Chicken pecked badly, need advice!

[Eggcessive]

If she wants to eat, just put a lot of water into her feed in a small bowl. If she will eat egg, put a little water on it too. Watery tuna or cat food is okay in small amounts.

 

[KRack]

How's she doing?

She’s still needing air when she’s eating and drinking. I can’t tell if it’s respiratory or gape worms or something. Water gurgles when she drinks and even food makes noise on its way down her throat.

Her crop empties by morning and she’s in a good mood. Her wounds are healing. So it’s just the eating/drinking thing that I can’t quite figure out.

 

[KRack]

If she wants to eat, just put a lot of water into her feed in a small bowl. If she will eat egg, put a little water on it too. Watery tuna or cat food is okay in small amounts.

I have been doing watery food. I’ve been adding egg and occasionally strawberries because she really likes them. She attempts dry food sometimes too.

Can I ask why the wet food is your recommendation? Just so I can understand when that’s a good thing to do going forward as well.

 

[Meg22]

She’s still needing air when she’s eating and drinking. I can’t tell if it’s respiratory or gape worms or something. Water gurgles when she drinks and even food makes noise on its way down her throat.

Her crop empties by morning and she’s in a good mood. Her wounds are healing. So it’s just the eating/drinking thing that I can’t quite figure out.

Best of luck. She's lucky to have you.

 

[KRack]

Best of luck. She's lucky to have you.

Thank you!!

 

[Eggcessive]

The wet food can seem more interesting to them, and it also gets more water into them. She doesn’t have gapeworms because chickens with those cannot eat or drink, and spend all of their energy gasping for breath. She may just be stressed. But if you want to worm her for any types of worms, you can use Valbazen or SafeGuard.

 

[KRack]

The wet food can seem more interesting to them, and it also gets more water into them. She doesn’t have gapeworms because chickens with those cannot eat or drink, and spend all of their energy gasping for breath. She may just be stressed. But if you want to worm her for any types of worms, you can use Valbazen or SafeGuard.

Even if gapeworms are caught early enough, the chickens don’t eat? That’s reassuring.

Do you have another idea about what may be causing the gurgling sounds and breathing issues?

 

[KRack]

It’s as though there’s something blocking her digestion. I can see the food she swallows move down her throat and in to her crop, the bulge of food under her skin makes her feathers move as it travels to where it’s going, which I don’t remember seeing on my other chickens. During that process is when she opens her mouth to breathe occasionally, and when I hear the gurgling noises. She also burps at least once every time I feed her. I have a vet that could do a stool sample but that’s all they’ll really do for chickens.

I’ve dewormed her with fenbendazole and see no evidence of worms. Any ideas what else may be causing this issue?

 

[Eggcessive]

You usually cannot see worms, unless there is a large problem with roundworms. The eggs of most worms are microscopic. I really don’t know what could be causing it. I had a hen with a blocked gizzard once, but only found that after a necropsy. Her crop would not empty for weeks. She always had feed available, granite pouktry grit, but she would eat the weirdest things she could find.

 

[KRack]

You usually cannot see worms, unless there is a large problem with roundworms. The eggs of most worms are microscopic. I really don’t know what could be causing it. I had a hen with a blocked gizzard once, but only found that after a necropsy. Her crop would not empty for weeks. She always had feed available, granite pouktry grit, but she would eat the weirdest things she could find.

I’m sorry about your hen. Sounds like our dog that required emergency surgery after eating a hockey sock and some sticks.

Her poops look good and her crop is emptying, so I guess for now I’ll keep an eye on her for now and pray it resolves.