Chicken Choking- how to help?

[MichelleBelle]

Young pullet appears to be choking. I gave them some scratch corn for the first time, and she's acting like she's trying very hard to swallow. Keeps putting her head back and swallowing. Some foam is starting to develop in mouth. I'm unable to see anything in mouth or throat. Tried turning her upside down hoping maybe she could vomit it out, but not sure whether technique is correct. Tried rubbing front of body from throat down in an effort to help work the piece down. What to do?

 

[staceyj]

Is her crop packed full?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Young pullet appears to be choking. I gave them some scratch corn for the first time, and she's acting like she's trying very hard to swallow. Keeps putting her head back and swallowing. Some foam is starting to develop in mouth. I'm unable to see anything in mouth or throat. Tried turning her upside down hoping maybe she could vomit it out, but not sure whether technique is correct. Tried rubbing front of body from throat down in an effort to help work the piece down. What to do?

What you are doing is probably all that can be done unless you can see the corn stuck.
Give her a little while to see if she can get it down, she might have also inhaled a piece into her wind pipe.

This won't help her with swallowing, but for the rest, make sure they have a source of grit available so they can process the corn.

 

[MichelleBelle]

No- it was mostly empty as far as I can feel. I quickly searched through the forums looking for advice on choking chickens, and saw one that suggested a drop of olive oil down the throat. I tried that, and after a few loud cough/sneezes, she seems to be doing better. At her worst, she had sat down and breathing was super labored and loud, and she was falling over, eyes closing as if she were dying on me. I turned her upside down and tried giving her a few shakes to maybe help dislodge whatever it was, and when she sat up and started trying to swallow hard again, I put the oil in her mouth. She improved from there and now she's walking around, mad at me for having olive oil on her beard, lol. I hope that solved it. Yes- grit for everyone to help process corn!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

No- it was mostly empty as far as I can feel. I quickly searched through the forums looking for advice on choking chickens, and saw one that suggested a drop of olive oil down the throat. I tried that, and after a few loud cough/sneezes, she seems to be doing better. At her worst, she had sat down and breathing was super labored and loud, and she was falling over, eyes closing as if she were dying on me. I turned her upside down and tried giving her a few shakes to maybe help dislodge whatever it was, and when she sat up and started trying to swallow hard again, I put the oil in her mouth. She improved from there and now she's walking around, mad at me for having olive oil on her beard, lol. I hope that solved it. Yes- grit for everyone to help process corn!

You did good

 

[MichelleBelle]

Olive oil worked wonders- she's walking around like nothing ever happened, eating and drinking just fine now. Thank y'all SOOOO much for responding so quickly. I've made sure to give everyone a fresh supply of grit.