Gapeworm/Respitory Issue

[Cmacc]

Hello,
I recently agreed to take on a neighbor's flock bc she was moving. One chicken came to me with a sneeze and frequently breathing from an open mouth. She's a friendly chicken and today seems to be more withdrawn. I watched the morning as she opened her mouth to breath and moved her neck from side to side. I am unsure if she is eating or drinking today, it seems to me she is not. I tried to give treats and water (it is warm here today) but she seems disinterested and is staying away from others and is under a bush.

I wonder if this is gapeworm, though I hear this is rare. When I pick her up she is wheezy. The rest of the flock seems to be fine, no sneezing, some opening of mouth to breath, but again, it is worm today. I'm worried about this hen and I don't know how best to proceed.

I have safe-guard goat dewormer on hand.I have not dewormed my flock before. Never had the need. I called around for other dewormers but am unable to get anything. Any advice would be very welcome.

 

[Blue Raptor]

Hello,
I recently agreed to take on a neighbor's flock bc she was moving. One chicken came to me with a sneeze and frequently breathing from an open mouth. She's a friendly chicken and today seems to be more withdrawn. I watched the morning as she opened her mouth to breath and moved her neck from side to side. I am unsure if she is eating or drinking today, it seems to me she is not. I tried to give treats and water (it is warm here today) but she seems disinterested and is staying away from others and is under a bush.

I wonder if this is gapeworm, though I hear this is rare. When I pick her up she is wheezy. The rest of the flock seems to be fine, no sneezing, some opening of mouth to breath, but again, it is worm today. I'm worried about this hen and I don't know how best to proceed.

I have safe-guard goat dewormer on hand.I have not dewormed my flock before. Never had the need. I called around for other dewormers but am unable to get anything. Any advice would be very welcome.

This thread may be able to help you..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...kens-with-goat-safeguard-fenbendazole.423896/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

One chicken came to me with a sneeze and frequently breathing from an open mouth.

I watched the morning as she opened her mouth to breath and moved her neck from side to side. I am unsure if she is eating or drinking today, it seems to me she is not.

When I pick her up she is wheezy.

How old is she?
Does she lay eggs?

I would check to make sure her crop is emptying completely overnight. Feel her abdomen below the vent between her legs for bloat or a feeling of fluid.
Look inside her beak for any signs of yellow or white pasty material and take note of any odors (sour smell, rotten smell).

A video of her actions may be helpful - upload to youtube and provide a link.

Picking her up makes the wheezing worse - I would suspect she's having some reproductive difficulties, but it's a guess on my part. If you must pick her up, then support her abdomen with your hand and take care not to push the crop up. It's even better if you can pick her up and move her to a table so she can stand while you are checking her instead of having to hold her tightly.

Gapeworm is fairly rare. Where are you located in the world? If you feel you do want to treat for Gapeworm, then you can use the Safeguard Liquid Goat Dewormer. Dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days in a row.

Moving the neck side to side, sounds like crop adjustment. I would definitely start with checking her over for all the symptoms/signs mentioned above.