The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Carey boy on July 15, 2014, 02:25:20 pm
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Hi, could anyone tell me how to get rid of gape worm in my hens. What effect will this have no there eggs.
Many thanks
David
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Treat with Flubenvet. Either as a powder added to their usual feed or you can buy Marriages pellets which are pre-treated with Flubenvet.
We find the marriages pellets are much easier to use. Just feed as normal pellets and no treats, corn etc. to be given. With the powder you need to weigh out your normal feed, mix with a small amount of cooking oil (to encourage the powder to coat the pellets) and then add the required amount of Flubenvet and mix through.
Never had gape worm in mine but my fathers hens had it a while ago. Their egg production had already dropped before they showed symptoms of the worms but returned to normal within a couple of weeks of treating. His cockerel seemed quite unwell but also recovered fine.
HTH
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you need to worm them asap-flubenvet preferably. when I had an outbreak the vet prescribed ivermectin as an emergency measure while I waited for the flubenvet pellets to arrive but be warned, if you treat it expect some losses anyway-by the time they are showing signs they have full grown worms.
I had wormed a month before with the flubenvet premix but I think the hens lower down the pecking order didnt get a good enough dose-besides, wormers are not protective, they only treat what is there at the time.
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Treat with flubenvet for a week then repeat treatment three weeks later for another week.
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What are they symptoms of gapeworm?
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Yes - ditto above. Our hens' laying has dropped quite dramatically over the past few weeks.
We normally worm the whole flock with Marriages every six months.
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Common symptoms are .... 'gaping', head shaking, stretching necks, gasping.
Respiratory tract is affected hence the above.
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We normally worm the whole flock with Marriages every six months.
I didn't see a drop in eggs, it all happened so quickly. I saw one hen gasping for breath and making a weird noise with every inward breath. On closer inspection, two of the other birds seemed to have laboured breathing. The bad hen died overnight -I should have necked her and ashamed I didn't, it was awful to see and hear. By next morning, the two others were much worse and all but the hybrid and the too were showing signs. I rang the vet and picked up some ivermectin, he looked at the dead hen and then I treated them all. He warned me I might lose some of the others after treatment due to the worms dying off and I lost 4 in total.
I have the say, the ivermectin seemed to treat it but I ordered some Marriages and then wormed them twice more with a 3 week interval in between. egg laying dropped off (understandably) but bounced back quick enough. My vet and the vet on the website where I bought the Marriages recommended worming free range hens 4 times a year-once more than I was before.