IVERMECTIN- treating 4 week old chicks. *EDIT*

[chickenofthesea]

I have a flock of 14 chicks, all within 4-5 weeks old. Some were purchased at TSC, some from a feeder store carrying 4-H chicks. I have had them for approx. 1 1/2 weeks. Three from the 4-H are exhibiting the signs of gapeworm. (yawning, extending of neck, gasping) I have treated them with wazine for 24 hours, to start them off as to not shock their systems, and am trying to find out the correct treatment for the gapeworm. Ivermectin is largely the answer I've been coming across, though I have a few questions. First, Im only seeing adult chickens being treated with this, secondly I am only coming across cattle/goat pour-on wormer in my feed stores... Is this along the same lines of equine wormer? If this is the correct treatment.. what would the safe dosage for chicks be? Also, would 7-10 days be okay to wait for dosing of the Iver. after wazine... even with the symptoms their showing? thanks a lot!



EDIT:: It has been a week tomorrow since I treated with wazine. I have been alternating between yogurt, and hard boiled eggyolk mixed with crushed acidophilus each day since. I lost one chick (yesterday) who was the weakest and smallest to start with. Two other chicks are showing signs of gapeworm. I purchased the Iver. pour on for cattle, as well as a syringe. What would be the correct dosing for 4-5 week old chicks? They are RIR and Black Stars. I do have a small scale if exact ounces are needed. I see that one drop is used for bantams, would that be the same for chicks?

 

[mypicklebird]

Some gapeworm info below from mississippi state.
yours seem a bit on the young side for gapes, but it is possible if they were raised on dirt/in a dirt pen and got exposed very very early on.
you can treat with a variety of dewormers, but I am not sure if piperazine(wazine) will kill them- that only gets round worms, and gapeworm is a smaller worm- can't remember if it falls into the round worm category. Ivermectin should get them. Fenbendazole & albendazole will get them. It could also be a viral or bacterial infection.... all of those drugs are off label for layers to be, but non commercial folk do use them.

Gapeworms

The gapeworm (Syngamus trachea) is a round red worm that attach to the trachea (windpipe) of birds and causes the disease referred to as "gapes". The term describes the open-mouth breathing characteristic of gapeworm-infected birds. Heavily infected birds usually emit a grunting sound because of the difficulty in breathing and many die from suffocation. The worms can easily block the trachea, so they are particularly harmful to young birds.

The gapeworm is sometimes designated as the "red-worm"; or "forked-worm" because of its red color and because the male and female are joined in permanent copulation. They appear like the letter Y. The female is the larger of the two and is one-fourth to one inch in length. The male gapeworm may attain a length of one-fourth inch. Both sexes attach to the lining of the trachea with their mouthparts. Sufficient numbers may accumulate in the trachea to hinder air passage.

The life cycle of the gapeworm is similar to that of the cecal worm; the parasite can be transmitted when birds eat embryonated worm eggs or earthworms containing the gapeworm larvae. The female worm lays eggs in the trachea, the eggs are coughed up, swallowed, and pass out in the droppings. Within eight to fourteen days the eggs embryonate and are infective when eaten by birds or earthworms. The earthworm, snails and slugs serve as primary intermediate hosts for the gapeworm. Gapeworms in infected earthworms remain viable for four and a half years while those in snails and slugs remain infective for one year. After being consumed by the bird, gapeworm larvae hatch in the intestine and migrate from the intestine to the trachea and lungs.

Gapeworms infect chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, pheasants, chukar partridge, and probably other birds. Young birds reared on soil of infected range pens are at high risk (pen-raised game birds). Some control or reduction in infection density (worms/bird) is achieved by alternating the use of range pens every other year and/or using a pen for only one brood each year. Tilling the soil in the pens at the end of the growing season helps to reduce the residual infection. Treating the soil to eliminate earthworms, snails and slugs is possible but the cost is usually prohibitive.

Gapeworms are best prevented by administering a wormer at fifteen to thirty day intervals or including a drug at low levels continuously beginning fifteen days after birds are placed in the infected pens. One drug that is effective for eliminating gapeworms is fenbendazole, however, its use is not presently approved for use in birds by the Food and Drug Administration.

 

[chickenofthesea]

well... i have a few strikes against me to start off with, since these are my first flock...let the mistakes begin!! 1st: just last week i introduced them too a large "tractor" run to let them outside for a few hours a day. 2nd: my son asked "hey mom, can i give them an earthworm?" my answer? "sure hun, they have grit" :addesk:: *sigh* I also live in wonderfully humid SW Florida. live and learn right?

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

chickenofthesea-Don't feel bad. If they are on the ground they will find earthworms themselves anyway.
I let mine out to free range and they dug through all the mulch pile and ate all the earthworms.
It is just a chicken thing.

 

[chickenofthesea]

::bump::

 

[chickenofthesea]

still showing signs, as well as symptoms in two more chicks

 

[dawg53]

chickenofthesea you did the right thing by giving them the wazine first to reduce the wormload. mypicklebird is correct that wazine wont kill gapeworm. you want to use ivermectin pour on(cattle,goat etc...) wormer. ivermectin pour will kill the gapeworm. buy a small amount, (250ml i think) it is blue in color and has an alcohol smell to it. you will need a syringe with a 20-25 guage needle...not for injection,but for accuracy, putting one (1) drop of of the ivermectin on the bare skin on the back of the neck between the shoulders. it must go on the bare skin, if you get it on the fuzz or feathers,it's unknown if it's absorbed and what the effects would be. i'd use the ivermectin on them at the 10th day earliest. wear disposable latex gloves and hold the syringe sideways in case the chick jerks and you'll avoid poking her with the needle.it helps if there is someone else there to help you. i wouldnt use any other wormer that requires your chicks to swallow,they would have a rough time swallowing if they do in fact have gapeworms in the throats. ivermectin pour on is your best bet.

 

[chickenofthesea]

bump*

 

[dawg53]

chickenofthesea... as i stated in my last response, one (1) drop on the skin on the back of the neck.

 

[chickenofthesea]

**dawg53]chickenofthesea... as i stated in my last response, one (1) drop on the skin on the back of the neck.



i appreciate your response, but am still wondering if thats for full sized chickens, or applicable for small chicks as well. And getting a second opinion doesnt hurt does it?