Thresherhens
New member
Hi! I'm new to keeping chickens and had my three Pekins for about a month now. I have noticed that my smallest a Lavender called Sheila keeps gaping and sitting down quite a bit, she also sounds a little raspy when breathing. She's currently in the next box today and gaping again but seems alert! I've been reading about gapeworm and the other nasties and wondered if this could be the cause. The other two Pekins seem fine, huge appetite and always scratching around the garden, although one does squeak and sneeze occasionally, is that normal? I'm thinking of going to the vet to buy some Flubenvet 1% 60g but as I have only three hens I am worried about the dosage as they don't seem to eat that much layer pellet but love mixed corn. I also brought some ACV as I've read it helps but I think I need a permanent fixture? Any advice would be great, thanks.
with regards to the hen which is gaping, because you have heard one sneeze an another wheezy I would be more inclined to think it's a respiratory infection of some sort. I have had it before too and it will need a course of antibiotics. Because it is so easily spread it best to treat all of them. I would recommend tylan soluble which is what I used. I would recommend this because although you get more than you need your flock will more than likely suffer from this again as they will be carriers. Don't worry they will build up a resistance to it and the first infection is always the worst. Also I have read somewhere that repeated use of this when they do have helps their overall immunity to it compared with other medicins. Another positve note is that when you stop it you can eat the eggs straight away not like some others where you have to wait up to 2/3 weeks! Just put 0.5g per litre of water for at least 7 days or until symptoms are gone and they will be fine. The AVC and crushed garlic can be given for one week every month to help prevent reoccurances and it does work very well for me. Try to keep stress to a minimum as this triggers the illness to come out. I would urge you to try and sort this quickly as if it is a respiratory infection it can be deadly, I lost a pekin cockeral first time round (I think the first type of antibs didn't work well for him baytril helped but it was too late by the time he got them) I believe bantams because of there smaller size don't cope as well. I havent had gape worm before but as I said because of the wheezing and sneezes I would get it checked out soon, someone else might be of more help about the gape worm though. Hope this helps xx bex