Choking chicken

[badboyzwicked]

I'm a relatively new chicken owner. But my chicken is definitely not acting normal. It looks like she is trying to clear her throat from something being stuck in it. She has done this mildly maybe once or twice a day for a few days now. But today she did this multiple times back to back to back and looked like she was going to die until I picked her up and bounced her like a baby in my arms and massaged her crop. After about 10 mins she started breathing normally again and got enough energy to stand. Does any one have any ideas? Here is a video I got of her. About 5 seconds after I stopped filming she seemed like she was suffocating and about to die due to lack of oxygen. After she got her energy back she ate and drank but again did the choking sound but more mildly that the video.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yzsodiioxthbwt6/IMG_1292.MOV.mov?dl=0

Thanks in advance!

Andy

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. What you are describing could be a foreign body in the airway, such as a piece of food, mucus, or something else. This also can be a sign of a crop impaction or a respiratory disease. I would look inside her throat and beak with a flashlight for anything unsual while someone holds her still. Look for any other signs of sneezing, gasping, nasal or eye drainage. Feel of her crop to see if it is empty in early morning and slowly feels up during the day. It should not feel hard or be puffy in early morning. Use caution when massaging her crop if there is food and water in it because they can choke if it gets into the airway. Do you live in a tropical area where gapeworm could be a problem? Other worms such as capillary worms can cause breathing problems. Safeguard liquid goat wormer given 1/4 ml per pound for 5 days can treat those.

 

[badboyzwicked]

I live in north county San Diego. Is that tropical enough for gape worms?

 

[Chickenlady46]

This could be gape worm, BUT my hens do a not so 'dramatic' version of this when they have a cold and their noses are runny/watery. They can't breathe through their nose when lying down and snoozing and so 'gasp' for air every now and again.Does the chicken have a runny/wet nose?

If she has a runny nose try some apple cider vinegar in the water for a while to kill off any bacteria/viruses.

Good luck, hope she is ok.

 

[Eggcessive]

Chickens with gapeworm usually are having so much distress breathing that they cannot eat or drink. Capillary worms are not as bad, but the 5 day worming will get both of those. Gapeworm is pretty rare. Respiratory diseases and crop problems are much more common. If you are seeing other signs of a respiratory infection, antibiotics such as Tylan or oxytetracycline may be effective in treating. Crop impaction or impacted crop symptoms may be part of the problem. Here is a good lnk to read about gapeworms and one on the common chicken diseases including respiratory ones:
http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2653&Itemid=2942
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[badboyzwicked]

Thank you for the replies everyone. I am doing the worming and give her some apple cider. Hopefully I'll see some improvement or else I'll move onto the antibiotics. Does one need to go to a vet and get a RX for Tylan or oxytetracycline or can you get them otc?

 

[BrittanyWick3]

Hello just wondering what happened with your chicken because I have one doing the exact same thing. She's my favorite and I'm not sure what works or even whats wrong.