What happened? (advice needed)

limiz

Chirping
6 Years
Apr 2, 2016
11
9
79
Estonia
Dear all,

2 weeks ago one of my chickens started heavily breathing - she was stretching out its neck to exhale and pulled her neck back to her body to inhale. She also became quite lethargic, stopped drinking and eating, wasn't moving around a lot. I had to feed her myself.

We got antibiotics from a vet who wasn't sure what's wrong with her, but as the vet said, perhaps we can try treating her with antibiotics. For a couple of days my mom and dad gave her the medicine, my dad holding the chicken and my mom giving the medicine with a needle (putting it in her mouth). However, my parents had to leave and I was left treating the chicken alone. I do not have much experience in treating chickens. By that time the chicken was feeling a lot better, it was already quite difficult to spot her among other chickens.

So, the first time that I gave her the medicine - I took her, held her and put the needle between her beak and inserted the medicine. Immediately after I let her go she started sneezing - so heavily that she was jumping and sneezing. Within 1-2 minutes she became lethargic, was unable to stand up, fell on her side while gasping for air. I freaked out and tried to revive her - put her beak in the water (with made her more awake for 1-2 seconds), shook her, held her upside down to get anything that's in her throat to come out. Nothing worked. She was lying on her side, eyes closed, neck stretched out and quietly gasping for air. I thought I had killed her. I took her away from the other chickens, put her on hay (we also have horses), left her some water and went back to the main house to call my mom. I really looked like she was minutes away from dying as she was not responsive and looking like she's suffocating. I have seen chicken die before so I know the condition they might be in shortly before death.

I called my mom completely hysterical that I had killed her with giving her medicine. Chickens are like pets in our household, they live until they die their natural death. I was away from her about 2 hours, trying to find answers with my mom and to be honest, I didn't want to see her die. I returned to check on her and I was prepared to bury her body. However, she was standing up and trying to find food!! I was shocked. I put her back among other chickens and she immediately started eating and drinking.

Now she's almost fine - still breathing a bit heavily, but she's eating and drinking, walking around with other chickens, climbing on the top perch to sleep next to the rooster.

What happened to her? Did I give her the medicine wrong and almost made her suffocate? Did she faint? Anything else?

Thank you!
 

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