Chicken sticking neck out and opening mouth wide

[randy13]

Mine are doing the same thing I am freaking out!! My chickens haven't started laying yet but they have been opening there mouths very wide. I read up about Gape worm and saw some pictures. I also found that you can see if they have it by looking in there throats. My chickens didn't have any worms in there throats but they are still opening there mouths like they're going to puke. And I'm freaking out!! Can someone please tell me what to do!?!

 

[PEIchickenlady]

Mine are doing the same thing I am freaking out!!  My chickens haven't started laying yet but they have been opening there mouths very wide. I read up about Gape worm and saw some pictures.  I also found that you can see if they have it by looking in there throats.  My chickens didn't have any worms in there throats but they are still opening there mouths like they're going to puke.  And I'm freaking out!!  Can someone please tell me what to do!?!  

How'd it turn out? I had a hen die today with these symptoms. I'm hoping whatever it was doesn't spread to my other birds.

 

[Newburnchicks]

I think that when chicks get too hot they will do that. mine did when they were that age. Make sure they aren't too warm and have plenty of water. Good luck

I'm wandering that too, its 100 already at noon today and I have one doing this she is 14 weeks old. Definitely going to add some ice to water and maybe cool off her feet to c if that helps.

 

[Molly Bee]

`380.

 

[daneaston]

We had a chicken doing this - sticking her neck out and opening her mouth. I felt her crop and it felt normal. She made a few funny noises. She also wasn't eating.

Half an hour or so later, she was eating and looked fine again.

That was this morning. It's now 2pm and she's now dead.

What could that have been? All the chickens are snotty and gurgley but, from what I've read, there's nothing you can do about that. Are we about to lose all of them?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We had a chicken doing this - sticking her neck out and opening her mouth. I felt her crop and it felt normal. She made a few funny noises. She also wasn't eating.

Half an hour or so later, she was eating and looked fine again.

That was this morning. It's now 2pm and she's now dead.

What could that have been? All the chickens are snotty and gurgley but, from what I've read, there's nothing you can do about that. Are we about to lose all of them?

Welcome to BYC.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Can you give some more information:
How old are the chickens?
Is there discharge from the eyes?
Any foul smell?
Can you post photos or a video?

There are several respiratory illnesses that produce mucous, gurlging, coughing, sneezing, etc. Which one you are dealing with determines course of treatment. A general treatment would be with antibiotics.

You can try treating with Tylan50 or Oxytetracycline. Injectable Tylan 50 dosage is 1 cc or ml per 5 pounds of weight. You can give it orally or as an injection into the breast muscle 1/4 inch deep. It depends on the brand of Oxy that you purchase so follow the package directions on that.

Keep in mind antibiotics may help with any secondary infections, but won't generally cure respiratory disease. Most diseases are contagious and make sick, exposed and recovered birds carriers of the illness for life.

Let us know how they are doing.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Cristy B]

Hi Everybody,



I will go back and introduce myself properly but right now I have an urgent problem.


I am a first time chicken mama.  I picked up my 2 five week old Buff Orpington chicks last Saturday.  They are both very sweet.  I noticed 2 days ago that one of them was jutting it's neck out and opening it's mouth very wide.  It didn't seem to be breathing heavily or have any other symptoms.  I thought it seemed to stop but I noticed that it was doing it again.  Today it was also doing a little head shaking and she did sneeze a few times.  I'm so worried. 


I started thinking.  Since I've had her she has always been the quietest of the two (the other chick is really NOISY).  She is bigger but seems to catch a few more naps during the day.  She is very active though and chases bugs, floppily flies to be near me, perches on my shoulder, and does seem to be the dominant of the two.  One of them did have some reddish brown poo the first day but I'm not sure which one and haven't seen any since.  But she looks like she is struggling when she does this open mouth thing, like she can't swallow or is going to vomit.  It's really scaring me.  Please help.


Thanks so much.

My 4 week old speckled sussex did this same thing. I was scared to death. But I did SO MUCH reading about chickens before my babies arrived I did the first thing that came natural to me, I massaged her crop, after all I did just give my girls a treat of brussel sprouts & I think she pigged out. Her crop did seem a little big, bigger than usual & since then she hasn't done it again. Hope this helps anyone who runs across this issue. She seems fine now.

 

[BantamAshley]

I'm having a similar problem - 3 month old chick stretching her neck out to breathe when she tries to move or exerts herself. She is also unable to walk. Toes curled. She eats a little and seems to be drinking okay. She is separated from the others. Been like this for a week. I've made a post about this but thought I'd add to this thread too.

Curled toes are often caused by B2 deficiency.

 

[Lily5chicks]

My chicks doing the same thing and I’m afraid she might be a he how old are your chickens?

 

[Noellee]

I'm a newbie and I have a hen that opens her mouth and sticks out her neck, also. I assumed it was a "crop drop" as they call it in bald eagles. She seems fine otherwise.