HELP - is she diseased???

[chickenzoo]

Gape worm and most of the other lice, mites, etc. can be treated all with the Ivomectrian. Round worms are treated with Wazine.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

If she's shaking her head too, then she probably does have gapeworm, but like Chickenzoo said - ivermectin should take care of the gapeworm (and any other worms she has). Yes, she can transfer gapeworm (and mites, etc) to the rest of the flock, so your entire flock should be treated too. Gapeworm lives in the chicken's throat (hence the head shaking and neck stretching) and can be coughed up - I read that sometimes other chickens will eat the coughed up worms. You shouldn't eat the eggs for 2 weeks after treating, but you can still give the eggs to your dogs (if you have any).

It sounds like all her problems can be easily treated - that's good. At least she didn't bring a disease into the flock.

 

[ckseals]

Quote:
So it is "easily" treated? Thank you, that is very encouraging. I was worried all night. So, they shouldn't just drop dead from it right now?

 

[ckseals]

Oh, and could all this be the cause of her not laying eggs?

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Chickens do die from gapeworm, but I would think that if you treat her right away, she'll be alright. I've never had experience with gapeworms in my own chickens - just read about them. Try doing a search on BYC for more information and treatment - I found a couple - there are many more.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=245462

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=74676

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=126032


Edited to add: I have several 1 year old chickens that are not laying eggs - One never started up again after going broody 6 months ago - a few others stopped because they're molting. I can't for sure why your hen is not laying, but I would guess that an overload of worms and parasites could stop her from laying - her body just may not be up to it (healthwise).

The wormers can be hard on a chicken's body and since she's already not doing well, try giving her a little yogurt every day for at least the first week - it should help her while she's on the mend. You can also add a few drops of polyvisol without iron (baby vitamins) to the yogurt before feeding.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
There are two forms of ivermectin for cattle: injectible and pour-on. Injectible will do nothing for them if ou need to either inject it or, as most folks with poultry do, mix it in their water. Pour-on does go on their skin and is not something you want them to ingest. While medicated water is easier, it is supposedly not as effective as it does not remaoin in their system sufficiently long to do a complete job. Plus it costs about twice as much.

There is also the horse paste and a drench for goats (I think). My worry with the horse paste is that it is very hard to get any sort of accurate dose--and I am one who doesn;t overworry about accuracy, but the horse paste is too inaccurate even for me,

 

[ckseals]

Quote:
Hi, on a different note, you mentioned about your 1 yr old chicken not laying because she went broody...what would that look like? How would I know if one was broody?

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

A broody hen will not get off her nest except to eat, drink, or poop - they'll even sleep there at night instead of on the roost. I took the eggs away from my broodies and they sat on golfballs for a about week, while waiting for the eggs I ordered. The hen I have that is not laying now went broody twice in 1 summer - I let her sit on eggs the first time, but she did not do well (broke a lot of them). The second time I found her being broody, I broke her of it by keeping her a different pen that didn't have a nesting area.

 

[speckledhen]

If you use Safeguard/Panacur/Fenbendazole paste, I have researched it and it says that you can actually give 100x the suggested dosage without harm, so if you gave her a 1/4" strip of it in her beak, that wouldn't hurt her at all and will get gapeworm and lice and mites, too, I think, but the legs need to be treated with a coating of something to smother the mites, I'd say, in addition to the Safeguard.

 

[chickenzoo]

Quote:
There are two forms of ivermectin for cattle: injectible and pour-on. Injectible will do nothing for them if ou need to either inject it or, as most folks with poultry do, mix it in their water. Pour-on does go on their skin and is not something you want them to ingest. While medicated water is easier, it is supposedly not as effective as it does not remaoin in their system sufficiently long to do a complete job. Plus it costs about twice as much.

There is also the horse paste and a drench for goats (I think). My worry with the horse paste is that it is very hard to get any sort of accurate dose--and I am one who doesn;t overworry about accuracy, but the horse paste is too inaccurate even for me,

Humm I've always used the injectable on the skin for my chickens and peafowl.........