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Hen open mouth breathing

post #1 of 9
9/22/11 at 6:59pm
Thread Starter 

Hello everyone. I don't have chickens myself, just some pigeons. Today I visited a community farm for the first time. They have a variety of animals, a pig, goats, alpacas, some turkeys and geese. And about 2 dozen chickens.

Watching the chickens I noticed one brown hen, I'd guess about 4-5 lbs. breathing with her beak open. Her breathing seemed slow and regular but each breath she opened her beak wide. Her eyes, nares, and mouth looked clear, no discharges or odors. All the other birds with her looked fine. Her crop felt empty. I don't know if she's eating normally, she seemed average weight. Don't know about poops, I just saw the bird for the 1st time today.

The volunteers at the farm said they didn't know when/if the bird could be seen by a vet. Can anyone give me any advise I could pass on to them about helping this bird? What would be the 1st treatments to try-antibiotics? Worming for possible gapeworm? I don't know yet what, if any, worming their birds have gotten. They told me they had some Baytril pills left over from another animal. Can someone give me a direction to start with to try to help this bird I'd really appreciate it. smile

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post #2 of 9
9/22/11 at 7:27pm

Perhaps she was hot? Whenever coop or run temp exceeds 85 degrees F, healthy adult chickens will sometimes open-mouth breathe. If everything else is normal about her behavior, it could be as simple as this....

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post #3 of 9
9/22/11 at 7:29pm

Mine have been open mouth breathing all summer with the heat. If that is the only symptom, it is probably not anything wrong.

Proud owner of 3 Red Star hens, 5 white silkies, 1 buff silkie, 1 silkie/red star mix, 2 NH Reds, 3 barred Rocks, 3 Black stars, 1 white terrier mix, 1 hard headed fat Chihuahua, 2 schnauzer mixes, 1 giant male tabby cat (bigger than any of the dogs), and one loving/patient SO, 2 stepsons, and a meal worm colony.  Gig' em Aggies!

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Proud owner of 3 Red Star hens, 5 white silkies, 1 buff silkie, 1 silkie/red star mix, 2 NH Reds, 3 barred Rocks, 3 Black stars, 1 white terrier mix, 1 hard headed fat Chihuahua, 2 schnauzer mixes, 1 giant male tabby cat (bigger than any of the dogs), and one loving/patient SO, 2 stepsons, and a meal worm colony.  Gig' em Aggies!

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post #4 of 9
9/22/11 at 8:56pm

If it was a hot day, she was probably trying to cool off. They also do this when they are scared or nervous.

Read about Egyptian Fayoumis here: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/316739/egyptian-fayoumis-info and more here: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/281062/fayoumi-bigawi-qarafa-and-old-egyptian 

Egyptian Fayoumis are one of the world's treasures and are magnificent creatures.

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Read about Egyptian Fayoumis here: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/316739/egyptian-fayoumis-info and more here: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/281062/fayoumi-bigawi-qarafa-and-old-egyptian 

Egyptian Fayoumis are one of the world's treasures and are magnificent creatures.

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post #5 of 9
9/22/11 at 9:05pm

I had one doing this recently, and although it has been unseasonably hot she was the only one of my three to do the gaping breathing, and she was doin git in the evening and mornings as well, when it was cooler. I treated them all for worms (due to spotting roundworm in the poop of one of the others) and about 36 hours later the one with the open beak stopped walking round with her beak open and is now absolutely back to normal.

Was it gapeworm? Maybe. Maybe not. I'll never know, but it seems a good place to start if they haven't been wormed recently.

Proud chickie-mama to Penny (Black Australorp Hybrid), and our newest chicks:

Lacey (Light Sussex), Freckles (Ancona), Cinnamon (Welsummer) and Nutmeg (Barnevelder)

I made an auto treadle feeder for my chooks! Check it out here! http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=91980-treadle-feeder-project

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Proud chickie-mama to Penny (Black Australorp Hybrid), and our newest chicks:

Lacey (Light Sussex), Freckles (Ancona), Cinnamon (Welsummer) and Nutmeg (Barnevelder)

I made an auto treadle feeder for my chooks! Check it out here! http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=91980-treadle-feeder-project

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post #6 of 9
9/22/11 at 9:23pm

When I had an egg-bound hen, she was perched on the nest box, open mouth breathing. She stopped doing it after I got the egg out. No other symptoms.

Proud keeper of a DH, 2 DS's, (one now in heaven)a DFIL, A German shepherd mix, Australian shepherd mix, and a chihuahua mix. And a now ridiculous number of chickens.  I have some ex battery leghorns, RIR, BR, BA, EE, BO, a few bantams and some silkies. a few full grown jungle fowl and as of April 9, 12 baby chicks! I need more!
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Proud keeper of a DH, 2 DS's, (one now in heaven)a DFIL, A German shepherd mix, Australian shepherd mix, and a chihuahua mix. And a now ridiculous number of chickens.  I have some ex battery leghorns, RIR, BR, BA, EE, BO, a few bantams and some silkies. a few full grown jungle fowl and as of April 9, 12 baby chicks! I need more!
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post #7 of 9
9/22/11 at 9:25pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the replies. It wasn't hot at all, maybe a bit humid. None of the other birds were breathing like that. She was sitting on a perch inside the coop and stayed there the whole time I watched her. Most of the other chickens were active in the outside run.

I'll ask them at the farm if the birds are ever wormed. I use Moxidectin in my pigeons. Can this be used in chickens? Would it be ok to start the bird on antibiotics? They do have Baytril. Doxycycline and Tylan are used in pigeons for respiratory illness. Would you see signs like nasal discharges and congested sounds with most bacterial infections? I hate the thought the bird may not get any help. sad

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post #8 of 9
9/23/11 at 3:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sasha008 

Thanks for the replies. It wasn't hot at all, maybe a bit humid. None of the other birds were breathing like that. She was sitting on a perch inside the coop and stayed there the whole time I watched her. Most of the other chickens were active in the outside run.

I'll ask them at the farm if the birds are ever wormed. I use Moxidectin in my pigeons. Can this be used in chickens? Would it be ok to start the bird on antibiotics? They do have Baytril. Doxycycline and Tylan are used in pigeons for respiratory illness. Would you see signs like nasal discharges and congested sounds with most bacterial infections? I hate the thought the bird may not get any help. sad


My Mc'Donalds does this when she's stressed out. Not sure why roll

She really doesn't like people too much.. Maybe it's because we called her Mc'Donalds hmm

LES Farms

Breeder of nothing right now.Read our RE-Build of LES Farms Thread.

 

Lost everything in a barn fire 2/11/13. Can't even pull it together.

Thank you for all the condolences and all the support and donations given to help us rebuild. You are all so special to us.

 

Please READ my thread about FIRE SAFETY. Trying to save as many others from the little mistakes that cost me everything.

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LES Farms

Breeder of nothing right now.Read our RE-Build of LES Farms Thread.

 

Lost everything in a barn fire 2/11/13. Can't even pull it together.

Thank you for all the condolences and all the support and donations given to help us rebuild. You are all so special to us.

 

Please READ my thread about FIRE SAFETY. Trying to save as many others from the little mistakes that cost me everything.

Reply
post #9 of 9
9/23/11 at 3:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sasha008 

Thanks for the replies. It wasn't hot at all, maybe a bit humid. None of the other birds were breathing like that. She was sitting on a perch inside the coop and stayed there the whole time I watched her. Most of the other chickens were active in the outside run.

I'll ask them at the farm if the birds are ever wormed. I use Moxidectin in my pigeons. Can this be used in chickens? Would it be ok to start the bird on antibiotics? They do have Baytril. Doxycycline and Tylan are used in pigeons for respiratory illness. Would you see signs like nasal discharges and congested sounds with most bacterial infections? I hate the thought the bird may not get any help. sad


A lot (maybe all) of the medications you might be considering giving the hen will render the eggs inedible for a period of time. You would need to research this carefully and there might be legalities if they are selling the eggs or meat.

Read about Egyptian Fayoumis here: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/316739/egyptian-fayoumis-info and more here: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/281062/fayoumi-bigawi-qarafa-and-old-egyptian 

Egyptian Fayoumis are one of the world's treasures and are magnificent creatures.

Reply

Read about Egyptian Fayoumis here: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/316739/egyptian-fayoumis-info and more here: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/281062/fayoumi-bigawi-qarafa-and-old-egyptian 

Egyptian Fayoumis are one of the world's treasures and are magnificent creatures.

Reply
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