Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi - can anyone help?? One of my three hens has recently started what can only be described as yawning and I was wondering if it could be gape worm? A couple of them are making light sneezy noises from time to time as well......could this be related?

They are all looking very healthy and are eating and laying well. I have ordered Flubenvet to use as a precaution, but can it be damaging if it is not gapeworm?

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Yawning is definately the sign of gapeworm. However, my hens tend to open their beaks during hot weather as well. I am in the midst of worming mine this week. No harm can come to them if it is'nt gapeworm

thanks for that Sunflower. It was very hot yesterday and I did notice they had their beaks open. The yawning one, however, I suspect has gapeworm.
I have read that this can become very serious very quickly, but I think she has been yawning a bit since I got her (4 weeks ago). She doesn't do it all the time though.

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I have a hen who, from the start would give just the occasional yawn...maybe every two weeks or so. I assumed that she was tired, or needing oxygen. But this week is the week !! poor little things. They seem to be laying even more eggs since they have been on the flubenvet.!

We're not sure if a couple of our girls has this or if it's the hot weather?but anyway to err on side of caution we want to worm them anyway but can't find anywhere that sells it!!Have tried all the local feed stores,a couple of farms & the vets!!Wher do you get yours?? Also just had a look on another forum & some were saying you shouldn't eat the egss after worming,is this the case?

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

I use Verm-X for my girls as there's no egg withdrawal period. Not sure if it treats gape worm though. I got it off Ebay, (think it was Home Farm Fowls) and had really quick delivery

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Always look on the bright side of life
View my blog - http://chooksandveggies.blogspot.com/

Cheers Maureen.Didn't think of Ebay!!

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Hi - I bought Flubavet from wormers.co.uk. This is effective against Gape Worm and no egg withdrawl period. You need to worm them for 7 consecutive days, either put it in their food or dip a grape in it like I do. One grape per bird each day.

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Hi All, I have a hen which Yawns too, supected gapeworm so I went out & bought Verm-X, I am also concerned if this will do the job; has anyone used verm-x for gapeworm & did it work. I bought the hen over the weekend from Poultry Mad in Louth, I did aske if they had been wormed & he said he did them around 6 weeks ago, am I paranoid?