ProfClucker
In the Brooder
Hi there,
Over the past couple of weeks I've noticed a few of my chickens stretching their neck out as though gasping for air. Initially I thought nothing of it as I read that it can often be just rearranging the crop after eating and I'd always noticed it after they'd eaten. Then tonight while locking them up I noticed that one of them on the roost was coughing/spluttering and making noises while violently stretching her neck forwards as well as drooling slightly but with no discharge from eyes/nostrils etc. After a quick Google search, their symptoms seem to match up with gapeworm however I've read a couple of threads here that say gapeworm is very rare. Despite this I've researched a couple of other illnesses such as respiratory diseases and none of the symptoms of them include the 'neck stretching'/gasping. Could this be gapeworm? There are no poultry vets in my area so a poop test would be impossible. I have 18 hens and 1 rooster who all free range in a large fenced grassy area so checking for changes in poop and loss of appetite would be hard to track. None seem to have any lethargy.
Thanks a bunch.
Over the past couple of weeks I've noticed a few of my chickens stretching their neck out as though gasping for air. Initially I thought nothing of it as I read that it can often be just rearranging the crop after eating and I'd always noticed it after they'd eaten. Then tonight while locking them up I noticed that one of them on the roost was coughing/spluttering and making noises while violently stretching her neck forwards as well as drooling slightly but with no discharge from eyes/nostrils etc. After a quick Google search, their symptoms seem to match up with gapeworm however I've read a couple of threads here that say gapeworm is very rare. Despite this I've researched a couple of other illnesses such as respiratory diseases and none of the symptoms of them include the 'neck stretching'/gasping. Could this be gapeworm? There are no poultry vets in my area so a poop test would be impossible. I have 18 hens and 1 rooster who all free range in a large fenced grassy area so checking for changes in poop and loss of appetite would be hard to track. None seem to have any lethargy.
Thanks a bunch.
