Should I treat everyone if I think one chicken has Gapeworm or CRD?

[ChickAdict]

I have one rooster that is gasping for breath and looks like he has lost a bit of weight, his comb is also very pale. I am leaning towards Gapeworm or CRD. I have Duramycin 100 and Tylan 50 on hand and will try to get him an injection of one of them - can anyone recommend which one and what dosage?

I would also like to try to treat the other birds as some of them are looking on the skinny side, its been 90+ degrees though, so it could also be the heat, can I put the injectable solutions in the water, I use a 5 gallon automated system. I have over 40 birds and I just don't think I could get each one of them an injection.

I was also going to get some safeguard and mix that with water, again wondering if I can put it in their free for all water or if I need to try and get it to them individually.

Thanks in advance, absolutely any suggestions would be appreciated - there is so much information out there I am completely confused!

 

[casportpony]

For best results you should give Safeguard orally. For gapeworms you need to give 0.2ml per 2.2 pounds orally three days in a row. Can't comment on the anitbiotics as I don't use either of them.

-Kathy

 

[Eggcessive]

I would use the Tylan 50 if you want to treat a respiratory infection. Dosage is 1/4 ml for bantam, 1/2 ml for under 5 lb, 1 ml for over 5 lb given 1/4 inch into the breast muscle daily for 3 days, and no more than 5 days. Alternate sides every day, and use a 22 gauge needle. Gapeworm is much rarer than diseases such as MG, coryza, ILT, and infectious bronchitis. Does he have any rattles in his throat or chest when breathing? Any bloody mucus from the beak? Can he eat and drink? Gapeworm is usually found in tropical climates where the Surinam cockroach is found. Here is a good link to read about these diseases: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[ChickAdict]

Thank you, I have been reading some of your posts on other threads and trying to decide what to do. I had some Valbazen and decided to try to worm everyone by putting 1/2cc on pieces of bread - a few nabbed it, but wasn't very successful, this morning I plan to try and let them out 1 by 1 and make sure everyone gets one. I hate to dump the eggs for 2 weeks, but I figured I could put them in the incubator maybe....

My rooster seems to be doing better (having not done anything to him yet) he would not eat the bread, I will have to check on the rattles, mostly just the gasping and overall lethargic - but more energy yesterday. I am in SC and its been really hot and humid so I am wondering if I just need to let the weather pass, keep up the electrolytes and see how everyone is going then.

If I treat him with the Tylan 50 and he doesn't have a respiratory infection, will it hurt him?

Thank you again for your advice, that link was very informative I just can't seem to narrow it down. I am fairly new to the chicken stuff, any advice on how I should treat chickens young and old from Day 1 when I bring them into the flock, I have never vaccinated and always just used DE for wormer, thinking I may have to change my ways, there is just so much information out there, it is really hard to choose one!

 

[ChickAdict]

Thanks Kathy, I actually went with Valbazen, but still not really sure if it is Gapeworm or what. He looking perkier today so I am really hoping its just the heat or something! Thanks again!

 

[casportpony]

Thanks Kathy, I actually went with Valbazen, but still not really sure if it is Gapeworm or what. He looking perkier today so I am really hoping its just the heat or something! Thanks again!

FYI, I don't think one dose of Valbazen will treat gapes. Chances are it's not gapes, but just thought you should know that one dose probably won't treat them.

Source: http://eurekamag.com/research/003/122/003122652.php
Istvan, Varga; Gyorgy, Banhidi; Zoltan, Szell; Csaba, Balint, 1998: Efficacy of albendazole against Syngamus trachea in experimentally infected turkeys. Magyar Allatorvosok Lapja. 120(6): 336-338, E

Efficacy of albendazole of Syngamus trachea tested in groups of 8 to 9 turkeys experimentally infected with 500 larvae each at the age of 8 days. From day 17 after infection, the animals were orally dosed with albendazole at 10, 5 or 2 mg/kg b.w. over 3 to 5 successive days. The efficacy was evaluated by daily inspection of symptoms, daily faecal egg counts and worm counts at post mortem on day 24 after infection. The efficacy in the treated groups amounted to 100%, 100% and 94%, respectively. Remnants of wormpairs - mainly disintegrating males - were found in several animals of medicated groups as against all alive wormpairs in the control turkeys. The study shows high efficacy of albendazole at reduced dose rate against patent gapeworm disease in turkey.

-Kathy