Duckling yawning or gape worm

[nive]

Every now and then my four day old duckling yawns, a little yawn, no neck stretch.
How do I tell if it's just a yawn or gape worm?

 

[GitaBooks]

I've heard that you can find out if your birds have gape worms by using a feather and sticking it down their throat and swirling it, then pulling it out. If worms are attached you know they have gape worms.
However, your duckling is probably just yawning, or perhaps swallowing food.

Best of luck!

 

[needlessjunk]

At 4 days old it is highly unlikely to have gape worm. Also sticking anything down the throat of a duck is not going to tell you if they have gape worm. In this post @casportpony gave a lot of info on gape worms. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/961016/no-quacking

 

[casportpony]

At 4 days old it is highly unlikely to have gape worm. Also sticking anything down the throat of a duck is not going to tell you if they have gape worm. In this post @casportpony gave a lot of info on gape worms. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/961016/no-quacking

X2! You are 100% correct, way too young for gapes, and gapes live in the trachea, not the esophagus.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Just thought I should add that my little ones seem to yawn a lot, so it's not something I would worry about unless it looks depressed, isn't eating or isn't gaining weight.

-Kathy

 

[GitaBooks]

Yeah, I wasn't sure about the whole feather thing in the throat, but I read it in a book I got from the library, so I just thought I would mention it.

My bad.

 

[casportpony]

Yeah, I wasn't sure about the whole feather thing in the throat, but I read it in a book I got from the library, so I just thought I would mention it.

My bad.

No worries, I used to think that one could check for them that way, too.

-Kathy

 

[needlessjunk]

Yeah, I wasn't sure about the whole feather thing in the throat, but I read it in a book I got from the library, so I just thought I would mention it. My bad.

I think we all believe that at some point

 

[nive]

Thanks for your answers.
It dose crackle a bit when its breathing but it's eating and drinking well, poo looks fine and it's a lively little thing.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for your answers.
It dose crackle a bit when its breathing but it's eating and drinking well, poo looks fine and it's a lively little thing.

Get yourself a scale and start weighing it daily. Crackling while breathing is not a good sign... add excessive yawning, and that could mean an infection.

I use a kitchen scale like this:



-Kathy