies (and a mountain of others that are hosts to this gapeworm thingy), there may be a likelihood he may have gapeworm. Now I was on to get medication for that thing, and did more research, from our forum here and on the internet. I procured a medication that is fenbendazole, which goes under many names, but I used the brand name panacur. This was given to all my birds for three days, all eggs have been appropriately discarded during that time period and for a bit more....

The day after the last dose of medication, I had picked up the big dude, now named Jackson, and listened to his breath. I could hear some raspiness, but not the gurgling that was so noticeable.

Yesterday, up came Jackson to my lap and he sat with me for a few minutes. I listened and I listened and I listened and then listened some more. I am sure he was in shock with my face near his. Perfectly clear, sweet -- the sound of a bird breathing. There was no raspiness, no gurgling. Gone....period. Gone from a gurgling sound that could be heard from many feet away, to nothing.

Gapeworm, oh what a lovely thing. 100% positive that this bird was affected with the worm in his trachea and 100% positive that fenbendazole worked to rid the worm. I think that it took a few days after treatment for all the worms to be dislodged from the trachea, (the worms grab on with their "mouth" parts and stay there is my understanding) and be gone, leaving a clear airway.

Gapeworm. Watch out. I would suggest that if anyone is hearing a gurgly sound and gasping for air, that don't reach first for a big gun, like an antibiotic, but to consider that there may be that gapeworm cluster in the throat. Don't take this as gospel, but I would seriously now always consider this firstly, before I reached for an antibiotic.

Just an experience from an inexperienced girl. I never even knew this worm was a clear and present danger, until I had "heard" about it, studied about it, and then tackled it.

Remember that word.

Gapeworm.
And have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.

This is the actual thread that discusses gapeworm, tapeworm, round worm and a whack of other things related to illness in the flock.

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Thanks CynthiaM, did you get a chance to email her?

Must be that time of year - was just about to call the vet to see what I can get. How did you get the panacur?

I actually spent time looking up that old thread to see what to do. I have a young Beltsville Tom who seems to have it. Sort of an apologetic cough and beak open lots. Not bad but worth treating now.

Hi CynthiaM

thank you for posting this, really really helpful and may have (fingers crossed) saved the lives of my newbie chickens who have been showing signs of difficulty breathing, stretching and opening their mouths. I was all set to kill them because I thought they might have a respiratory issue and all my research on the net relates that this is a sorry road to travel indeed, yet I was certain it was one I was doomed to take. I am going to treat for the possibility of gapeworm first because it sounds treatable and maybe it is what our issue is. Your comment about gurgling sounds was what gave me pause to consider that maybe this is the problem, I just sent one of the old isa browns on to greener pastures and when I picked her up to do the deed I heard gurgling in her breathing and began thinking about your post. It makes sense that if your throat is all chocka with worms you might make that noise as air moves through the worms. Did you put any dressing on the ground where they had been ranging as well, to kill any larvae in their poop etc?

Thanks again.

Just talked to vet and the noise my turkey is making is "snicking" and fenbendazole is the active ingredient in many horse wormers, so I'll check what I have and administer as instructed. Means I don't have to go to the vet's and wait for hours for the stuff. Safeguard is the most common product containing it.

Note to Magdelan, not every respiratory issue is worth killing your birds over. Not every respiratory issue is created the same. Sometimes the problem isn't even with the birds, but with the way they are housed. Remember, the axe is a permanent cure to what may be a temporary problem.

Your first line of defense in all things is to carefully observe your birds when they are well, so you will be able to notice and describe anything odd they are doing. A CHANGE is your biggest signal that something's up.

Now and then my chickens get what I call the common cold (although chickens do not get the common cold like humans do). But at night, everyone on the roost, you will hear some wheezing and gurgling and the odd sneeze. When this is going on, I let it be. It passes.

When they are wheezing and gurgling and sneezing while not eating, being off by themselves, all hunched over and ruffled up with their eyes closed in a sleepy way, now there is a problem! A slightly wheezy bird who is perfectly normal in every other way is a HUGE difference from a wheezy bird that is NOT normal in every other way.

Birds that seem to have a 'cold' but accompanied by runny eyes, nose, mouth and ears and who STINK, that is another problem and that bird should be removed immediately and dispatched, most likely culprit coryza. YOu do not want this in your hen house. But this is a SICK bird and looks and acts like a SICK bird.

Gapeworm is not an illness. It's a parasite problem creating a physical blockage. These birds will be acting distressed and unhappy, trying to gasp for air, but they will not otherwise appear to be 'off' as a truly sick bird will.

Observation and gauging the degree of distress will help you tell the difference between an illness that you have to kill your birds over, or one you can ignore or treat with simple measures. Once you've picked up the axe and started chopping heads, there's no unchopping them.

Nicely explained Uno.

My turkey tom is full of vim and vigour but he does wheeze a bit and make the strange "snicking" sound. Sounds like an elegant little sneeze but looks more like a throat clearing cough. No one else has it.

Heda, I have never raised turkeys, but they do have their uterus on their head. I have often wondered if this huge, hideous, drooping, dripping, oozing, internal organ that was inappropriately placed on their skull does not interfere with proper breathing.

Surprise a turkey tom in full display and it will quickly revert to a normal looking bird. All that mass on its head is just full of blood trying to impress you or someone near you.

My snicking turkey tom is too young and low status even to pretend to display.

Magdelan wrote: I just sent one of the old isa browns on to greener pastures and when I picked her up to do the deed I heard gurgling in her breathing and began thinking about your post.  It makes sense that if your throat is all chocka with worms you might make that noise as air moves through the worms.  Did you put any dressing on the ground where they had been ranging as well, to kill any larvae in their poop etc?      

Thanks again.  

Note, not hospital expert, but know a little, glad you are investigating and thinking about things. For sure, being around the chooks as much as possible to understand what is normal and what is not for the birds, is a wonderful key to, well, just knowing, how they are. It DOES make sense that if the throat has little worms holding onto the trachea for dear life could cause a gurgling sound. Yes, chickens stretching their necks out, gasping for air, that there is a blockage. I am leaning towards gapeworm Magdelan. It is the time of year when they seem to be more prevalent, don't know why and do wonder why. Get some fenbendazole, the active ingredient in many wormers, no matter what the name, and treat. If you don't see change in about 4 days, you will need to think about what else the matter could be. If you see (hear too) change, then good, it was that freakin' gapeworm crappy thing. No. Did not treat the ground. Would not bother. Any gapeworm products that the chickens might ingest would die when entering the body of the bird I would imagine, as the lavae feed, they too would meet the demise of the parent worms, from the medication that is in the circulatory system of the birds. Keep us posted on how things work for you. How old are your Isa browns? Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

heda gobbler wrote:Must be that time of year - was just about to call the vet to see what I can get. How did you get the panacur?

I actually spent time looking up that old thread to see what to do.  I have a young Beltsville Tom who seems to have it.  Sort of an apologetic cough and beak open lots.  Not bad but worth treating now.

Heda, panacur was easy to get, from the vet. It is expensive. Have an awesome dya, CynthiaM.

Is it a water-like liquid Cindi? Do you put it in each bird's mouth or in the drinking water? I can get Safe-Guard from the feed store and not wait for hours at the vets. Or maybe find it somewhere on line for later. Piperzine is also supposed to be effective but I want to make sure this one turkey gets directed attention.

Hi CynthiaM

hope I am doing this right, still working out how to participate on this forum.   Seems the more I learn the less I realise I really know, story of my life :-).  Saw a vet yesterday who suggested we treat for IB as the worms are less likely to kill them as fast as IB will and if that has no effect then we'll treat for worms so long as the symptoms still support that possibility.  I study those birds all day and think about it all night, I wonder if he is correct because there is a little more nasal fluid in one of the chicks this morning.  I will be relieved when there is resolution.  Hope the anti's are effective.  Glad I have them away from the main flock.

The Isa's were approaching their third or fourth winter.  I retired three yesterday, bless their hard working bodies and gentle selves.  Think I did it well, swift chop with a super sharp hatchet and I held their bodies still while they left, wished them well on their next journey.  Felt sick to my stomach for hours before hand and by the time I got on to it I was nice and calm. Can't say I want to do that too often but know I can do it if and when it is called for, and most likely it is inevitable with the rooster population I suspect I have out there.  We did get dual purpose breeds with this in mind.  Two Isa's had stopped laying, one had begun laying eggs that were formed poorly (lumpy bits on them, thin shells -  even though plenty of crushed oyster shells there for her to access) and she was going to have a really hard winter due to a disturbing lack of feathers across her saddle area and around her bottom.  I felt this was a kind act and possibly should have been done earlier.  Got to say, I won't have Isa's again.  Just don't think we should mess with nature like that  -  they burned themselves out pretty good, with the exception of one who is still walking around out there, these were the last remaining of a group of 12 who I acquired from someone who sells eggs and had had a good season out of them prior to their life with us.  The others just popped off in slow sequence over a few months for no apparent cause much the same as the much larger flock from where I sourced them (didn't know about different chicken breeds then).  I am sure this will cause someone to have a reaction, I mean to cast no judgement on another's choice of chicken and I am grateful for the learning experience I got from having them and they were really gentle souls.   And, with a little trepidation, one of today's tasks is to dig the one who had the gurgling noises up and see if she had worms in her trachea, both the vet and myself are curious, he has not come across this in the four years he's been in the area but the other vet I spoke to who is some distance away has.  Both willing to help with the treatment if it needed.  Better get to it.  Thanks again for your thoughts on the worms.  Would be nice and simple if that was the answer but seems that just as winter is fast approaching, nothing is going to be simple this year.  Will let you know how it goes.  BTW one thing I learned is to be super careful about getting chickens from sources I know little about.  This will be obvious to all you old hands in the chicken raising world of course :-).  What a noob I am!  

Thanks again.  [/quote]Note, not hospital expert, but  know a little, glad you are investigating and thinking about things.  For sure, being around the chooks as much as possible to understand what is normal and what is not for the birds, is a wonderful key to, well, just knowing, how they are.  It DOES make sense that if the throat has little worms holding onto the trachea for dear life could cause a gurgling sound.  Yes, chickens stretching their necks out, gasping for air, that there is a blockage.  I am leaning towards gapeworm Magdelan.  It is the time of year when they seem to be more prevalent, don't know why and do wonder why.  Get some fenbendazole, the active ingredient in many wormers, no matter what the name, and treat.  If you don't see change in about 4 days, you will need to think about what else the matter could be.  If you see (hear too) change, then good, it was that freakin' gapeworm crappy thing.  No.  Did not treat the ground.  Would not bother.  Any gapeworm products that the chickens might ingest would die when entering the body of the bird I would imagine, as the lavae feed, they too would meet the demise of the parent worms, from the medication that is in the circulatory system of the birds.  Keep us posted on how things work for you.  How old are your Isa browns?  Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.[/quote]

Heda, I use piperazine once or twice a year as a preventative. It goes in the water bucket for a day, then back to fresh water the next day.

To treat one turkey, just separate him for the day and make sure the only water he has access to has the piperazine in it.

I buy it in the foil pouch sold at animal supply places. 2.5 teaspoons dissolved in a gallon (ice cream pail) of water. They drink what they drink. I just hope it's enough. No withdrawl for eggs.

Magdelan many of us started exactly where you are now, I know I did. Started with the commercial birds. Watched couple die horrible deaths from being egg bound or other reproductive problems. They taught me a lot and I am very grateful for their sacrifice because of my ignorance and uneducated start.
So glad I found out about real breeds and varieties and not just the hybrids. Changed my world and led to what I am sure will be a life long addiction!!!
But I learned and read and acquired knowledgeable help, it gets better. There are still things I don't know because I haven't experienced them. Gapeworm is one of them.
I feel for you in your first time dispatching birds. It isn't easy, I still am not comfortable with it, but I take on the duty as steward of my flock. I'm not going to tell you it gets easier as I am not sure it really does. It is just the right thing to do in some circumstances.

I would also like to say welcome! I think you will enjoy it here and have a good time with the crazies that spend some of their day on the forum.

Magdelin, this was a great post! I learned a lot from it and it sounds like you have had chickens longer than I...so thanks for joining us and welcome
you don't say where you are from...

Thanks Coopslave, good name :-).  I feel like a slave to the coop right now, got buckets of bleach water outside each pen for bio-security and my hands are dry skinned from washing so much.  Thanks for the welcome and thoughtful message.  Feel like others get the frustration and worry that has been with me, no doubt if something like this happens again I will still feel similar but hopefully it will be less intense because I will at least know where to begin the journey of working it all out and probably get onto any issue earlier because I'll be watching for it.  For crying in the soup, may it never happen again!   And, feeling a little more distance from the dispatching  -  it was responsible and like you say, I felt like a good steward :-).  

Today I dug the chicken with gurgly sounds in her breathing up and cut open the trachea with kitchen scissors, sort of like biology 101.  Once I got over myself and did the thing it took only few minutes.  She had a lovely and clean tube, at least to my uneducated eyes anyway.  No signs of worms/wormy things and no red raw areas either.  Don't know why she was gurgling like that, must have been down in her lungs and it just didn't occur to me at the time to investigate them  -  just wanted to put her back in the ground where raspberries will eventually grow.  In hindsight, I think I should have looked.  Not keen to dig her up a second time though.  

And, after only one measure of antibiotic in their drinking water I notice that the mouth opening and stretching is almost gone in the chicks who were doing it the most, in fact only one little half gape that was nearly not apparent.  This is quite impressive, can it be that effective and that quick??  I have enough for 5 days and for sure they'll get it all.  Maybe they were developing their immunity already although the one with snot this morning worried me and it is showing no signs of snot now.  Yep, this is becoming a blow by blow account.  I'll stop laboring over it  -  have to clean the fridge tonight, been bothering me for a week.  Since the chooks arrived in my world the amount of time I spend cleaning the house has taken a turn for the worse.  

I sure hope that whatever was causing friction for you has resolved and quite sorry you are leaving my neighborhood  -  well, think I use that term loosely as we aren't exactly neighbors but within an hours drive.  Seems in Canada that means the same neighborhood :-).  

coopslave wrote:Magdelan many of us started exactly where you are now, I know I did.  Started with the commercial birds.  Watched couple die horrible deaths from being egg bound or other reproductive problems.  They taught me a lot and I am very grateful for their sacrifice because of my ignorance and uneducated start.
So glad I found out about real breeds and varieties and not just the hybrids.  Changed my world and led to what I am sure will be a life long addiction!!!
But I learned and read and acquired knowledgeable help, it gets better.  There are still things I don't know because I haven't experienced them.  Gapeworm is one of them.
I feel for you in your first time dispatching birds.  It isn't easy, I still am not comfortable with it, but I take on the duty as steward of my flock. I'm not going to tell you it gets easier as I am not sure it really does.  It is just the right thing to do in some circumstances.

I would also like to say welcome!  I think you will enjoy it here and have a good time with the crazies that spend some of their day on the forum.

Hi Bigrock

thank you for the welcome.  I have only had chickens for less than two years  -  if I'm honest, it has become a bit of an obsession and just realising how little I know, think I will learn a lot here as well, a very supportive place with lots of excellent lived experience to call upon.  Glad you have benefited from my journey thus far, can't imagine what is in the future  -  I'm projecting images of healthy birds, sweet little chickens and beautiful eggs.  And the courage to keep the numbers down because I could get into trouble there if I'm not careful.

I live not too far from Osoyoos, on the side of a mountain which incidentally had snow on it this morning (not our property though) and I looked in disbelief   -  word like "not ready . . . nooooooooo . . .  too soon . . . can't be . . . " ran through my mind.  Thankfully it melted and I have my fingers crossed for another month of clearing up the yard and garden before we have snow that comes and stays.  Hope to have healthy chickens by then.  I'm originally from NZ where we call chickens "chooks."  Thought I would mention it in case it slips out while I'm not looking :-).  

bigrock wrote:Magdelin, this was a great post!  I learned a lot from it and it sounds like you have had chickens longer than I...so thanks for joining us and welcome
you don't say where you are from...

Magdelan wrote: I'm originally from NZ where we call chickens "chooks."  Thought I would mention it in case it slips out while I'm not looking :-).  
.

Ah girl, you are not the only one that calls our friends chooks.  Many do, and occasionally I do too, cause, well, I think the word sounds just cool, just can't figure out in the verbal, whether it is pronounced "sh" or "ch" ooks.  Me thinks "ch".

Have you introduced yourself officially in the introduction section?  I don't think you have, please do so, we are a nosey and caring bunch of people and (well, I'm nosey) and it is just nice to hear a little about people in a more formal way.  You told us in this thread, but not all people will read a thread through.  Encouraging you to do that thing...

I think you will find the more you learn and have chickens, etc. (this goes far beyond chooks, smiling) you will find that you are deeply held under their spell, and you will be there, forevermore

I think your birds had a respiratory illness, just like the vet indicated.  I do not know was IB is and I despise acronyms, cause sometimes I can figure them out, other times, just in the dark.  So please, what is IB?  Define please.  Interesting that one of the vets had experienced gapeworm, that was very nice to hear.  Sounds like you have a couple of good vets in your vicinity that are listening.  I have those too here where we live.  

Ah, Heda, panacur is a liquid form.  When I used it that product went into the drinking water for a few days, don't recall exactly, but it is in the thread I made about revisiting gapeworm discussion.  Oh geeze, it is in this thread, and the other linked one too, forgot what thread I was in  .

Uno, stop that....piperazine is a wonderful wormer, but it will not kill gapeworm.  FENBENDAZOLE is the drug which will kill the gapeworm, piperazine will not.  I use piperazine in spring.  Fenbendazole in the fall.   I think that I like to cover all bases when I am worming and it seems that the fall gapeworm can be an ever clear and present danger.  And then on the other hand, it may not....but I err on every side when it comes to worming and why not use a product that will kill all worms, even the tapeworm if that is present.  Do you remember that picture of that big pile of crap when we first moved up here that I found.  Remember, girl, put on your thinking mind of memory, it was loaded with tapeworm segments and I know that they were tapeworm segments because I saw the little rice looking things freakin' movin'.  I almost puked my guts out and still get rather sick feeling thinking about what I saw.  I also, now this is funny, things I remember, you telling in a response to the thread that you wondered if perhaps something else came laid this big crap.  Do you remember that?  I am teasing you and just remember funny things.  Oh, just for the fun of it, I am going to get that post of the tapeworm picture and link it to my post here, if anyone wants to see something that may want you to puke.  It might work to add sick feeling to your day.  Oh darn, gone off on a long and ramblin' post, didn't mean to do that.  Gotta go I guess, have a most wonderful day, CynthiaM.

OK, so for those that just can’t help themselves from looking at things that gross ya right out, here it is, and there is a picture of some horrible poop with tapeworm.  No tapeworm here anymore, I have used product to rid.

This post actually came from another forum, I don’t think that I had been active here on this forum at that time, it was dated November 16, 2011

So, some time ago, I was in the chickenyard and noticed a big poop, yes a very big poop, so big that it was very noticeable, and being the curious creature that I am, I needed to look closer.  And that I did.  What I saw gave me the heebie geebies, so I looked closer.  What I saw turned my world around.  I thought my chickens were free of internal parasites, but clearly, as that day is long, were not.  After seeing this, the following day, all the birds got a good dose of piperazine, and then a followup treatment, as the designated time.  Thinking now that they are internal parasite free, smiling.  

As I looked at this rather large and disgusting piece of poo, I was looking at the little white sacks of something or other.  I can only presume that these little white sacks were little white sacs of worm eggs.  I don't know, and I would love to know, what these little white sacs of who knows what actually are.  The little white sacs of something-or-other moved. Yes, I looked closely and they were moving.  Are they sacs of eggs.  Are they immature worms, pleeeeeeze, someone must know and must have seen this type of thing.  I don't think I am the only one that really examines things in close perspective.

This grossed me out more than you could ever imagine, it was a nasty experience, one that I don't ever want to experience again.  I put that nasty big poop and all its nasty little white things moving into a ziploc bag and thrust into the burning barrel.  Burned it all up, but of course, for the sake of my sanity, and someone actually believing me that this kind of thing existed, I took that picture....and that picture of that nasty poop with all those little white thingies is here now, for all to look at.  And comments would be so welcomed, tell your experience, and, well, does anyone have any pictures of some really nasty poop.  When I looked at that website that showed all the many forms of chicken poop, I was so shocked and surprised at how many different types of surprise poops chickens actually have, smiling.  Beautiful days, those ones of love and health and peace, CynthiaM.

The most grossest thing I have ever seen in this world!!!  But hopefully, to never see no more

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And for you Uno, this was your reply to the thread, when you were active there too, smiling.

I have to agree that those eggs do not look to me like they came out with the poop. My guess would be they were added later by some opportunist passer-by.

Internal parasite eggs are notoriously small, that's why you have to have poop examined by the vet, because he has the fancy microscope to see small poop eggs. As well, we'd all be better off if birds actually could poop out annoying eggs, instead they reside inside the bird, not coming out because they hang around and hatch!

You are much more likely to see birds poop out a clump of live, wriggling worms, which the others run over to  snap up like candy! Now THAT makes me hop around and gag and choke.

Yeah. Okay Miss Cynthia, I stand by what I said. I do NOT believe those are tapeworm segments. I have seen tapeworms bits and those are not them. Those little white dots, wiggling or not (try taking VIDEO next time) are not tapeworm pieces. At least not the kind of tapeworms that dogs poop out. If dog tapeworms and chicken tapeworms are different, well, then maybe those are chicken tapeworms. But I don't think so.

I know that piperazine is not effective against tapeworm but I mentioned it because someone else had asked about it.( Do you think Eprinex is not effective, or just too darn expensive and you have to buy it in bottle sizes that will take a long time to use?)

Next time you find poop you want to capture in film, put your finger in it and see if it's still warm. My worm experience says that VERY SOON after leaving the warmth of an animal's body, the worm itself dies. If you find active wigglers in cold poop, my guess is they are the eggs/larva of some passing by insect. So, whatever I was thinking way back then, I still think it. I'm just a stubborn thinker.

WIll cruise the net for tapeworm in poop and see if I can find a pic of what I myself have seen coming out of hounds. Never seen anything like that come out of a chicken, just those long, thin worms that the others gobble up. (gag)

Nope, those are chicken tapeworms. I know that. I remember so long ago, that when this came to light, I made a post on a very large chicken forum which is US based. I had many others concur with me that these were tapeworm segments. And Uno, if you think that I am going to stick my finger into a pile of crap to see if it warm, you got another thing coming, you are a bad girl to even suggest that    . Bad girl. Go and see if you can find some pictures of chicken tapeworms. I am heading off to that other forum to see if I can find the thread and I will link it here. Seems to me, memory oft times does not serve me too well, that it was absolutely verified that was chicken tapeworm segments and crap. AND....I think that if the poop was old and had someone come and lay eggs on it, be it animal or insect, that the birds would have whomped it down the gullet right away. Especially with those little white things wiggling the way they did. Gack, I feel like I am going to puke!! Have an awesome day, bad girl! CynthiaM.

Sorry, CYnthiaM, I looked all over for pictures of what I have seen and identified as tapeworm, but my computer is not being co-operative at all this morning! We have very unreliable internet service.

But from what I did see I will agree that those might very well be chicken tapeworm segments. THe tapeworms that I have seen look like tiny chunks of cooked spaghetti, flat, like someone stepped on them. Your pic looks too round. But there might be a difference between dog tapeworm and chicken, thus the difference in appearance. There is more than one kind of tapeworm so I for now will admit that you are the Poop Master Supreme and accept that those are tapeworm bits.

But really, we need to know if it's warm poop or not. The finger test is the only way you'll know for sure.

EDITED TO ADD while Googling images for poultry worms, your very own photo comes up! CYnthiaM, you are world famous for your poop photo!

I am grateful for this forum, in that I know I can link to another forum and it is "allowed", which is good. Knowledge is a very powerful thing, and the more we know, the better we can be at our passions in life. I posted a topic on this other forum, as I said, some long time ago. I see since that time I posted, there has been about 80 responses. A lot of information to sift through, but, clearly, this pile of poo was infested with tapeworm segments. don't care what you say, Uno. this is chicken tapeworm. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

The link to the other forum which is US based and the topic in question here about freakin' tapeworm!

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uno wrote:
But really, we need to know if it's warm poop or not. The finger test is the only way you'll know for sure.

EDITED TO ADD while Googling images for poultry worms, your very own photo comes up! CYnthiaM, you are world famous for your poop photo!

Gack, not putting me finger in that warm crap, nope, sorry, not goin' there!! Ya, internet eh? Stuff goes out there  

Well that is a very interesting photo. Good for you Cynthia for grabbing a camera and capturing it. I have seen tapeworm segments from a cat, and they are not at all like those little round things in the picture. Very much like little bits of fettucini. Or yes, flattened spagetti. (Why oh why must we use food as comparisons to such gross things!!)