widespread gapeworm infestation- recommendations on treating heavy congestion that follows

[dawg53]

Yes, the mucus build up in the trachea will cause death by suffocation. I dont know of any way to treat it since mucus plugs are thick and there will be many. A chicken can sling its head or neck to dislodge the plugs but I think it would be fruitless.
Another thing to consider are the thousands and thousands of eggs excreted from the mated worms onto the soil.
Gapeworms have a direct and indirect life cycle. Even if your chickens are completely treated and cured, they will become reinfected on the same soil. Direct life cycle eggs are embryonated and ready to infect, as are the eggs contained in earthworms and other insects.
It might be best to cull infected or sick birds. Then you'd have to move coops to a "clean area" and then repopulate keeping them away from known egg contaminated soil. Then implement a monthly worming schedule. It's the only way to stop the life cycle.

 

[Shadrach]

Someone here posted this link some time ago.
I don't know if could help with the congestion in your flock but the article may be helpful.
I've never used the product and I've never dealt with Gapeworm.
https://www.shagbarkbantams.com/the-many-uses-of-oxine-ah-animal-health/
The usual practice here for the smallholders that keep animals and have to deal with soil infested with parasites is to move the coop/housing and burn the ground.

 

[klbaker75]

Have confirmed a widespread infestation of gapeworm; I’ve been treating everyone but have noticed that immediately after the worms begin dying, all birds come down with a heavy and severe wet congestion, accompanied with gurgling and gasping for air.


I’m not sure if this actually is considered a secondary respiratory infection; I’ve tried using various antibiotics but it has very minimal impact on the congestion.

Are there any good products or home remedies for helping “dry out” the very wet, drippy congestion that always follows? VetRx hasn’t helped in that regard, surprisingly.

Were you able to ever get rid of your gapeworms? I’ve been battling this since February. I had a two month break thinking I got rid of it and now it’s back. I’m so sick of it.

 

[Serenity Sav]

Were you able to ever get rid of your gapeworms? I’ve been battling this since February. I had a two month break thinking I got rid of it and now it’s back. I’m so sick of it.

Yes, I’ve learned soooo much since I made this post.
What have you been using /tried so far? What are the worst symptoms /causes of death specifically that you’re encountering?

 

[klbaker75]

Yes, I’ve learned soooo much since I made this post.
What have you been using /tried so far? What are the worst symptoms /causes of death specifically that you’re encountering?

(So sorry this is a book but I love to give tons of info if I think it’ll help)

Well I haven’t lost any *yet* but repeated use of wormers isn’t going to be healthy for them so I’m still not sure about the consequences. The symptoms are gurgle sounding in the beginning. In the past it progressed to chirping next along with head shaking. I do think some scarring has occurred bc now they always seem to have that sound.

A little history... I brought these two in first. They are alone in their pen. Some of my girls were just living in filth in other places and others were being killed off by predators and uncared for and surrendered by owners. The two in this particular ranging area were my first two and I see now that my white Cochin has been traded a few times and was older and likely brought it with her. I didn’t have any chickens anymore so I forgot a lot about worming etc. her poop looked good so I didn’t think about it. She had some lice that I treated. The other hen was younger and last year at one year of age she went an entire month looking off. She has been moulting and therefore was a bit weakened in her immunity. She had sludge diarrhea the entire month of August. Then got over it. I also periodically heard them gurgle but no respiratory and it always went away without chirping. I had a baby chick I put with them in October. He came down with everything under the sun despite keeping him in a little pen to try to get him used to the area and stool sample from the vet confirmed coccidia, gapeworm and capillaria. He passed from the anemia and trauma that went on so long from all that around six months of age but I guess he spread those eggs everywhere before I found out. So that’s how I found out what it was and it’s been all downhill from there. I’m still not sure how they could have had this this last year (if they actually really did) without serious complications.

I don’t let mine free range bc of dogs. They are in a nice landscaped pen so I really have just fought to keep that. I woke up this morning with the decision to move them. I know the ground is contaminated. The new ground doesn’t have any nice bushes or low trees to sit under but maybe I can plant some things. It’s also in the front yard more which doesn’t feel as safe but I think the biggest danger is gapeworm at this point. I had it 2-27 through 3-28 and got rid of it for two months. Started doing my own fecals. Was using DE on the ground consistently after rains to keep earthworms from causing trouble. No more issue and decided I had gotten rid of it so I stopped sprinkling DE on the ground. Then we hit a large wave of rain for three weeks. There is a parasite that is specific to earthworms that is tiny and looks like a diamond sort of on microscope. It’s not parasitic to chickens but they do pass them in their stool. Suddenly I was seeing massive amounts of that parasite on their fecals. So I knew when I saw that that they were eating a lot of them. I was doing routine fecals once a week. Then saw symptoms a few days after their routine fecal and sure enough it was back. This was a few days after all that rain started. My heart sank. That was 6-8. I had previously treated with fenbendazole at 1 cc. But I was doing daily fecals and the eggs were still present on day 3. So I bumped it up to the top end of the dosing at 1.5 cc for three more days. Didn’t see anymore eggs for two days. Then when they were back with a vengeance and I knew then I had resistance to fenbendazole so I did valbazen for three days. Five days later on 6-22 (yesterday) they were back. This timing in my experience is normal bc they came back within five days last time in spring as well. I guess there are some eggs still protected that were about to hatch that can become an adult and breed within that time period. The info I’ve read about the time of hatching and deworming does not match with my experience. Today will be day 2 of valbazen. I will test another fecal in a few to make sure I don’t see eggs but i did still see eggs as of last night. I don’t want to go through another round of wormers and I also am afraid if they build resistance to valbazen then I’m in trouble. I do have a hen with liver issues in the past that is getting hit with all of this. I hope moving the pen will be my answer. I have spent so much time and money on this and I’m exhausted mentally and physically. Would love to hear what you have learned and any help or direction you can push me in.