Gapeworms are a type of roundworm, therefor the treatment for both is the same. They attach themselves to the trachea (throat) of chickens where they impair breathing resulting in the birds gasping (hence, gaping) for breathe with its mouth open. Symptoms include:  

• An infected bird will stretch its neck and open its mouth wide to breathe (gaping) 

• Head shaking in an attempt to dislodge the worms

• Cough frequently 

• Wheezing or hissing sound when breathing

• Loose yellow droppings

• Worms visible in the droppings

• Mucky bottoms

• Laboured breathing​

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A diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the classical clinical signs of a bird "gaping". Due to this, gape worms are possibly the most commonly thought of worms affecting hens. However, they are quite rare and the cause is often a respiratory disease and therefor misdiagnosis by backyard keepers is a distinct possibility.

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When the female gapeworm lays her eggs in the trachea of an infected bird, the eggs are coughed up, swallowed, then defecated. Birds are infected with the parasite when they consume the eggs found in the faeces, or by consuming a transport host such as earthworms, snails.

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Steps to take to protect you birds from gapeworm:

• Don’t allow birds to eat off of the ground

• Keeping the ground that the birds live on as clean as possible

• Use a ground sanitiser to destroys worm eggs

• Try to avoid their contact with wild birds

• Use deep litter bedding system in the coop so the birds do not eat faeces

• Disinfect sheds with a Poultry Disinfectant which destroys worm eggs

• Making sure that droppings are cleaned up daily

• Introduce apple cider vinegar and crushed garlic into the birds drinking water

• Use feeders and waterers designed to minimize contamination of your chicken’s food.

• Keep treats off the ground where possible