Help needed, please. Worming questions.

[rlcrn02]

So I have a hen that is looking poorly. She is hunched up with feathers ruffled, pale comb, sleeping a lot and not eating or drinking much. She is also "gapeing". No other respiratory symptoms. A lot of my hens have dirty butt fluff. Nothing seen in any of their poop except a different hen had a dark red streak that at first I thought was old blood but now I wonder if it was a gapeworm. After seeing the red streak I put corid in their water thinking it was coccidiosis.
After research, I decided to worm my flock. Yesterday, we gave them Valbazen 1/2ml for standards and 1/4ml for bantams. We individually dosed 74 chickens. According to my research, I plan to dose them 3 days in a row total, then again in 10 days for 3 days. Is that correct for gapeworm? Or should I switch to Safeguard? Or use a larger dose of Valbazen? When will I see worms in the poop if they have them?
In the meantime, I have been giving the one hen scrambled duck eggs, yogurt and Gatorade.

Thanks for your help.

 

[MrsBrooke]

The dosage you are using for the Valbazen is fine. From what I understand, it's one treatment and then again in 10 days.

That may have changed recently.

@casportpony always has up-to-date info on worming.

MrsB

 

[rlcrn02]

I thought I read somewhere that for gapeworms you had to give it at least three days in a row because they would detect the chemical in the blood and just not eat for a couple of days. That was the only reason I was doing it 3 days in a row

 

[MrsBrooke]

I thought I read somewhere that for gapeworms you had to give it at least three days in a row because they would detect the chemical in the blood and just not eat for a couple of days. That was the only reason I was doing it 3 days in a row

You could absolutely be right. Where did you read that?

If that's the case, gapes are (unfortunately) pretty smart creatures!

MrsB

 

[rlcrn02]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/602699/worming-chickens/10#post_7931055 #13 &14



https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/602699/worming-chickens/20 #22 This was in regards to using Safeguard

 

[casportpony]

So I have a hen that is looking poorly. She is hunched up with feathers ruffled, pale comb, sleeping a lot and not eating or drinking much. She is also "gapeing". No other respiratory symptoms. A lot of my hens have dirty butt fluff. Nothing seen in any of their poop except a different hen had a dark red streak that at first I thought was old blood but now I wonder if it was a gapeworm. After seeing the red streak I put corid in their water thinking it was coccidiosis.
After research, I decided to worm my flock. Yesterday, we gave them Valbazen 1/2ml for standards and 1/4ml for bantams. We individually dosed 74 chickens. According to my research, I plan to dose them 3 days in a row total, then again in 10 days for 3 days. Is that correct for gapeworm? Or should I switch to Safeguard? Or use a larger dose of Valbazen? When will I see worms in the poop if they have them?
In the meantime, I have been giving the one hen scrambled duck eggs, yogurt and Gatorade.

Thanks for your help.

If they have gapes, three days of Valbazen will treat them.

-Kathy

 

[rlcrn02]

We didn't do another dose last night on the whole coop, because it looked like they needed 3 doses in 10 days. So the first dose was 10/26 pm. I was going to do another dose 10/30 am and since I can't 11/4, was going to 11/5. Would it be better to dose today and tomorrow? Or 10/30 am & 11/3 pm? I did give a second dose yesterday to my chicken that was symptomatic and she is looking better. Is out free ranging, alert, and not "gapeing".

 

[casportpony]

We didn't do another dose last night on the whole coop, because it looked like they needed 3 doses in 10 days. So the first dose was 10/26 pm. I was going to do another dose 10/30 am and since I can't 11/4, was going to 11/5. Would it be better to dose today and tomorrow? Or 10/30 am & 11/3 pm? I did give a second dose yesterday to my chicken that was symptomatic and she is looking better. Is out free ranging, alert, and not "gapeing".

All studies and literature I have read say to treat gapes with Valbazen or Safeguard for 3-5 consecutive days. Not sure where people got the idea of 3 times in 10 days.

-Kathy

 

[rlcrn02]

Thanks!! Only one more question... Since I gave the first dose 10/26 and just doing a second dose today 10/30, should I go ahead and do 3 more doses 3 days in a row or only 2 more (today and tomorrow) for a total of 3?

Definitely had to be gapeworms, my symptomatic chicken is the only one we dosed 3 days in a row because she was doing so poorly and she has almost fully back to normal. 100% no gapeing!

Thanks again for all your help! There is so much information out there it is hard to sift through it all, especially when you are trying to treat a sickie chickie. It is great to have a worm guru for answers!