[Jane-M]

One year old hen. Free range. Making a harsh coughy/barky noise. Twisting neck and shaking beak. Beak gapes but not all the time. Mouth and throat pale pink, not swollen or red. Crop not as full as it should be late pm. In between the little episodes of cough/twist/shake/gape she seems fine.

I have started the whole flock on flubenvet yesterday. Any advise please - very very gratefully received, this is my first encounter with chooky illness.

[Aunt Sally]

It could be gape worm. It would be a good idea to give a double length course of flubenvet as it's not as easy to treat as gut worms.

[poultrygeist]

It does seem to have all the characteristics but could be something caught in her crop/throat.

Follow Aunt Sally's advice.

Hope she'll be fine soon 

Rob

[Catsmuvva]

I thought some of mine had gapeworm at the start of the month - beaks open while stretching their necks up & forward like the local pheasant population can be seen doing - and treated them all with a weeks course of flubenvet which seemed to knock the problem on the head, but now a couple of them have started gaping again.

If, as Aunt Sally says, the gapeworm is more resistant to the treatment why don't the manufacturers include her piece of advice about double-dosing so us newbies know what we're up against? Thank goodness for this forum!!!