chicken w/ mouth always open - worm in throat?!?!

[YolandaT]

Hi I am new to this and have a question if my chicken is sick! She is a 6 week old, supposed to be a silver laced wyandotte but now she is looking more like some sort of black and gray speckled bird (got her from a lady at a farm so can't be sure exactly)

For about a week now, she ALWAYS has her mouth open and her tongue is wagging around. It is hot during the day but not too bad yet, and once it cools off she's still doing it. My other 2 chickens sort of pant when it is hottest but she does it always. She is eating and drinking and her face looks normal, at least normal to me but what do I know.

I thought she was just always hot but today I mentioned it to the feed store owner when I went to get more food, and he said it might be some kind of WORM in her throat!! Wha??

Does anyone know anything about this worm and how I can find out more about it, and what do I do if she does have this worm in her throat?

Oh my goodness so much for our newbies to learn!! I appreciate any advice or info, thank you!!

 

[mamaluv321]

I read somthng about this recently, do a search for gapeworm, think that might be what fs person was talking about. Good luck!

 

[YolandaT]

thanks for the name, I looked up Gapeworm and it says the chicken will look like its yawning and try to breathe out of its nostrils, and shake its head alot

Mine isn't doing any of this. I just went out and looked at her again and it's not hot out at all, theyre all sleeping, and shes sitting there with her mouth open and her tongue wagging. What the heck?!?

What could this BE?

 

[PunkinPeep]

If she doesn't appear to be having any discomfort - as in something stuck in her throat - i wouldn't worry. It's hot out there, and she may just respond a little differently than your other chickens.

I don't think your temperatures are much better than ours, and most of mine are doing that most of the time.

They're just hot. I provide plenty of water around the yard and make sure the containers don't run low. I also make sure they have access to plenty of shade.

 

[StormyMoon]

I use a plastic bottle for our waterer i have several of them I switch back and forth through the day I put one in the freezer at night by morning it will have melted and I will take the one that was there when I put the one from the freezer in the coop I take the empty one back clean it sanitize it refill it put it back in the freezer. We rotate these when we get up to 100 - 110 degrees this helps them stay cool, there are also several others around with just plain clean water in them but when they are really hot the chickens will all sit close to the bottle to cool off the cool air coming off it helps them.

I am in Alvarado our heat index gets up there some days I even have to do this with my goats.