Does this look like gapeworm symptoms?

[DarrenS2]

Hi,

we have a hen who keeps stretching her neck, gaping and shaking her head. I’ve attached a still from a video that shows it.
She’s been doing it for about a month without seeming ill, but today she’s off her food.

We did do a flubenvet treatment for a week that made no difference, she’s free range so I don’t know know much treatment she got, but I assume her feed is still her main source of food. I also sent a faeces sample off for analysis which came back negative for worms.

So, despite treatment and a negative poo test, would anyone look at the photo and say it is probably gapeworm?

Thanks

Darren

 

[LaFleche]

Did you have a good look inside her beak and throat? She might have something stuck and is trying to get rid of it.

Also feel her crop early in the morning before she had anything to eat or drink to make sure it empties completely overnight. Impacted crop can cause the behaviour you describe as well and the longer the impaction goes on, the weaker the chicken will get.

 

[DarrenS2]

Did you have a good look inside her beak and throat? She might have something stuck and is trying to get rid of it.

Also feel her crop early in the morning before she had anything to eat or drink to make sure it empties completely overnight. Impacted crop can cause the behaviour you describe as well and the longer the impaction goes on, the weaker the chicken will get.

Did you have a good look inside her beak and throat? She might have something stuck and is trying to get rid of it.

Also feel her crop early in the morning before she had anything to eat or drink to make sure it empties completely overnight. Impacted crop can cause the behaviour you describe as well and the longer the impaction goes on, the weaker the chicken will get.

I think there is a blockage somewhere as her crop isn’t emptying overnight. I can’t feel anything solid in her crop.
We’re massaging her crop to try to help get things moving.
Her poos are either liquid or liquid with grass and I’m wondering if long grass has blocked her up somewhere.
She’s not really drinking but she sometimes eats. We’re giving her liquids with a syringe in the hope we can keep her going until this blockage shifts.
Any ideas on how to help her get things moving?
Thanks

 

[theoldchick]

Get your hands on her and look in her mouth. If you see yellow lesions she may have canker.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/canker

Or maybe the wet form of fowl pox.

http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/fowl-pox-backyard-flocks

 

[LaFleche]

She’s not really drinking but she sometimes eats. We’re giving her liquids with a syringe in the hope we can keep her going until this blockage shifts.
Any ideas on how to help her get things moving?

Try giving her Coca-Cola and grit/sand to dissolve whatever might be stuck. Most chickens like the taste as it is sweet, so with luck you do not have to syringe.

When did she last lay an egg? sometimes reproductive disorders can lead to an obstruction of the digestive tract.

Did you feel her abdomen, is it swollen? And if so, does it feel hard or rather squishy and fluid filled like a water balloon?

 

[theoldchick]

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour/

 

[DarrenS2]

Try giving her Coca-Cola and grit/sand to dissolve whatever might be stuck. Most chickens like the taste as it is sweet, so with luck you do not have to syringe.

When did she last lay an egg? sometimes reproductive disorders can lead to an obstruction of the digestive tract.

Did you feel her abdomen, is it swollen? And if so, does it feel hard or rather squishy and fluid filled like a water balloon?

Her abdomen is soft. She hasn’t laid for a few weeks, but I don’t think that’s the issue this time.
We’ve got some coke into her which made a nice gurgling noise! The coke and some crop massage seems to have helped some solids pass through as today there has been some cecal poo in with the liquid.
There is also some fibrous plant material coming out in pieces. I think this is possibly the issue, somewhere further down than her crop.

 

[DarrenS2]

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour/

We couldn’t see any lesions and I don’t think she has sour crop yet. We had one whose crop went sour when she was very ill.
This hen doesn’t look particularly ill if you know what I mean, her comb still looks good. She’s quiet and not feeling well, but it’s not really showing in her body condition yet.

 

[LaFleche]

Her abdomen is soft. She hasn’t laid for a few weeks, but I don’t think that’s the issue this time.
We’ve got some coke into her which made a nice gurgling noise! The coke and some crop massage seems to have helped some solids pass through as today there has been some cecal poo in with the liquid.
There is also some fibrous plant material coming out in pieces. I think this is possibly the issue, somewhere further down than her crop.

This sounds quite promising, keep up the Coke and massages!

 

[theoldchick]

https://www.hobbyfarms.com/6-causes-of-swollen-abdomen-in-chickens-2/