My hen is making odd "swallowing" gesture is she ill?-please help!

[pips&peeps]

You have to use valbazen or ivermectin for gapes...... wazine won't help.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
forget the wazine ,that only kills round worms, worthless in controling most worms....any farm store should have safeguard for goats...3 cc per gal of water for 3 days repeat in 14 days.......yes very few wormer label for chickens...i use two types safe guard and ivomec pour on,

 

[dawg53]

That is NOT gapeworm. Give her a small piece of bread soaked in olive oil and gently massage the crop.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Quote:
I'm not disputing you in anyway (in fact I try to read all of your advice and find it extremely helpful), but I'm wondering why you think it couldn't be gapeworm? Isn't that the primary symptom for gapeworm- constantly yawning or adjusting the crop? Just curious is all. OP- to check for gapeworm, you use a q-tip and swab the birds throat. When you pull the q-tip out look for blood spots. When my chickens have impacted or sour crops they usually puff up and aren't very active. My first thought was gapeworm too.....good luck!

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
I'm not disputing you in anyway (in fact I try to read all of your advice and find it extremely helpful), but I'm wondering why you think it couldn't be gapeworm? Isn't that the primary symptom for gapeworm- constantly yawning or adjusting the crop? Just curious is all. OP- to check for gapeworm, you use a q-tip and swab the birds throat. When you pull the q-tip out look for blood spots. When my chickens have impacted or sour crops they usually puff up and aren't very active. My first thought was gapeworm too.....good luck!

OP stated that the bird is eating and drinking. Birds with gapeworm cant eat or drink, they shake their heads, gasp and grunt for air because their windpipe is clogged with the worms. Breathing is priority #1 with birds with gapes, not eating or drinking. The youtube video says it all. The bird is either adjusting its crop or has something stuck in it. A piece of bread soaked in olive oil will hopefully move whatever is stuck. Also notice that the bird is scratching around in the leaves...birds with gapes will have their heads held high trying to prevent suffocation, trying to breathe, not scratching around. Here's a chickens windpipe clogged with gapes, notice the clear one free from gapes. Gapeworm arent common in chickens.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Quote:
I'm not disputing you in anyway (in fact I try to read all of your advice and find it extremely helpful), but I'm wondering why you think it couldn't be gapeworm? Isn't that the primary symptom for gapeworm- constantly yawning or adjusting the crop? Just curious is all. OP- to check for gapeworm, you use a q-tip and swab the birds throat. When you pull the q-tip out look for blood spots. When my chickens have impacted or sour crops they usually puff up and aren't very active. My first thought was gapeworm too.....good luck!

OP stated that the bird is eating and drinking. Birds with gapeworm cant eat or drink, they shake their heads, gasp and grunt for air because their windpipe is clogged with the worms. Breathing is priority #1 with birds with gapes, not eating or drinking. The youtube video says it all. The bird is either adjusting its crop or has something stuck in it. A piece of bread soaked in olive oil will hopefully move whatever is stuck. Also notice that the bird is scratching around in the leaves...birds with gapes will have their heads held high trying to prevent suffocation, trying to breathe, not scratching around. Here's a chickens windpipe clogged with gapes, notice the clear one free from gapes. Gapeworm arent common in chickens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19157_gapeworms-in-windpipe.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19157_gapeworms1.jpg

And that is why I asked

thank you for taking the time to explain this to me. I was always told constant crop adjustment was a sign of gapeworm and to use the q-tip to swab their throat. I'm also glad to hear its uncommon, now I wont wig when I see my birds adjust their crops more then I think they should!

 

[deerman]

Quote:
I'm not disputing you in anyway (in fact I try to read all of your advice and find it extremely helpful), but I'm wondering why you think it couldn't be gapeworm? Isn't that the primary symptom for gapeworm- constantly yawning or adjusting the crop? Just curious is all. OP- to check for gapeworm, you use a q-tip and swab the birds throat. When you pull the q-tip out look for blood spots. When my chickens have impacted or sour crops they usually puff up and aren't very active. My first thought was gapeworm too.....good luck!

OP stated that the bird is eating and drinking. Birds with gapeworm cant eat or drink, they shake their heads, gasp and grunt for air because their windpipe is clogged with the worms. Breathing is priority #1 with birds with gapes, not eating or drinking. The youtube video says it all. The bird is either adjusting its crop or has something stuck in it. A piece of bread soaked in olive oil will hopefully move whatever is stuck. Also notice that the bird is scratching around in the leaves...birds with gapes will have their heads held high trying to prevent suffocation, trying to breathe, not scratching around. Here's a chickens windpipe clogged with gapes, notice the clear one free from gapes. Gapeworm arent common in chickens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19157_gapeworms-in-windpipe.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19157_gapeworms1.jpg

It may not be gapeworms.....a bird with gapeworms , do alot of yawning. Birds with gapeworn in the beginning eat and drink fine. I would still worm them, as they have not been wormed....Depend in the area some places have more trouble with gapeworms.

See them alot in peafowl.....some chickens

 

[fifibreen]

Worming does still sound like a good protocol since they are overdue.

Do most agree that the "safeguard for goats...3 cc per gal of water for 3 days repeat in 14 days" is a good worming solution?

If this is considered a good option we will make it happen. I will take their water out tonight so I can add the wormer in the morning when they will be ready to drink well.

I also like trying the olive oil as a lubricant to help anything work out of the crop.

thank you for everyone trying to help

 

[dawg53]

Here's a person that has years of experience with gapeworm, take his advice to the bank: Posts #13 and #14.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7971245
Post #13 and #15 in this link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7109545

 

[Beekissed]

Excellent post, Dawg! I like explanations with pics of details.