I was responding to your statement that you suspected gapeworms. The link I provided you is from an expert who has dealt with them. Thankfully I've never dealt with gapeworms. Knowing my soil would be contaminated with their eggs, and knowing there would be endless worming treatments trying to eliminate them, not to mention the suffering they'd bring to my birds...I'd cull my infected birds. I know that gapeworms are rare in chickens. This is why I asked you if there were respiratory symptoms which are a more likely cause than gapeworms. Respiratory diseases can cause mucus build up in the trachea causing similar symptoms as gapeworms. Birds gape trying to breathe due to mucus build up from the respiratory disease, they shake their heads to try and loosen mucus, and/or scratch their necks to loosen mucus. Gapeworms are located in the trachea and the birds will stretch their necks gasping and grunting trying to breathe. Birds shake their heads, scratch their necks to try and loosen the worms to no avail. Death from suffocation follows with gapeworm infection. Depending on the strain of whatever respiratory disease is involved, death can also occur.
There are other causes why birds would yawn and stretch their necks; simple yawning, adjusting crop or gizzard, impacted crop or gizzard, swallowing a screw or nail etc...
Head shaking and scratching besides respiratory disease or gapeworms; ear mites, mites or lice externally, stick tight fleas, molt, canker.
There are probably other things that can cause these symptoms I mentioned, but these are the most common things I can think of. Someone else can chime in if there are others if they want.
I recommend that you take fresh fecal samples to a vet to determine if your birds have worm oocysts in their feces. Or you can contact your local extension office and find out how to submit your sickest bird for necropsy and get to the bottom of wht's going through your flock. if it's a respiratory disease, I recommend that you cull sick birds...if you dont, it'll eventually spread through your whole flock.
One other thing, and if you dont know this; bringing in birds from different sources without quarantining them away from your flock for at least 6 weeks is asking for trouble. I suggest that you practice biosecurity
There are other causes why birds would yawn and stretch their necks; simple yawning, adjusting crop or gizzard, impacted crop or gizzard, swallowing a screw or nail etc...
Head shaking and scratching besides respiratory disease or gapeworms; ear mites, mites or lice externally, stick tight fleas, molt, canker.
There are probably other things that can cause these symptoms I mentioned, but these are the most common things I can think of. Someone else can chime in if there are others if they want.
I recommend that you take fresh fecal samples to a vet to determine if your birds have worm oocysts in their feces. Or you can contact your local extension office and find out how to submit your sickest bird for necropsy and get to the bottom of wht's going through your flock. if it's a respiratory disease, I recommend that you cull sick birds...if you dont, it'll eventually spread through your whole flock.
One other thing, and if you dont know this; bringing in birds from different sources without quarantining them away from your flock for at least 6 weeks is asking for trouble. I suggest that you practice biosecurity
