Is this behavior because of gapeworm?

lisahamm1967

Chirping
Aug 8, 2019
48
51
86
Wildomar, CA
I just noticed one of my hens gasping? stretching their neck? (see video link below). It looks like she might have gapeworm. If so, do I have to get medication from a vet or is there something I can treat her with without spending a ton of money? Also, do I need to treat my whole flock if only one shows symptoms?

PS: I just added food grade DE to their feed per lots of people that say to do that once a month to treat for many types of worms that are most likely to be picked up by free ranging chickens. So I just did it for the first time last week.

Any help/advise would be great. Thank you.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oYXkdJhzR2VYdMoK8
 
PS: I just added food grade DE to their feed per lots of people that say to do that once a month to treat for many types of worms that are most likely to be picked up by free ranging chickens.
Lots of people are ignorant and NONE of them will get before and after fecal floats to back their claim, no matter how many times I ask or even offer to pay half for the tests.. Studies show DE is ineffective when wet... like everything inside the body/digestive system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth
Pest control
"Medical-grade diatomite has been studied for its efficacy as a deworming agent in cattle; in both studies cited the groups being treated with diatomaceous earth did not fare any better than control groups"

"
Use in agriculture[edit]
Natural freshwater diatomaceous earth is used in agriculture for grain storage as an anticaking agent, as well as an insecticide.[24] It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a feed additive[25] to prevent caking.

Some believe it may be used as a natural anthelmintic (dewormer), although studies have not shown it to be effective.[16][17] Some farmers add it to their livestock and poultry feed to prevent the caking of feed.[26] "

DE is an over rated, dangerous, FALSE sense of security that is NOT welcome at my house EVER. If you wanna know the TRUTH about YOUR parasite load... get floats done a couple times per year to see where YOU stand. After seeing signs folks SWEAR is worms... fecal floats say it wasn't and I have YET to need to treat for internal parasites at MY location, with MY wildlife and livestock loads, weather conditions, etc... in my chickens or dogs or pigs. Since it cost me about $25 per float... I bought my own microscope to do my own floats. I have not yet had to with hold any eggs or waste time treating what I don't have.. all thanks to one simple test that tell the REAL (microscopic) story since only large round worms will ever be seen in dropping and all others stay inside with only their microscopic eggs passing in feces.

No, that's NOT gape worm... looks like your hen is burping. Gape worm will be gasping with every breath.

If and when you decide to treat for parasites... always treat ALL birds in the flock... as other may simple not be showing symptoms yet... and you NEED to prevent any resistance being built to the drug by the parasite so it does work when needed.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/the-cut-dry-truth-about-diatomaceous/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/diatomaceous-earth-de-benefitrisk/
Hope this is helpful and informational! :fl
 
Lots of people are ignorant and NONE of them will get before and after fecal floats to back their claim, no matter how many times I ask or even offer to pay half for the tests.. Studies show DE is ineffective when wet... like everything inside the body/digestive system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth
Pest control
"Medical-grade diatomite has been studied for its efficacy as a deworming agent in cattle; in both studies cited the groups being treated with diatomaceous earth did not fare any better than control groups"

"
Use in agriculture[edit]
Natural freshwater diatomaceous earth is used in agriculture for grain storage as an anticaking agent, as well as an insecticide.[24] It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a feed additive[25] to prevent caking.

Some believe it may be used as a natural anthelmintic (dewormer), although studies have not shown it to be effective.[16][17] Some farmers add it to their livestock and poultry feed to prevent the caking of feed.[26] "

DE is an over rated, dangerous, FALSE sense of security that is NOT welcome at my house EVER. If you wanna know the TRUTH about YOUR parasite load... get floats done a couple times per year to see where YOU stand. After seeing signs folks SWEAR is worms... fecal floats say it wasn't and I have YET to need to treat for internal parasites at MY location, with MY wildlife and livestock loads, weather conditions, etc... in my chickens or dogs or pigs. Since it cost me about $25 per float... I bought my own microscope to do my own floats. I have not yet had to with hold any eggs or waste time treating what I don't have.. all thanks to one simple test that tell the REAL (microscopic) story since only large round worms will ever be seen in dropping and all others stay inside with only their microscopic eggs passing in feces.

No, that's NOT gape worm... looks like your hen is burping. Gape worm will be gasping with every breath.

If and when you decide to treat for parasites... always treat ALL birds in the flock... as other may simple not be showing symptoms yet... and you NEED to prevent any resistance being built to the drug by the parasite so it does work when needed.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/the-cut-dry-truth-about-diatomaceous/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/diatomaceous-earth-de-benefitrisk/
Hope this is helpful and informational! :fl
What I really want to know is: Does it look like my chicken has gapeworm. If so, how can I treat it and do I need to treat all my chickens or just the one with the symptoms. I sort of thought the DE was not really a good treatment specifically because it is not effective when wet but I just had to put it out there because I KNOW that is what everyone would tell me to do and I want to know what OTHER options that will actually work are.
 
I want to know what OTHER options that will actually work are.
I did answer all of your questions previously...

Gape worm is quite rare. I said it looked like burping to me and NOT gape worm. Your hen has no other symptoms line up that I've heard. Is she gurgling sounding, lethargic, no appetite, etc?

I gave you the very best option to find out if that's what you're dealing with... GET a fecal float done at the vet or by a mail in lab.

I also already stated to treat everyone IF you treat. Flubivent treats gapeworm in chickens... Read these links... are you seeing ANY other symptoms, besides what you saw on your video?
https://poultrykeeper.com/respiratory-problems/gapeworm/
https://thisnzlife.co.nz/signs-your-chickens-might-have-gapeworm-plus-how-to-treat-it/
Lots of folks here on BYC are in the anti DE camp. I'm sure it's useful for some things under certain conditions. It isn't useful for anything in MY environment.. except MAYBE an anti clumping agent in feeds stuff AS approved by the FDA. What's nice, is we get a variety of experiences from all around the world.. what works for some may not work for others with their environmental factors.

I truly DOUBT you are seeing gapeworm. A fecal float WILL give answers! :fl
 
Lots of people are ignorant and NONE of them will get before and after fecal floats to back their claim, no matter how many times I ask or even offer to pay half for the tests.. Studies show DE is ineffective when wet... like everything inside the body/digestive system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth
Pest control
"Medical-grade diatomite has been studied for its efficacy as a deworming agent in cattle; in both studies cited the groups being treated with diatomaceous earth did not fare any better than control groups"

"
Use in agriculture[edit]
Natural freshwater diatomaceous earth is used in agriculture for grain storage as an anticaking agent, as well as an insecticide.[24] It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a feed additive[25] to prevent caking.

Some believe it may be used as a natural anthelmintic (dewormer), although studies have not shown it to be effective.[16][17] Some farmers add it to their livestock and poultry feed to prevent the caking of feed.[26] "

DE is an over rated, dangerous, FALSE sense of security that is NOT welcome at my house EVER. If you wanna know the TRUTH about YOUR parasite load... get floats done a couple times per year to see where YOU stand. After seeing signs folks SWEAR is worms... fecal floats say it wasn't and I have YET to need to treat for internal parasites at MY location, with MY wildlife and livestock loads, weather conditions, etc... in my chickens or dogs or pigs. Since it cost me about $25 per float... I bought my own microscope to do my own floats. I have not yet had to with hold any eggs or waste time treating what I don't have.. all thanks to one simple test that tell the REAL (microscopic) story since only large round worms will ever be seen in dropping and all others stay inside with only their microscopic eggs passing in feces.

No, that's NOT gape worm... looks like your hen is burping. Gape worm will be gasping with every breath.

If and when you decide to treat for parasites... always treat ALL birds in the flock... as other may simple not be showing symptoms yet... and you NEED to prevent any resistance being built to the drug by the parasite so it does work when needed.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/the-cut-dry-truth-about-diatomaceous/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/diatomaceous-earth-de-benefitrisk/
Hope this is helpful and informational! :fl
YES, that is helpful. Thank you. I did not see the whole post when I opened it the first time. It was cut off after the first paragraph.
 

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