Oh the salts- salts aren't used to curb diarrhea - they actually create it. It's used as a flush in **extreme** cases to flush absolutely everything out of the bird's system. (In other animals, and humans, it's an emetic - causes vomiting for the same reason - to expel everything from the digestive tract). The way that it acts against diarrheal illnesses it that it will flush bad bacteria out of the system, mycotoxins, mold spores from corn use, etc. Unfortunately epsom salts flush so strongly that you then must use electrolytes to replace what was all pushed out, and of course good bacteria. Essentially you're wiping the slate clean - whatever gets their first (and remember often there were a lot of bad bacteria there) takes over, like a settler. So that's why it's very very important to get the good live colonizing bacteria there, and something for them to 'eat' (fiber). That's why I like molasses flushes better to recommend as they still flush, but less strenuously and (if given with a cleansing food like applesauce or pureed apples) they still do a fabulous job.
On the molds, remember it doesn't need to be wet/warm for mildew problems. Corn feeds are notorious for alfatoxin problems - corn mold. The heat and the latent moisture in the grains will cause it, even if there's not a lot of humidity. The issue could occur where the feed was manufactured, the feed dried, but the spores still being present there.
Moxidectin is interesting. It's supposed to be a better wormer - has always been pushed as such, but in horses (well smaller horses) there were a few deaths and always some talk in the industry about 'why'. And I'm not sure about how far we can push the pyrantels, praziquantels, etc. But I think that using it at the same dosage rate is the safety bit. I've seen some articles, a few articles on experimental and effective doses of tapeworms meds, but haven't really been able to break that down into the products we have available (and apparently we have a lot more than I thought, having recently been doing some research).
One thing to note - apparently Valbazen has some tapeworm effectiveness. Anytime I say "tapeworm effectiveness", I cringe a bit knowing that I say that with a big ol' grain of sale. Nothing is really effective against tapeworms. If you read the veterinary texts for tape treatments in poultry, they all say "there is no treatment". (Thankfully, they also tend to say that in most cases they're also not a huge problem, though it's notable that a large worm can completely obstruct a chicken - and since we're not psychic.....). The only real way of trying to prevent them is by preventing intermediate hosts (flies, beetles, earthworms, etc) and that's not easy. I think more realistically, just avoid puposefully feeding intermediate hosts. And then if there is a problem, repeat worming until there's not much evidence of the problem.
Unlike other worms, tapes have a stunningly effective survival rate as segments (the individual reproductive 'factories' if you wll that are dropped). Each rice-grain like piece can withstand drying and temperatures that usual ova from other parasites cannot. So we treat the internal worm, but it drops segments, each segment is a little tapeworm factory, it survives drying, gets picked up (because it looks like rice) and the tapeworms live on.
That being said, it's still worthy to try to keep knocking them back. MSUCares (Mississippi State U) says fenbendazole, used regularly, can be effective. Valbazen (albendazole) is related, and I've read recent studies where Oxybendazole is effective (and apparently is being sold as a livestock tape wormer). So it's worth a shot, and really all we have.
As for wormers, I look at the effective time that they have on parasites - and extrapolate as if they're effective, that means the med is still in the system. Usually it's 14 days - with 'azoles (most of them, unless stated otherwise) it will be. However again we're looking at egg products usually, not meat. Meat, because of resistance, I'd do 14 days. Eggs - how much really goes into the egg? I'm usually more concerned that the parasites might be in the eggs, rather than the medicine.
As for the comb, and the pictures, the pictures to me remind me of the external manifestations of yeast or fungal infections. Since you don't have a lot of humidity. Of course, think about where the white bits are - they're in the convolutions of the comb - that's where oils, cells, whatnot build up and will make that waxy fungus looking bits in the crevices. The scabs, I'd watch and see if it's indeed fungus, or a possible late pox. Of course, build up immunity - and I think the little increase in food type (protein, etc) is a good idea. I'm glad she's eating well though.
On the molds, remember it doesn't need to be wet/warm for mildew problems. Corn feeds are notorious for alfatoxin problems - corn mold. The heat and the latent moisture in the grains will cause it, even if there's not a lot of humidity. The issue could occur where the feed was manufactured, the feed dried, but the spores still being present there.
Moxidectin is interesting. It's supposed to be a better wormer - has always been pushed as such, but in horses (well smaller horses) there were a few deaths and always some talk in the industry about 'why'. And I'm not sure about how far we can push the pyrantels, praziquantels, etc. But I think that using it at the same dosage rate is the safety bit. I've seen some articles, a few articles on experimental and effective doses of tapeworms meds, but haven't really been able to break that down into the products we have available (and apparently we have a lot more than I thought, having recently been doing some research).
One thing to note - apparently Valbazen has some tapeworm effectiveness. Anytime I say "tapeworm effectiveness", I cringe a bit knowing that I say that with a big ol' grain of sale. Nothing is really effective against tapeworms. If you read the veterinary texts for tape treatments in poultry, they all say "there is no treatment". (Thankfully, they also tend to say that in most cases they're also not a huge problem, though it's notable that a large worm can completely obstruct a chicken - and since we're not psychic.....). The only real way of trying to prevent them is by preventing intermediate hosts (flies, beetles, earthworms, etc) and that's not easy. I think more realistically, just avoid puposefully feeding intermediate hosts. And then if there is a problem, repeat worming until there's not much evidence of the problem.
Unlike other worms, tapes have a stunningly effective survival rate as segments (the individual reproductive 'factories' if you wll that are dropped). Each rice-grain like piece can withstand drying and temperatures that usual ova from other parasites cannot. So we treat the internal worm, but it drops segments, each segment is a little tapeworm factory, it survives drying, gets picked up (because it looks like rice) and the tapeworms live on.
That being said, it's still worthy to try to keep knocking them back. MSUCares (Mississippi State U) says fenbendazole, used regularly, can be effective. Valbazen (albendazole) is related, and I've read recent studies where Oxybendazole is effective (and apparently is being sold as a livestock tape wormer). So it's worth a shot, and really all we have.
As for wormers, I look at the effective time that they have on parasites - and extrapolate as if they're effective, that means the med is still in the system. Usually it's 14 days - with 'azoles (most of them, unless stated otherwise) it will be. However again we're looking at egg products usually, not meat. Meat, because of resistance, I'd do 14 days. Eggs - how much really goes into the egg? I'm usually more concerned that the parasites might be in the eggs, rather than the medicine.
As for the comb, and the pictures, the pictures to me remind me of the external manifestations of yeast or fungal infections. Since you don't have a lot of humidity. Of course, think about where the white bits are - they're in the convolutions of the comb - that's where oils, cells, whatnot build up and will make that waxy fungus looking bits in the crevices. The scabs, I'd watch and see if it's indeed fungus, or a possible late pox. Of course, build up immunity - and I think the little increase in food type (protein, etc) is a good idea. I'm glad she's eating well though.
