Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Animal Science

Advisor/Mentor

Powell, Jeremy

Committee Member

Tucker, Christopher

Second Committee Member

Setyabrata, Derico

Abstract

The control of gastrointestinal helminths, specifically Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, and Capillaria obsignata, is a critical component of poultry health management, particularly in free-range and organic farming systems. Methods of estimating parasite burdens, such as post-mortem examinations, are not feasible for large-scale commercial operations due to their invasiveness and time requirements. This study aimed to evaluate the use of fecal egg counts (FEC) as a non-invasive and efficient method for estimating the worm burdens of these parasites in laying hens. A flock of 12 brown egg laying, spent, hens were individually penned on concrete. Fecal samples (both cecal and intestinal) were collected for a total of 6 days (0-5), mean FEC ranged from 0 - 61.5 for Ascaridia galli, 0.16 - 98.8 for Heterakis gallinarum and 0 - 3.6 for Capillaria obsignata . Worm burdens for each species were quantified post-mortem ranging from 0 - 1 for Ascaridia galli, 0 – 28 for Heterakis gallinarum, and 2 – 25 in Capillaria obsignata to assess the accuracy of FEC as a predictive tool. Statistical analysis, including Pearson’s correlation coefficients (r-values) and P-values, revealed weak positive relationships between mean FEC and female worm burdens for H. gallinarum (r = 0.16306, p = 0.6126) and C. obsignata (r = 0.14505, p = 0.6529), with no statistical significance for any of the three target species. Even after applying geometric means to adjust for outliers, correlations remained weak and insignificant. These results suggest that while FEC shows some potential as an indicator of parasite burden, its accuracy is limited. Further research is needed to assess additional factors that may influence egg shedding patterns and find improved diagnostic techniques to enhance animal welfare and farm sustainability in the poultry industry.

Keywords

Fecal Egg Counts; Ascaridia galli; Heterakis gallinarum; Capillaria obsignata

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