[Pixieswift]

I have noticed my girls doing this weird thing i will explain it as best i can and hopefully someone can help me help my beautiful girls...It looks almost like a yawn but its definatly not a yawn it lasts for maybe a minute each time almost like they are trying to take in more air there beaks are open and it looks like they are trying to talk but obviously they are not and there is no noise no rasping, ratteling etc i can not decide if they are in discomfort or not they are all under a year, it started with my barnavelder and now my giant red sussex is doing it im really worried this could be serious they all seem fit and healthy eating drinking etc...I have had Gladys my wee sussex bantam in another coop as she has just had chick, well they are nearly 5 weeks old they do have a large run and my other girls free range could it be the chicks have passed on something im at a loss as to what it could be, i have NEVER seen tham do this before should i be worried, can anyone help me to help tham, looking forward to getting some help from the experts out there....

[ANHBUC]

Think I have read similar posts and people suggested it could be Gape worm.  Have they been wormed recently?  If you do a search I am sure you will find some advice.  Good Luck.

[helens-hens]

I have noticed my girls doing this weird thing i will explain it as best i can and hopefully someone can help me help my beautiful girls...It looks almost like a yawn but its definatly not a yawn it lasts for maybe a minute each time almost like they are trying to take in more air there beaks are open and it looks like they are trying to talk but obviously they are not and there is no noise no rasping, ratteling etc i can not decide if they are in discomfort or not they are all under a year, it started with my barnavelder and now my giant red sussex is doing it im really worried this could be serious they all seem fit and healthy eating drinking etc...I have had Gladys my wee sussex bantam in another coop as she has just had chick, well they are nearly 5 weeks old they do have a large run and my other girls free range could it be the chicks have passed on something im at a loss as to what it could be, i have NEVER seen tham do this before should i be worried, can anyone help me to help tham, looking forward to getting some help from the experts out there....

Are you sure it isn't just the hot weather we have been having? Birds will hold their beaks open on and off in hot weather, it must help cool them down. My hens both do it and I have also seen blackbirds doing it in the garden.

[Helenaj]

Mine tend to do it when they have been stuffing their faces and their crops are full. They try and stretch the neck - I'm assuming that it helps the food pass through the crop. Have a feel of their crop - is it full?

[OpiumEater]

My barnevelder does it the most, and always when it's hot. It's definitely to help her cool down. That an a lovely dust bath in cool shaded soil, before going back to sunbath in the heat 

[hillfooter]

It's likely the hot weather so make sure they have fresh cool water provided in the shade every day and always available.

If you haven't wormed your hens in the last 3 months gape worm is a possibility too but usually they will cough and snick their heads to dislodge them.  If they haven't been wormed recently it might be a good idea to get some FLUBENVET wormer, not VermX or other organic folksey remedies, and worm them anyway to be on the safe side.

Best wishes
HF

[Pixieswift]

Thankyou Hillfooter for advice i started them on a course of Flubenvet its there last day tom Barnavelder has stopped the gaping and has been passing white worms dead about 3 " long 1mm thick so that sounds like round worm to me as i thought gape worm was red, but unfortunatly me sussex is much worse she is gaping constantly and her little eyes keep closing almost like she is wincing but the problem is she has just hatched 9 chicks on wed and is with them. Barnavelder passed a very very hard round poo almost like it had been lying around for months i could hardly split it to have a look it looked very much like white hard christals inside and the sussex has just passed on identical any ideas? No worms from her as yet apart from VERY smelly poo and an almost constant GAPE. I clean them out every day (OCD Cleaner) fresh straw and new wood shavings etc there water and troughs are steralised every 3 days i live on a farm and there are lots of wild birds, pheasents etc...i do there water twice daily and any old food is disgarded at the end of the night so its not hygine im truly stumped at how to help my girl...spoke to the breeder i bought them from and he said not to bother with the vets as we do not have any that specilise in poultry and im doing all i can with flubenvet it's strange how Barnavelder is smashing now...There poo is a bit soft with a tinge of greenish not like there usual poo's i think maybe because of the medication any help or advice would be greatly received to help me help my sick girl

[joyfull]

green pooh is a sign of worms so they probably have a severe infestation. After the course you may need to repeat it. Really it is best not to use straw as this can be a hiding place for mites etc inside the tubes. Also it can have mould spores in it.

[Pixieswift]

Thanks Joyfull for advice i use medicated wood shavings for the floor of the house and in the nest boxes but top the nest box with hay from the farm is this bad? I didnt know, what should i put in the nest box i do change it every day even if they have not been in it OCD i know but i like it very clean for them. Could you please answer how soon i should worm the 6 week chicks and there mother just incase they have picked up something from the others i know they are in a seperate run at the moment but the other girls who free range do tend to sit on the top of the litle one's run are they allowed a little flubenvet mixed with there food many thanks agian advice is of great value to me and my girls...

[joyfull]

do not use hay either - this is a feed and your chicken could try eating it and end up with a blocked crop, just dust extracted shavings or hemcore etc will be fine in the nest box.
I would wait before worming the chicks - their bodies may not cope with it.

[hillfooter]

It looks like worms are the issue here.  Using Flubenvet is sometimes a little tricky as the instructions aren't as clear as they should be.  What strength % Flubenvet are you using and how are you administering it and are they free ranging while being wormed or confined?  It should be fine to worm your chx from around 10 weeks.

If your chx are carrying a heavy worm load which sounds like the case here their droppings may look abnormal and indeed worming can itself cause a digestive issue if there are suddenly a lot of dead worms in their gut.  All you can do is see how things go.

A multivit in their water wouldn't go amiss and an electrolyte in their water to ensure they are well hydrated in this hot weather is a good idea.


A useful electrolyte can be made as follows;

Dissolve in 3 litres of water

5 ml of Salt substitute, (1 teaspoon of potassium chloride)
7.5 ml (1 and a half teaspoons) of Bicarbarbonate of soda (baking soda)
15 ml (3 teaspoons) salt

Use for 7 - 14 days

[ANHBUC]

It looks like worms are the issue here.  Using Flubenvet is sometimes a little tricky as the instructions aren't as clear as they should be.  What strength % Flubenvet are you using and how are you administering it and are they free ranging while being wormed or confined?  It should be fine to worm your chx from around 10 weeks.

If your chx are carrying a heavy worm load which sounds like the case here their droppings may look abnormal and indeed worming can itself cause a digestive issue if there are suddenly a lot of dead worms in their gut.  All you can do is see how things go.

A multivit in their water wouldn't go amiss and an electrolyte in their water to ensure they are well hydrated in this hot weather is a good idea.


A useful electrolyte can be made as follows;

Dissolve in 3 litres of water

5 ml of Salt substitute, (1 teaspoon of potassium chloride)
7.5 ml (1 and a half teaspoons) of Bicarbarbonate of soda (baking soda)
15 ml (3 teaspoons) salt

Use for 7 - 14 days

There have been 2 posts on the same subject running Hillfooter, here is the other one

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=80127.0

this will give you more information on what has been given as treatment.  Just to give you the full picture.   

[Pixieswift]

Hi Hillfooter/ANHBUC There seems to have been 2 posts turned into a similar subject if that makes sense the first post was asking for help to identify the symtoms my girls had ie is it gape worm when i had recieved advice that maybe it was or a bad infestation of worms i posted a new topic HELP as i did not know how to administer flubenvet to the correct dosage as no instructions etc sorry for the confusion im quite new to the forum and how it works everyones help it invaluable to me and my girls...

[ANHBUC]

No problems, I have noticed in the past that the Moderators have combined/linked the two posts when this has occurred before.

You seem to be getting on top of things now so I am sure we are all crossing our fingers for you.

[Pixieswift]

Thankyou very much well today is the last day of the flubenvet and i would just like to thanks everyone my girls are looking much better bright red combs, very sprightly, huge eggs and the most important NO GAPING woo hoooo Even my Giant red sussex who is with her chicks has not been doing it and she was constant, she looked ready to drop and looks smashing now full of energy im so happy Thanks again to everyone who helped me i would be in a bad state without this site.....