Fecal Floats To Detect Tapeworms?

[Morrigan]

I've been thinking about buying a microscope so I could do my own fecal float testing. I was particularly interested in checking to see that the tapeworms I had earlier in my flock are truly gone. Hunting for mid-day poop with my trowel and poop stick is only so much fun.

But, I was curious as to how much a fecal would show in terms of tapeworms. I seemed that the poop would show: 1) the actual shed tapeworm segments that I can already see with my naked eye; or 2) the presence of cysticercoids, which is what the chicken consumes from an infected insect. The second would tell me if I had carrier insects in my yard that the chicken was eating, but it would not tell me whether they were actually embedding in my chicken to form adult tapeworms.

I also know that some mail-in fecal testing specifically says that there are certain tapeworms they cannot test for and that all the scientific experiments I've seen done on tapeworms always result in the chickens been killed and a manual worm count done in the intestines.

For those of you who do home fecal floats, or have gotten reports back from the vets, what shows up under the microscope? I've done quite of bit of looking on the internet and can't find anything.

 

[townchicks]

Tapeworms are not normally seen with fecal floats, because the eggs are encased in the segments that you see in the stool. If you are concerned about tapeworms specifically, your best bet is just to watch the droppings on a regular basis. It is not a bad idea to learn to do fecal floats, however, as it will catch the worms you don't easily see in droppings.

 

[Morrigan]

Droppings are all clear for now, as best I can determine.

I still might get a microscope. I think only on this forum would I admit that I'm interested in seeing chicken poop under high magnification.

 

[Folly's place]

Tapeworm eggs show up only intermittently in fecal floats; finding any there is a sure thing, and so is seeing the segments in their poo at the coop.
Other parasites are best found by doing fecals. Compare the cost of a microscope with the cost of HOW MANY fecals you will have run over time, and that should help make the decision for you. And the cost of materials to learn technique, and the slides, etc.
On the other hand, microscopes are FUN to play with!
Mary

 

[Morrigan]

Tapeworm eggs

What do the tapeworm eggs look like? My understanding was that at tapeworms eggs are contained in the proglottids (the segments). Do tapeworms also release free-floating eggs about that are not part of the segment? If so do you happen remember what the source of that information was. I've been looking like crazy for information about this.

On the other hand, microscopes are FUN to play with!

That's definitely part of the draw!

 

[Folly's place]

Google 'intestinal parasites in poultry' or related topics, and be prepared to be grossed out! There are many books on the subject, with pictures, and you need something to recognize what's there. Different tapeworm species look different, live in different places, and have different intermediate hosts. It's complicated!!!
Check with your state vet lab for more help about this.
Mary

 

[Compost King]

I think only on this forum would I admit that I'm interested in seeing chicken poop under high magnification.

I am actually so obsessed with poop (for composting) that people outside of BYC know me as the guy who collects manure. I even trade eggs for it. Horse People give it away as they tend to be just interested in riding horses while all other live stock folks tend to respect its agricultural value. When people give away Horse manure for free I always bring them eggs though. It also gets them to let me come get Manure after they take down the craigslist ad. oh man I got off topic, distracted by poop. To be on Topic I am actually researching Tapeworms in chickens because for all I know my chickens have them and I am too obtuse to notice the symptoms.

 

[Morrigan]

I found something! At least as it relates to dogs and cats, but it would seem the same would be true for poultry. Sometimes free eggs get released "early" by the tapeworm. So @Folly's place, you are right. If you find either tapeworm egg or a segment you have a tapeworm. But, conversely if the fecal float shows no eggs, you could still have tapeworms, as the eggs are not always shed. You still need to check the droppings for segments.

From http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/fecal-flotation.html#float-parasite

'Tapeworms': Taenia species (dog, cat), Dipylidium caninum (dogs, cats), Echinococcus granulosus (dog), Echinococcus multilocularis (dogs, cats).
Note - most Taenia and Dipylidium eggs exit the host animal encased within a proglottid (tapeworm segment) and, consequently, free eggs will rarely be found in the animal's faeces on a fecal float. Eggs that are released from their proglottids into the faeces early may be detected on a fecal flotation.

I've got to get a microscope. I find this weirdly fascinating.

 

[Folly's place]

You can spend days looking at pond scum and algae!!!
Mary