Hen Can’t Speak Anymore, Breathing Heavy

[Wyorp Rock]

I checked this morning. No crop or abdomen issues. No cankers in her mouth. I couldn’t see back in her throat since she wasn’t very cooperative. If there’s a way to see, I’d like to know. I’m not very good at mouth exams.

I'm glad you were able to examine her more closely.

To open the beak and get a look inside, I pull down on the wattles and hold the beak open. Similar to how they are doing it in this article about giving medication.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[slukeplass22]

I'm glad you were able to examine her more closely.

To open the beak and get a look inside, I pull down on the wattles and hold the beak open. Similar to how they are doing it in this article about giving medication.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

I forgot to snap a picture, but I was able to examine her throat. Everything was clear. I did see down her trachea, near the top there was this yellow bulge, it took up about a third of the opening. I think that’s the larynx or the glottis. I’m not sure it’s supposed to be that large, so perhaps it is inflamed somehow.

What I did was I took her into the bathroom and alternated her on the floor & holding her near the water, with the shower running on hot. This way she would get a steam treatment. Once she got hot enough I was able to look inside her throat. I used my phone as a light but didn’t bother with a picture since she was starting to go blue at that point & I wanted to be fast.

Today I have only heard her breathing heavy. None of the other clickity trying to speak sounds. She’s a quiet bird so I’ll keep an eye on her further.

Treatment last night was Cayenne & Coconut Oil + more VetRX on her neck & under the wings.

 

[slukeplass22]

Is her crop emptying overnight?

Have you looked inside her beak just to make sure it's clear, with no lesions or signs of canker?

Does she still lay eggs? Any bloat or feeling of fluid in her abdomen? (Ascites)

I'm not sure if I've ever heard something quite like the noise she's making. I'm going to tag in @Eggcessive @azygous and @coach723 to take a listen.

If she were mine and this has been going on for a while and has not resolved with the remedies, then I'd consider giving an antibiotic like Tylan/Tylosin to see if that helps.

She was heavy in the back today, so she might be trying to lay an egg. I’ll check on her later and if the heaviness goes then I’ll know there was an egg inside.

 

[slukeplass22]

She was heavy in the back today, so she might be trying to lay an egg. I’ll check on her later and if the heaviness goes then I’ll know there was an egg inside.

So it’s been a few days. I’ve been giving Squeaky anti inflammation turmeric, black pepper, and cayenne. She’s also been getting VetRX.

Squeaky’s condition has been up and down. She was not heavy in the rear Monday, but since Tuesday she is heavy again. But she’s not really liquid feeling like I’ve remember before with EYP in hens. That being said it’s been six years since I’ve had an EYP or Salpingitis issue.

She’s breathing heaviest at night when I close their coop and put the VetRX on her. She doesn’t really like the VetRX. When she goes to roost, she jumps about three feet in the air to her spot.

During the day, her breathing is mostly normal, sometimes a bit heavier. She was able to talk normal once, which is good (Squeaky is a very quiet hen). She will still sometimes make that noise near the end of the video or that noise but shorter.

She hangs out in the coop with the others since that’s where the new straw is.

So I’m still not sure what’s going on. She could have gotten an injury to her voice box. My concern is that something may have went suddenly wrong in one of her organs (which I doubt would be related to a larynx injury from the tree branches). I’ll keep monitoring her and helping her how I can.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.