A gasping hen

[Attilla]

This hen is like a pet to me. Last summer the other birds injured her and ever since then she can't walk. The last two days she hasn't eaten much. She constantly closes her eyes and opens her beak as if she's gasping. The gasping thing actually started like two months ago but she was doing it now and then, sometimes after drinking water. The poop looks normal. She started doing it way more regularly now. I can't tell whether she's experiencing problem breathing or the problem is in her throat (please check the videos). It breaks my heart seeing her like that... I can't put into words how much I'm attached to her.

 

[GoosesGeeses]

@azygous @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive

 

[azygous]

Do you hear rattling noises when she breathes? If not, the beak action is more likely due to the stress of not feeling well. Her eyes tell me she is probably very sick.

We can't tell you what's making her sick, and a vet may not be able to either. If she's older than five or six, she may have end stage reproductive cancer. If she's very young and it's been quite hot, she may be suffering from the heat. If she has diarrhea, she could have a bacterial infection in her intestines. If that's what's happening, an antibiotic might help.

If it's spring where you are and she has diarrhea, she might have coccidiosis and you could try a coccidiostat. That would be Corid if you live in the US.

 

[Attilla]

No noises when she breathes. She's 11 months old. No diarrhea.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry about your hen.

It's hard to tell what may be going on with her. Unfortunately, looking at the videos, she seems to be in a state of decline and may not make it. I know this may be hard to accept, but sometimes no matter what we try, often there's an illness or condition that a hen is not able to overcome.

Do the best you can, offer supportive care, keeping her hydrated if possible and check her over for lice/mites.

This hen is like a pet to me. Last summer the other birds injured her and ever since then she can't walk. The last two days she hasn't eaten much. She constantly closes her eyes and opens her beak as if she's gasping. The gasping thing actually started like two months ago but she was doing it now and then, sometimes after drinking water. The poop looks normal. She started doing it way more regularly now. I can't tell whether she's experiencing problem breathing or the problem is in her throat (please check the videos). It breaks my heart seeing her like that... I can't put into words how much I'm attached to her.

 

[azygous]

Let's try giving her some water with electroytes to boost her glucose and see what she does.

Mix one cup warm water with one teaspoon sugar and a pinch of salt and baking soda. Dip her beak several times to see if you can get her to drink on her own. If she's too weak to drink, then take an oral syringe and feed it to her like this photo shows.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your hen. Make sure that the towel roll is not pressing against her crop. Squeezing the crop when there is food or liquid can cause it to come back up into the throat. You might try a chicken sling chair where you can place food and water within reach. Here are some examples especially the first 15 posts:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Attilla]

Let's try giving her some water with electroytes to boost her glucose and see what she does.

Mix one cup warm water with one teaspoon sugar and a pinch of salt and baking soda. Dip her beak several times to see if you can get her to drink on her own. If she's too weak to drink, then take an oral syringe and feed it to her like this photo shows. View attachment 4310746

Let's try giving her some water with electroytes to boost her glucose and see what she does.

Mix one cup warm water with one teaspoon sugar and a pinch of salt and baking soda. Dip her beak several times to see if you can get her to drink on her own. If she's too weak to drink, then take an oral syringe and feed it to her like this photo shows. View attachment 4310746

I wish you had stressed that I need to aim at the right side. My hen passed away and now I am extremely worried that I caused her death. I gave her antibiotics mixed with water 3x2ml once last night and once this morning. I used a syringe to spray the water since she didn't want to drink. Is 12 ml in total (2x6 ml, 6 ml at 19:00 and 6 ml at 09:00) water enough to kill her? I mainly aimed at the center. She wouldn't allow me to shove the syringe like in the photo, so I sprayed from afar. Plus, the syringe they gave me at the vet pharmacy wasn't a thin one. I didn't know it could be done wrongly. How can I find out whether she died because of this? She died 2-3 hours later after the second time.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I wish you had stressed that I need to aim at the right side. My hen passed away and now I am extremely worried that I caused her death. I gave her antibiotics mixed with water 3x2ml once last night and once this morning. I used a syringe to spray the water since she didn't want to drink. Is 12 ml in total (2x6 ml, 6 ml at 19:00 and 6 ml at 09:00) water enough to kill her? I mainly aimed at the center. She wouldn't allow me to shove the syringe like in the photo, so I sprayed from afar. Plus, the syringe they gave me at the vet pharmacy wasn't a thin one. I didn't know it could be done wrongly. How can I find out whether she died because of this? She died 2-3 hours later after the second time.

I'm sorry to hear about your hen.

I think she was in such a bad way, she probably would not have made it regardless of treatment. Being unable to walk and move about for such a long period of time, she hung in there for a good while, but with her gasping and stopping eating/drinking on her own would signal that her time was short. I know this must be heartbreaking for you, you did a good job taking care of her.

If you want to find out more about her decline, refrigerate the body and take/send it to your state lab for analysis. You can find you state lab in this link.
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...UaIYhCw6zLCITF4zJzZW-xZWTrDffaOzsCzcthBWUBzbG

I'm sorry about your hen.

It's hard to tell what may be going on with her. Unfortunately, looking at the videos, she seems to be in a state of decline and may not make it. I know this may be hard to accept, but sometimes no matter what we try, often there's an illness or condition that a hen is not able to overcome.

Do the best you can, offer supportive care, keeping her hydrated if possible and check her over for lice/mites.

 

[Attilla]

Unfortunately, I don't live in the States. Now I feel undescribable guilt that I caused her death. In the span of a few days before my post I also made her drink water mixed with apple vinegar (the ratio was 1:1 or 2:1) since I noticed she was opening her mouth after drinking water. So I read that vinegar mixed with water and garlic might help. Was that too much vinegar? Could that have played role in her death too? Just 10 days ago she was so joyful and eating with great appetite. I wish I had died instead. I never loved an animal and maybe even a person as much as I loved her.