Her posture shows that she is feeling bad and perhaps sick. The problem is to figure out if she has a crop disorder, a reproductive infection, or a respiratory problem. First of all gapeworm is rare, and not the only reason that chickens gape or gasp for air.
Feel of her crop to see if it is now empty and flat, full, hard, dough like or puffy soft. If there is food in there now, and she hasn’t eaten, she might have a crop impaction or sour crop. Then early in the morning, feel it again before she has eaten or drunk anything. It should be empty in early morning, and gradually fill up with food and water throughout the day.
How old is she? Has she laid eggs recently? When hens separate themselves or won’t come down from the roost in morning, they may be sick. Feel of her lower belly between her legs to see if it is enlarged or bulging, compared to other hens. What does her poop look like?
Offer her some water to get her drinking. See if she will eat some bits of scrambled egg and wet chicken feed. To make sure that she gets a full dose of fenbendazole to get gapeworms and other more harmful worms, give 1/4 ml per pound each day for 5 consecutive days. Chickens with gapeworms cannot eat or drink because they are in so much respiratory distress.
Look for any bubbles innher eyes or nasal drainage, crackles or wheezes when breathing, and any sneezing or cough. Those are signs of a respiratory disease.
Feel of her crop to see if it is now empty and flat, full, hard, dough like or puffy soft. If there is food in there now, and she hasn’t eaten, she might have a crop impaction or sour crop. Then early in the morning, feel it again before she has eaten or drunk anything. It should be empty in early morning, and gradually fill up with food and water throughout the day.
How old is she? Has she laid eggs recently? When hens separate themselves or won’t come down from the roost in morning, they may be sick. Feel of her lower belly between her legs to see if it is enlarged or bulging, compared to other hens. What does her poop look like?
Offer her some water to get her drinking. See if she will eat some bits of scrambled egg and wet chicken feed. To make sure that she gets a full dose of fenbendazole to get gapeworms and other more harmful worms, give 1/4 ml per pound each day for 5 consecutive days. Chickens with gapeworms cannot eat or drink because they are in so much respiratory distress.
Look for any bubbles innher eyes or nasal drainage, crackles or wheezes when breathing, and any sneezing or cough. Those are signs of a respiratory disease.
