[freddiesmiles]

One of my hens is not well, and I need advice on what to do about her. She is my favourite hen and I don't want to lose her.
We got her two weeks ago. She is a resce hen from a free range chicken farm. A friend was given four, but could only keep two so she gave me two of them. We also have two pure bred hens, a Brahma and a Cream Legbar. When we put them together, there was a bit of bullying from the Cream Legbar (Margie), but this has settled down now. The ill hen (Heidi) had a bad eye last week, starting with a "foamy" eye which cleared up in a day, followed by the same eye being half closed, which cleared up in a day, followed by swelling under her eye, which cleared up in a day, but this may not have been significant. At the weekend, we noticed that her poos were watery, and shen seemed to enjoy laing in the sun more that the others. She was eating and drinking OK an appeared lively enough when she wasn't laying, but I decided to worm her anyway, just to be sure.
The only womer I had was Panacur liquid 0.25% so I ordered some Flubenvet. This morning, when I went to feed them, she seemed much worse. She was still eating and drinking, but she sat about with her eyes closed, so I decided to use the Panacur instead of waiting for the Flubevet. When I went to get the Panacur and work out the dose (4ml daily for 3 days) my partner told me that I had better get her to the vet. He had let them out, and she didn't follow him about as she usually did, but stood with her eyes closed, breating heavily.
I took her to the vet and, when I told her about the watery poo, she decided it was Coccidiosis. While she worked out what treatment to give her, Heidi stood on the table, didn't try to move, with her eyes shut, opening and shutting her beak while she breathed. When I told this to the vet, she decided that it may be Gapeworm and prescribed Baytril, once by injection and then 7 oral doses.
She seemed to pick up slightly when she got back, but not for long.
Does this sound like Gapeworm. If so is this the correct treatment? I read somewhere that Panacur is the best treatment for Gapeworm. Could I and should I give her Panacur as well?
I'm sorry that this post is so long, but I wanted to give as much information as possible, to give her the best chance.

[bluemaran]

just reading about gapeworm in practical poultry keeping.It says to insert a long feather coated with a little oil on the end, carefully down the windpipe and gently twist it when pulling it back out.This will bring afew worms with it.Italso says that the eggs of the gapeworm are eaten by earthworms which are then eaten by the chickens and so on.It recomends to treat the flock with Flubendazole over 7 days and once treated move them to fresh ground if possible
   
   (dont use engine oil on the feather) hope this has been a little help to you
       ps. it also says that gapeworm is rarely seen in chickens unless they have been kept together with infected pheasants or infected pasture

[compostqueen]

there should be information on  here about gapeworm in the Stickies

[peapod]

There is a link in the stickies

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/65/gape

[freddiesmiles]

Thank you for your replies.
I don't know if she was kept on infected pasture, as I have only had her for 2 weeks. You all seem to think that it could be Gape worm as well. Unfortunately, we can't move them as they are in the garden. I will give her Panacur as well, just to be sure, and I'll let you know how I get on.

[freddiesmiles]

I am pleased to be able to report that Heidi appears to be on the mend now. She isn't sitting about anymore, and she is first to the gate again when we come down the garden now. I don't think she's too keen on me now, though, since I've been putting nasty stuff down her throat.
I decided to give her Panacur yesturday, as well as the Baytril, but when I went to give it to her she was already looking a lot better, which makes me think that it was probably an infection of some sort. Any thoughts on that?
Anyway, I will give her Panacur for good measure, since we can't eat her eggs for a month after the Baytril is finished anyway.
Thanks for sending me all the information, and for your enquiries about how she is doing.