Vermont Poultry
In the Brooder
A couple of days ago I noticed one of the GLW pullets making strange noises, I passed it off because I though it was because she was upset at me for being near the nesting boxes. until the next day she made the same noise almost 24/7. It sounds like a owl howling and a weird off sounding purr. I forgot about her making the noises so I spent 5 minutes looking around the coop for an owl or wild bird, then to realize it was a chicken. I once again passed it off as just a weird chicken thing and another day went by. Today she made the noise all morning and afternoon. I was a bit curious as too why she making those noises but was busy doing other things so I forgot about it until about an hour ago, when she seemed to have a hard time breathing, and when she would make the noise she made it whenever she inhaled and exhaled, and she was breathing through her beak.
Possible explanations/culprits:
1. Oyster shells... Yesterday I refilled their metal container of oyster shells, they had been without it for a few days so they immediately devoured the shells, so fast in fact that the chicken with the breathing issues threw some of it back up and would make weird dinosaur noises while doing so. They ate all of what was in the container (the cups holds about 2 cups of shells) so I refilled it again and they ate a little bit from that. When I felt the pullet's crop it was very hard (which is not unusual, it seems common for them to have a hard crop and it go away), but maybe the oyster shell was clogged? I don't think this is likely because I just today refilled their shells, and the breathing issue started 2-3 days ago.
2. Egg bound... Checked the inside of the chickens mouth and throat, their was a piece of pine shaving on the back of her mouth but it was not in the way of her "vocals" or opening to her trachea. I felt her abdomen and there definitely is an egg in her, but it is not near the vent and highly doubt this is the issue because there is no issue with the vent and I believe she has laid since she started the noises.
3. Lung infection/ other respiratory illness... I think this is the most likely cause, she has many symptoms that would help conclude this idea. For example, the breathing issue progressed over time, strange noises, labored breathing. I would not want it to be this cause then there is a fair chance other chickens may contract this, but at the same time being egg bound seems worse.
I would greatly appreciate health advice to help this chicken, preferably from someone with experience and not someone who just wants to respond.
Additional information
-My climate (Low 20s to Mid 30s low humidity)
-Coop Size (8'x8', paddock/ occasional free range, guineas live separate most of the time)
-Birds (15 pullets, 1 cockerel, 6 guinea fowl all 6-7 months)
-Currently we have at least 2-4 inches of snow
-Coop is moderately ventilated.
-Bedding is often moist, today it was dry
Possible explanations/culprits:
1. Oyster shells... Yesterday I refilled their metal container of oyster shells, they had been without it for a few days so they immediately devoured the shells, so fast in fact that the chicken with the breathing issues threw some of it back up and would make weird dinosaur noises while doing so. They ate all of what was in the container (the cups holds about 2 cups of shells) so I refilled it again and they ate a little bit from that. When I felt the pullet's crop it was very hard (which is not unusual, it seems common for them to have a hard crop and it go away), but maybe the oyster shell was clogged? I don't think this is likely because I just today refilled their shells, and the breathing issue started 2-3 days ago.
2. Egg bound... Checked the inside of the chickens mouth and throat, their was a piece of pine shaving on the back of her mouth but it was not in the way of her "vocals" or opening to her trachea. I felt her abdomen and there definitely is an egg in her, but it is not near the vent and highly doubt this is the issue because there is no issue with the vent and I believe she has laid since she started the noises.
3. Lung infection/ other respiratory illness... I think this is the most likely cause, she has many symptoms that would help conclude this idea. For example, the breathing issue progressed over time, strange noises, labored breathing. I would not want it to be this cause then there is a fair chance other chickens may contract this, but at the same time being egg bound seems worse.
I would greatly appreciate health advice to help this chicken, preferably from someone with experience and not someone who just wants to respond.
Additional information
-My climate (Low 20s to Mid 30s low humidity)
-Coop Size (8'x8', paddock/ occasional free range, guineas live separate most of the time)
-Birds (15 pullets, 1 cockerel, 6 guinea fowl all 6-7 months)
-Currently we have at least 2-4 inches of snow
-Coop is moderately ventilated.
-Bedding is often moist, today it was dry
