Possible gapeworm?

[geekgurl]

Hi All,
I just got my 8 week old pullets on 5/6/11. This is my first adventure with chickens and I'm so excited. However, one of the pullets is exhibiting symptoms of gapeworm. I have a webcam in the coop and check on them a couple times before I go to bed. My cuckoo marans will extend her neck up and out and open her beak. She'll retract her neck and within a minute, she'll do it again. Last night I checked the cam @ 2am and she was still doing it while the others had their heads tucked under a wing.

Now, when I watch her in the run during the day, I don't see that behavior. There's no neck extending and opening of the beak like she does at night. She eats and drinks and forages like the others. Is this nightly behavior normal or could it be the first indication of gapeworm? I have a poop board and have been checking the poop daily to see if there's anything weird there. I did see her poop in the run and inspected it and it looked normal according to the poop page at http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0. But I don't know if gapeworm will show up in the poop or just in a throat inspection. I have not tried to swab her throat or look in with a flashlight.

Should I err on the safe side and treat this? And if so, with Piperazine, wazine or ivermectin?

Thanks for any assistance. I've already learned so much from this forum

Cheers Melissa

 

[dawg53]

I doubt she has gapeworm if she's able to eat and swallow her feed. Also she would be gasping/choking-like noises for air. If you want, you can look down her throat for an obstruction using a flashlight. You can use a Q-tip and stick it 1 inch down her throat and swab it. Take it out and if you see a red in color "Y' shaped worm on the Q-tip, it's gapeworm. Otherwise, if there's no gapeworm, dont worm them.

 

[geekgurl]

Thank you for the quick response

I won't do the wormer and just watch her.

Cheers,
Melissa

 

[connorsmom]

Just wondering if you ever found out what it was? I Also have some similar issues going on, and they only happen at night. 7 Isa Brown hens, They extend their neck slightly and open mouth breath. Some of them even sit with their wings open. They all eat and act normal during the day, except only 4 lay eggs on a regular basis and the other 3 have stopped all together. We don't know which ones do and don't. They appear to sometimes have a breath that sounds gurgly. Been treating with VetRX but doesn't seem to be doing anything. So far searching these forms for answers I found this post.

 

[Captain Cluck]

Just wondering what the night time temps are in the coops? How is the ventilation?

With the birds sitting with their wings open and beaks open, makes me think they are a little too warm and are trying to cool off.

 

[geekgurl]

Well, I had another start doing the gaping motion and another BYC'er said they are most likely adjusting their crop. One still does it, but not as much as she used to so I'm inclined to believe it was just movement to move the food around in the crop.

I believe the ventilation is fine. I've got a garden coop design coop so I have a completely open air roof and 2 windows on either side to get cross breeze action. Also, since it's been getting really warm here in Dallas, I have opened one of the doors that goes out into the run until I go to bed in the evening. I'm also going to rig a fan up to provide a gentle, but not direct movement of air. Can you tell I'm a bit of a worry-wart? I just

my chickens!

Cheers,
Melissa