Gapeworm in pheasants


Gapeworm can be picked up from infected soil and is capable of reducing pheasant body condition. © Peter Thompson/GWCT


KEY FINDINGS


In pheasant release pens, gapeworm eggs were highly concentrated within two metres of feed hoppers. Post-mortem examination of released pheasants found that body condition declined as gapeworm infection increased.


Owen Gethings Rufus Sage


We undertook a field study from July to October 2014, to determine the spatial distribution of gapeworm eggs and larvae in the environment on two estates releasing pheasants. Five release pens (average size 3.32 acres ± 1.32 acres) were chosen per estate and the pens were split into 25 square metre quadrats. Quadrats were then designated as either ‘feeder’ or ‘no feeder’ depending on whether they contained a feed hopper, and were then compared for differences in the number of gapeworm eggs and larvae. Mean egg abundance was significantly higher in quadrats that contained a feeder (mean = 87.1 ± SE = 14.6 eggs per gram (epg)) when compared with empty quadrats (mean = 7.64 ± SE = 0.87 epg). A similar pattern was observed at site 2, with a higher abundance of eggs per gram of soil between quadrats with feeders (mean = 298.80 ± SE = 48.1 epg) and without feeders (mean = 10.13 ± SE = 1.08 epg). Eggs were clearly highly concentrated around feed hoppers. However, the number of eggs decreased rapidly with increasing distance from the feeder. The number of eggs decreased on average by 74% within the first two metres at site 1 (see Figure 1), and by 93% at site 2 (see Figure 2). The differences between sites may represent differing management techniques. Site 1 moved their feed hoppers


Figure 1 Distance from the feeder and the mean abundance of S. trachea eggs for all pens at site 1


Looking down a microscope at Syngamus trachea parasites. © Owen Gethings/GWCT


180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20


0 0 18 | GAME & WILDLIFE REVIEW 2016 2 4 6 8 10 Distance from feeder (metre) www.gwct.org.uk 12 14 16


Mean number of S. trachea eggs per gram of soil


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