Have you confirmed gapeworms with a fecal float by your vet? What have you used for treatment? Gapeworms are pretty rare. Are you seeing any symptoms?
No I actually just called the vet a few days ago for this and they need me to bring one of the flock members in for an exam and then they would do the fecal sample. We're in the process of moving and I don't have my vehicle with me and hoped I would be able to just send the sample in.
I guess I can start from the beginning so you know what's happened and why I thought gapeworm. Sorry if this is long!
Last year we hatched off some eggs and ended up with my rooster named Nugget. I spent a ton of time with him because he was born with splayed legs and naturally wouldn't make it in the coop with the rest. We kept him inside with us while rehabilitating until he was a couple months old. He was outside all day with us once his feathers came in but didn't go back with the flock for fear of the other roosters that hatched.
Once full grown he always looked like he was yawning and I thought it was normal because we yawn right? One night he started choking on his food and I flipped out and got on the internet. I read about gapeworm and it all seamed to click. His poops were getting runny at the time and his other signs. He was shaking his head frequently but i thought a feather was in his eye or dust or something. He sounded like he was snoring and i just thought ok well why wouldnt a chicken snore i guess.
After reading about the gapeworm and seeing him choking i freaked out i had fenbendazole on hand and started administering it immediately. Everything quickly got better for about two weeks when the symptoms came back. Thats when i read about the parasitic cycles so i started the regimen again. This time i made sure to repeat in 15 days hoping to catch the next hatch.
Once again all was well for a time and he no longer snored, shook his head, sneezed, and most of all gasped for air. Then it started all over again. I found a natural wormer called zyfend A. I used this and once again the symotoms subsided. I also used VetRx which seamed to help a little here and there.
Since the first episode i started cleaning the coop with a pooper scooper everyday after work and every four or so days completely cleaning it out with new chips. I was trying preventative measures with garlic in the water, apple cider vinegar, probiotics, and a whirwind of things. I sprinkled Diatomaceous earth inside the coop and everywhere inside their fencing. I rotate all the flocks for fresh pasture anyways but excessively since this started. I also bought a all natural antibiotic after reading they most of the time die from the secondary infection brought on by the parasites.
I absolutely love these guys and am pulling my hair out with this hence why im moving 2 tons of lime by hand lol. I just cant see what it could be when everything works but nothing is working ultimately. Hes always fine when being treated with something but always creeps back up until he quickly declines afterwards. I do not like medicating but would gladly do whatever was needed if i knew a way to knock this out once and for all.
I read that flubendazole is supposed to be one of the treaments for gapeworm but i quickly got concerned when i read a study. There was a seagull found with confirmed gapeworm. They treated with flubendazole and the symptoms returned i believe it was one week or 15 days later. They then gave fenbendazole which cleared it up but once it again it repeated so they readministered time and time again and eventually the seagull died. This is what led me to the agricultural lime. I read just how resilient these eggs are and that the lime would kill on contact.
If im missing something here please let me know! This is the first time ive dealt with something like this since we initially got chickens its gone on far too long and nothing ever seams to ultimately stop this. The other flocks started doing the same exact thing Nugget and his crew were doing. We gave them the wormer and it would stop and start up again.
Thank you for taking the time!
