5 month old Cochin hen is wheezing...

[Kari]

My 5 year old Cochin hen is wheezing, she is of good weight for her age, same as her sisters.
She has a wheezing sound when she is breathing, I noticed it today when I got home from work and went to give them some scratch. I immediately isolated her into a pen by herself, and noticed that I stressed her more when I caught her to put her by herself. Once in the quarantine pen, she calmed down but still had the wheezing sound when she is breathing.
She scratched around, ate some bugs and some scratch that was on the ground, and is drinking.
I haven't seen her poop at all, so I can't tell you what that looks like. She is isolated, can see the other chickens, doesn't seem too stressed, but still continues to make the wheezing sound. She has plenty of food and water and some yogurt at the moment.
Bedding is pine shavings, changed on Saturday (my normal chicken-housekeeping-routine.) There has been no change to feed, but today was the hottest day here so far of the summer.
Now, the things that I can think of that may have brought this on...
change in the weather? hot and humid today.
perhaps respiratory?
Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance!
Kari

 

[ethingtonart]

I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but I was just about to start a new thread about the same problem in my 5 month old Easter Egger. It is very hot here today too, and over the past two days the wheezing has been coming and going. She has no other symptoms that I am aware of. I will watch this post with interest!! Thanks for posting!
Debbie

 

[obe10]

are they gasping (opening and closing there mouth)? it is probably a respiratory illness

 

[ethingtonart]

Mine is not gasping she just looks like she is panting like the others. When we pick her up she closes her mouth and breathes normally with her mouth closed, and no noise. My husband thought that I was hearing things because every time he went out to listen to her she wasn't making the wheezing noise.

 

[ctychix]

If your hen has heat stress an underlying respiratory illness could present itself that you hadn't previously noticed. I would keep her isolated but cool and comfortable. Although chickens love their scratch it's better saved for when it's cooler outside as it makes them warmer.

 

[Kari]

My girl is not opening and closing her mouth, she is however, keeping it open a bit. I am headed out to check on her now, and i will see how she is.

 

[ethingtonart]

Hey Kari, is your Cochin 5 months old ? I'm curious if our wheezing girls are the same age.

Never mind, I answered my own question by visiting your page. Your coop and run are gorgeous!!!

Are your girls laying yet?

 

[Kari]

Yes, she is 5 months old. I have a special place in my heart for her, as she was spraddle-legged as a chick. I taped her cute little fuzzy legs together (bandaids) and she was as good as new! My girls started laying about 3 weeks ago. Right now I am getting about a dozen eggs a day, but expect more because I have about 24 hens. Thanks for the compliment on the coop and run, it was a labor of love!
As to the update on "Bandaid" she was still wheezing this morning, not as bad as last night, but enough to have me worried still. She is still isolated, and was quite happy pecking around the "quarantine" run by herself. I will see how she is when I get home from work, fingers crossed that she will be improved.

 

[ethingtonart]

How is Band-aid doing this evening?

Ginger has been just fine all day, but the temperature and heat was significantly lower today. So maybe it was just the heat causing the wheezing. Have you found the same thing to be true with Band-aid? I'm still going to keep a close eye on Ginger and keep my fingers crossed that she'll be okay.

Please update! I'd like to know how she's doing!