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Natural Remedies for Gapeworm or other ailments.

I have often heard old people talking about the 'pick' or 'pip' in some localities its just another word for gapeworm.
Just wondering how did they treat it years ago? ive heard a few cures but nothing in detail e.g horse hair?, turpentine? , vinegar?

Does anyone use these old cures and if so how exactly?

Adrian Kelly
Monday, June 13th, 2011

my grandmother used to say butter and soot did the job...don't know how it was supposed to work though:)

Penny Lane
Monday, June 13th, 2011

Both my mother and mother in law used to say you can see the worm in the back of the throat. Both of them called it pips. My mother told me once that you use a feather to remove them and my mother in law used a tweezers. I have never seen it been done so dont ask me how. If I had the problem with my hens it think I would prefer Panacur.

Rho b
Monday, June 13th, 2011

My Grandmother used to pick the worms out with a tweezers. Odd. Don't know how that's possible....

Steve E
Monday, June 13th, 2011

Have heard of a feather dipped in turps and put down the throat,does,nt sound very nice but meant to work.

Jemsey
Monday, June 13th, 2011

Rho b and jemsey, i have heard of both those remedies, but never seen it done.

Desy
Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

I will ask both of them about the process over the next few days.

Rho b
Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Can poultry vomit?
Then it would make sense, if they can't it doesn't.


Bea

Bea
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

indeed they can!!

Desy
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

what are you talking about Bea?

Adrian Kelly
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Yeah my father use the butter and soot method, cant say whether it worked or not cos i was only a lad but i do remember him mixing it for the gape.

Chickens cant vomit but sometimes they drink too much and it will spill out when they lower their head.

jaymac
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Extract from an old poultry book i have(1889)
Anointing the heads of newly hatched chicks with mercurial ointment is a valuable remedy.The worms can be dislodged from the thoat by means ofa piece of soft wire bent double,or a feather.Dusting the birds with fine lime is also good,and we have seen it stated that garlic mixed with food will drive away the worms.

Simon Carter
Friday, June 17th, 2011

Another extract from a 1974 book,which makes me think being a gape worm is not all bad.The small male and large female Syngamus trachea live,in permanent copulation,within the trachea.

Simon Carter
Friday, June 17th, 2011

The main cause of gape worm is the slug,there's loads of them in stone buildings,i'm always pointing the joints up with cement,but it doesn't stop them crawling in from the fields and over left out food ,especially after it's been raining,go in the run late at night with a torch,and see ,the best killer is sprinkle them with salt and watch them die ,but remember to shovell them up,so don't let your'e birds eat slugs,regardless of what books say about free ranging.

atomic rooster
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

We also used to use soot & it seemed to do the trick

jan
Friday, November 25th, 2011


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