What is this? Worms inside egg?

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

UPDATE: The vet confirms this IS threadworms, or capillariasis in the egg.

The federally approved treatment is something that's not affordable nor reasonable for backyard flocks, only commercial operations (like it comes in 500-gal drums). So, we have to go "off-label" for smaller flocks and individual birds. Recommended treatment is Safeguard (Fenbendazole), NOT ivermectin. Dosage is complicated; it is NOT as easy as just putting #X ml per gallon of water in their waterers. More on that below.

He tested six samples (randomly collected from various birds this morning) and said he saw only 2-3 eggs among them. Since I have a large flock, treating them in drinking water is the best approach. My flock free-ranges part of the day, and their enclosed run area is a permanent setup with dirt floor - I cannot rotate their run to fresh grounds - so he said to treat the flock every 3 months, or at least once every 6 months. For as long as I keep chickens.

(My thoughts: I understood that the flock isn't overwhelmed with the worms --- yet. Whichever hen laid this egg, IS. And if I don't treat the flock, it's only a matter of time until they all have them just as bad as she does.)

The vet said the Safeguard will treat the threadworms, also roundworms, whipworms, gapeworms, and others. It does NOT treat tapeworms, but that is a whole different issue and not common.

DOSAGE: I'm using Safeguard for Goats 10% suspension, as recommended. He said the dosage is .005 (that's point-zero-zero-five) mL per KG of body weight, each day for 5-7 days.
.....oh boy.... I have about 52 adult birds! (I could treat chicks too, but those 26 babies are separated from the flock and don't likely need treatment, yet) .....
How to do this:
1. I will have to weigh a sampling of the birds to get an average weight, for the whole flock to be treated. And I will have to count exactly how many birds I have.
2. I will need to measure how much water they will consume, until the water containers are EMPTY, during a 24-hour period.
3. Dose a 24-hour supply of water at the dosage recommended.
(Example: Let's say I have 52 birds to treat, and they average 5 lbs. each. 1 lb = 2.2 kg. So that's 572 kg of chickens total. X .005 dosage = 2.86 ml dosage per day.)
4. Repeat the dose in fresh water each day for 5-7 days.
5. Repeat dosage every few months.

So about #2 above: I figure I can give them a measured amount of plain water, say 5-gallons, in the morning. Then in the evening, measure what's left. The difference is what they consumed. I plan to give them maybe 80% of that total consumption, treated for the full amount, the next morning. Then check their waterers in the late afternoon, add plain water as needed for the rest of the evening. I use several waterers placed around the run, since I have different ages and "troops".

WITHDRAWAL:
Per his licensing and laws, he stated there is a 2-week withdrawal period for selling eggs, and 2-weeks for consuming meat.

Off-the-record: He could not legally tell me whether the eggs or meat would be safe to eat after treating with Safeguard before the end of the withdrawal period. But when I asked him whether he would eat an egg from a chicken that's been treated, before the end of 2 weeks? He said "Yes." Would he eat cooked chicken that's been treated? He said "Yes." I told him I have several cockerels set to be slaughtered next week, should I treat them as well or not? He said it's more important to treat for worms, and it would be fine to butcher since they will be near the end of the withdrawal period anyway.

So there you have it. As best I can remember.

Book marked, thank you. Soooooo sorry you are going through this.

 

[Molpet]

Thanks for the update
Shame they don't have a easy ratio like corid for coccidiosis

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Thanks for the update
Shame they don't have a easy ratio like corid for coccidiosis

There are easier ways to treat a small flock for worms (I didn't ask him about that), whether a dose in the mouth, in their feed, on the skin, or injection - I don't know. IF I had a small flock, I would have asked about one of these options. He said it's hard to dose a small flock in their waterer, because the dose is so minute for each bird and syringes are not easy to find for that tiny amount - but it would be more effective. Dosing in the waterers isn't ideal, because some of the medicine will "settle" in the bottom, and the birds won't drink the same amount of water each day. That's why the 5-7 day regimen.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

DOSAGE: I'm using Safeguard for Goats 10% suspension, as recommended. He said the dosage is .005 (that's point-zero-zero-five) mL per KG of body weight, each day for 5-7 days.

Sounds like he's trying to aim for Aquasol dosing which is 1mg/kg Fenbendazole. Aquasol is designed to be mixed in water where the Safeguard liquid goat dewomer is not.

Hope you are able to get the dosing calculated.

 

[dawg53]

You'd be better off using Levamisole mixed in water, rather than Safeguard. Levamisole has a 14 day withdrawal period.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Book marked, thank you. Soooooo sorry you are going through this.

Please edit your post to remove my quote - and check your bookmark. I had the conversion wrong! 1 kg = 2.2 lbs, not the other way around. It has been corrected in my post, but the wrong calculation still shows in those who copied it in their posts that followed.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Hey everyone, I had the conversion wrong! A member on Facebook found my mistake. I have corrected it in my update. .005 mL per KG of weight is correct. But 1 kg = 2.2 lbs, not the other way around

 

[Molpet]

There are easier ways to treat a small flock for worms (I didn't ask him about that), whether a dose in the mouth, in their feed, on the skin, or injection - I don't know. IF I had a small flock, I would have asked about one of these options. He said it's hard to dose a small flock in their waterer, because the dose is so minute for each bird and syringes are not easy to find for that tiny amount - but it would be more effective. Dosing in the waterers isn't ideal, because some of the medicine will "settle" in the bottom, and the birds won't drink the same amount of water each day. That's why the 5-7 day regimen.

Yeah I have 3 dz turkeys of various ages along with about 75 chickens of various ages.... In the same poultry yard. If it doesn't go in the water or feed it's not happening lol

 

[BarnyardChaos]

@Wyorp Rock @dawg53 Thank you for your advice. Very much
I'm doing what the vet recommended, and will get them tested again in a couple of weeks, to see how effective it is. I will discuss with him about Levamisol and Aquasol at that time, and whether or not the Safeguard worked as dosed.

I dosed 50 chickens this morning. I gave them about 3 gallons of water with 1 mL of Safeguard mixed in, split into two waterers. We'll see how it goes.

 

[DobieLover]

I dosed 50 chickens this morning. I gave them about 3 gallons of water with 1 mL of Safeguard mixed in, split into two waterers. We'll see how it goes.

But the Safeguard liquid goat wormer (the 10% suspension - not solution, this is a key point here) is not soluble in water. It will settle out. And a single 5# bird will have to drink 114 mls of correctly dosed water to get the 1mg/Kg dose. What you just put out would be 0.0088 mg fenbendazole/ml of water and it won't be homogeneous so you won't hit that dose. And if you free range at all during the treatment period, it will be even worse because it your birds are anything like mine, they drink out of any handle puddle they find in preference to their nice clean waterer.

Putting out such a low, ineffective dose will only really accomplish one thing: a guaranteed increase in drug resistance to this anthelmintic for any future use in your flock.

Your vet is off on the 1mg/Kg low dose, 5 day, no egg/meat withdrawal fenbendazole treatment. What he has suggested is only 0.5 mg/Kg.

You would need 0.01 ml/Kg of the undiluted Safeguard to get the 1 mg/Kg of bird, not 0.005 ml/Kg. So if you have a 5# hen, that equates to 0.0227 ml undiluted Safeguard for a single dose. That is one tiny, heavily graduated syringe.

I also agree that you should look into Levamisole for deworming your flock.

As for the cockerels that you plan to process, just pen them up separately from the rest of the birds and don't treat them. The worms would be primarily in their GI system that you would be removing.