confused and needing help, URGENT, please reply!

[off-grid hen]

go back and click now?

 

[Tracy the chick]

Hi one of my chickens just dropped down dead one day with no reason, couple days later another one was sat on the floor with her mouth open and her head back trying to breath, we took her strait to the vets who said she had gape worm. He gave me some flubenvet to treat my 25 hens as mine to are free ranged. I treated them for 5 days then again after 3 weeks to give them immuunity, I also put some food outside for the pheasants with flubenvet in as thats where we think they got it front as there always jumping in the pen. Most of them have recovered but theres still a few gaping but seem ok. I really hope you get sorted and totally know how you feel.xx

 

[Terri O]

Are your hens gaping? I thougth I had a few with that but when I read more about it it said that it was pretty rare. There really is no way to keep them totally free of parasites if you free range at all. Mine are out all day digging and having an overall great chicken time doing what chickens do--I think letting them have a life is worth losing a few now and then. I keep an eye on them and if I see something definitely wrong I separate and treat...dont get me wrong...but sometimes stuff just happens!
It is hard when they are young and healthy appearing though...you sometimes just cant know what happened. So sorry--
Terri O

 

[happinesshill]

I have called my vet and around town. Ivermectin (or Ivermec) is available by prescription only. No-one else carries it but the vets office and they said they'd only sell it to me if my dog had heartworms. For no other reason. I am waiting to hear what other wormer I can use for gapeworms. I am really upset that I cannot just buy a wormer when I need it without a hassle or prescription. It's ridiculous! Just another way for them to make tons of money!

We still aren't sure if it's worth worming them. Sure, it'd save them...for now...but what about re-infestation? The worms can live dormant in the ground. We'd have to move or relocate their pen. I don't see how. It's looking like we might have to kill them all. I am just sick over the whole mess!! Thanks for all the responses!

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
Not true. You can get Ivermectin. Look thru Jeffers Livestock, Valleyvet, or any livestock catalog, and you can get a whole tube of ivermectin for about $3.00 , for horses. You can also buy Ivomec Eprinex, even at tractor supply, and just have to put 0.5 ml on each of their necks. Either way, you can find lots of meds used for chickens under "Livestock", as in cows and horses.