Little help with gape worm

[oldchickenman1]

I started a new flock about 2 months ago- have lost 6 out of 33 birds so far-birds purchased from 2 local breeders-2 of the birds were killed by other birds in joining the 2 groups- the other 4 deaths have occurred in the last 3 weeks. I have pulled my hair out trying to figure out the problem. After losing a bird on tuesday I spent several hours tuesday and more hours on this site wednesday and other sites on the internet and finally decided that I have gape worm.

my flock consist of :4- 10 month old rir, the other 21 are approx 4 and half mo,3 red star, 1 black star, 9 delaware, 9 plymouth rock and 1 rir roo. My new coop and run was placed on land that had been wooded for the last 50 years before I cleared the land for my yard 18 years back. Just yard with no pets of any kind.

When I decided what the problem was all stores were closed so I borrowed eprinex from a friend and applied one half cc on the skin of each bird last night. Another bird was dead this morning so I cut open the windpipe to check and sure enough it appeared to be red jelly which I assumed was the gape worm remains completely blocking the windpipe.

I will buy some safeguard 10% liquid locally today and order some albendazole online which should be here by monday. I am leaning to using the albendazole for the next worming. How quickly can I use this wormer after using eprinex-do i need to wait the full 10 days before using the second wormer. I really want to knock this worm out of my flock but do not want to harm birds not infected. What should I set up for the future in the way of routine worming to control this problem. At present 3 more birds are showing the gape worm symptoms. I have never even heard of this problem before by anyone in this area.

BTW It is very nice to have so many knowedgeable people willing to post on the forum. I dont post much but I spend a lot of time researching and reading other posts. Dont have the knowledge needed yet but I am learning fast.

Thanks
Herman

 

[dawg53]

Apparently the eprinex is ineffective. I would go ahead and use the safeguard liquid goat wormer if I were you. Sounds like you are dealing with an infestation. Waiting til Monday for the valbazen, you'll lose more chickens in the meantime. Dosage for the safeguard liquid goat wormer is given orally...1cc for giants, 3/4cc for large fowl, 1/2cc for standards, 1/4cc for smaller chickens. Redose again in 10 days with the valbazen...orally, 1/2cc for standard size, 1/4cc for smaller chickens. I would redose a third time as well. I recommend you consider a worming schedule, perhaps once every 3 months minimum. I worm quarterly. Here's a pic of gapeworm in a chickens windpipe, notice the one in the middle that is free and clear of gapeworm:

 

[oldchickenman1]

Thanks dawq53 for the answer I was hoping you would respond. How would you administer the safeguard, in the water, down the beak or in food?

Thanks
Herman

 

[roz]

Can I ask what your symptoms for gapeworm were?

 

[oldchickenman1]

Roz
The bird would extend her neck and open her beak as if to expell something from her beak. Sometimes this motion would be accompanied by a squaking sound sometimes not. Bird would go off feed and become listless and start making this gaping motion more often and then die. A search on youtube will reveal a hen with this problem on video. Sorry I do not have the link at this desk.

Herman

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Orally. Use a syringe without a needle. Pull the wattles down and the mouth will open, squirt it in and let the hen swallow it...gotta be quick. Give it a couple of practice runs without the wormer in the syringe to get the hang of it. Dont want to waste the wormer. (Same with valbazen too)