Daily south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1881-18??, 1885-10-02
GAPES In CHICKENS.
Description of Parasitic Nuisance Al
fectIng Poultry.

fectlng Poultry
Gspes in chickens is the result Of
parasitic worm, named Sclerastoma
syngamus or syngamus trachelis,
which, accumulating in the windpipe,
produces the peculiar action termed
gapes, eventually causing death by
strangulation v hen fully grown, if oc-
curing in five or more pairs in the case
of young chickens, or thirty or more
pairs in grown fowls. A single pair of
these worms will produce eggs enough
in two or three generations to infest a
whole flock. Hence the Importance of
using every precaution to prevent their
breeding by entirely excluding fowls
from places where the gapes have been
known to exist. The greatest mortality
in chickens is in ycang birds from two
to four months old, and probably from
the fact that young chickens are more
apt to swallow the grayid worm than
the eggs.
1t has generally been supposed until
within the last few years that some in
termediate host was necessary to COM
plete the life history of this parasite, yet
this host was not definitely known. DR..
Pierre Megnin, French naturalist, in
1879 received the five hundred dollar
prize given by Lord Walsingham for
the most complete life history of syn
gamus, but recognized by DIR. Wiesen-
thall. of Baltimore, so long ago as
1897, as the cause of the disease. DR..
Megnin supposed no Intermediate host
was required, but that fowls picked up
the eggs or the young parasite when
Matched. The probability is that DR..
Megnin may have been partially cor
rect in his statement. but within the
last year the life history of the parasite
has shown that they do inhabit earth
worms, but not all, and that in districts
where infested earth worms are moi
found fowls are not infected with
gapes
The life history of tbs parasite pro
ducing gapes in chickens is given in the
Microscope, from which it is found that
earth worms containing the embryos
are eaten by the fowl. The embryos are
liberated from the earth worm and force
their way through into the all
sacs, thence work their way through tC
the lungs, whore they pass through the
nyInph stage and acquire sexual matu'
rity. The male and female then unite
and attach themselves, by their sucker
like mouths, to the mucous membrane
of the trachea. Between six and sever
days are required from its entrance in
to the fowl until its attachment to thC
trachea. In seven days more the egg
within the body of the worm become
mature; they are coughed up, swal
lowed by the fowl, and pass through
into the soil. In three weeks these eggs
exposed to the moisture and sun, hatcl
the embryos, find their way into th'
earthworm, where they remain unit
picked up by some bird, when the abov,
process is repeated.
1t may therefore be taken for grantee
that fowls kept from earth worms will
be free from this parasite. But thi
may be difficult matter when fowl
are allowed their liberty A writer il
the New York Tribune sume time sine
stated that the elected worms die imme
diately. but the eggs retained their VI
tality. according to their condition i
respect to heat and moisture. In dry
warm earth they quickly perish. L
moist earth at temperature of siXt
degrees Fahrenheit they retain thei
vitality nearly or quite whole veal
In moist earth, when the temperatur
rises as high as seventy degrees Fahrer
heit, the eggs will hatch, though yer
slowly, and the temperature require
, for their normal Matching and develol
ment is that of the internal organs {
! the chicken.
, 1t will be plain, whatever the theor
of existence, that the proper means fc
preventing the spread of this disease
to burn the crop and entire respirator
, apparatus of every fowl killed OF floc
suspected to be infested. Burying, hov
/, ever deep, will not accomplish the pul
, pose of destruction, since earth worn
: will get them. 1t would seem to |
! certain that this burning and keepin
/, the fowls as much from earth worms |
possible, and when infested feeding c
dry food with pure water to drinl
would be indicated. As to allege
specifics, tlayoring the food strong
with garlic, red pepper or fengret
! seed, are popular remedies When IL
gapes are known in fowls. opening Il