Gapeworm? Or cocci again?

[casportpony]

This is her most recent egg, from 2 days ago. I've noticed this pattern on her eggs recently, and I thought it was excess calcium. Although, her eggshells seem thin. Don't know if this helps narrow it down. Egg is solid color and speckled on the bottom half, and the top half is pale and discolored, and rough.

http://www.avianweb.com/eggproblems.html#texture

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Here is some Safeguard (fenbendazole) info, the worms are in the bold print:

From:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6750887
Efficacy of fenbendazole against helminth parasites of poultry in Uganda.

Ssenyonga GS.
Abstract

Fenbendazole 4% (Panacur, Hoechst) administered in feed was used to treat chickens infected with Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum and Railletina spp. It was also used to treat Syngamus trachea in broiler birds. There was a marked drop in helminth egg counts in the faeces on the second day of treatment and the faeces became negative by the seventh day after the last treatment. Post-mortem examination 15 to 21 days later showed that the drug was 100% effective against Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum at 10 mg/kg. However, for complete removal of Railletina spp. 15 mg/kg was required. Similarly 20 mg/kg fenbendazole was effective against Syngamus trachea. It was concluded that fenbendazole is suitable for the treatment of the important intestinal and tracheal worms of poultry, a dose of 15 to 20 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days being recommended for use under field conditions.

 

[casportpony]

Albendazole (Valbazen) info from: http://japr.fass.org/content/16/3/392.full#T1

Abstract

In the spring of 2006, 60 naturally infected hens obtained from a broiler-breeder farm in northwest Arkansas were used in a controlled titration study to determine the anthelmintic efficacy of albendazole in the treatment of both nematode and cestode infections. Albendazole was used at the dose rates of 0.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg/kg of BW, with all treatments given individually as an oral suspension on d 0 (split doses) and with necropsies for parasite collection conducted on d 7. There were 15 birds per treatment group. Statistically significant (P < 0.05) reductions in worm burdens from control levels were seen at the 5.0 mg/kg dose level for adult and larval stages of Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, and Capillaria obsignata. A significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the numbers of Raillietina cesticillus (scolexes) from control group levels was seen only at the 20.0 mg/kg rate of treatment. For albendazole given at the rates of 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg/kg, respective anthelmintic efficacies based on geometric means were 87.7, 91.2, and 98.2% (A. galli larvae); 100.0, 100.0, and 100.0% (A. galli adults); 96.9, 95.7, and 98.9% (H. gallinarum larvae); 92.7, 95.4, and 94.9% (H. gallinarum adults); 90.3, 91.3, and 95.1% (C. obsignata larvae and adults combined); and 73.1, 73.1, and 96.2% (R. cesticillus). No adverse reactions to albendazole were observed in this study.

 

[Flybybirds]

Valbazen, is it also used as a preventative?
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Is it a prescription? Since I use my hens for their eggs is there a withdrawal period? [/FONT]

 

[austinclarksf]

http://www.avianweb.com/eggproblems.html#texture

-Kathy

Hmm that link only mentions the possibilities of newcastle or bronchitis, which my hen is not showing any symptoms of. Other possibilities include a calcium excess which is what I thought was happening, but the shell is so thin where the deposits and roughness are present I began to doubt that.

I guess that leaves a copper or magnesium deficiency? Could either of these be a result of a heavy worm infestation?

 

[austinclarksf]

She hasn't laid in four days now, been off of the wormer for 2 days. She is known to take 2 days off here and there, and she is active, so I hope there is no issues there.

I ordered the safeguard goat wormer because it's half the price of the valbazen. When it gets here (and after 10-14 days) I will treat the whole flock.