Chicken won't stand, panting

[EggSighted4Life]

She picked at some food but didn't seem interested in water, so I'll be keeping an eye out tomorrow as well.

I would do a crop function check tonight after roost, just feel it.. and again in the morning before food and water.. make sure everything seems to be working well and it is emptying as it should... since she wasn't too interested in food, just make sure it wasn't a symptom of anything other than not being hungry.

Glad she seems mostly better though! Your flock will really enjoy the new feed and with it's higher protein (but not excessive) and importantly amino acids, truly helps support all thing immune system related.. as far as I can tell. If you think about it... please tag me after you make the switch for a few weeks or month and tell me if you notice any difference. I truly curious to other folks experience and not just my own.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you both for all your advice! I appreciate it very much!

How is she doing today? Did you get to check her crop?

 

[DuckGirl77]

Much better! Her crop felt empty when I checked this morning. I don't leave food and water in the coop overnight so she was pretty hungry when I let them out this morning - normal eating and drinking now She's not even acting like anything happened at all yesterday
Thanks for asking!

 

[Dart-frog]

Sorry about your chicken. She might have been frightened or stressed, but she may have some underlying disorder where the stress pushed her over the edge. Does she still lay eggs? Reproductive disorders are very common in older hens. How does her crop look and feel? Could you have accidentally pressed on her crop and some food came up and slightly choked her? Were you holding her tightly to keep her in the soaking water? Hopefully, she will get back to normal after she spends some quiet time separated. In the meantime, feel her crop to see if it is full and hard or puffy, or if it is empty. Then feel of her lower belly between her legs to see if it is enlarged or swollen.

Hi @Eggcessive
You mentioned checking her lower stomach to see how it feels. Would you share with me what you would be checking for in that case? My hen is experiencing some of the same symptoms... I'm hoping someone with more experience can guide me through this. Would you be willing to take a look at my question as well? Thank you so much for helping us out- I know I have learned so, so much from all the wonderful folks who post here. ❤

PS- my question is here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-not-eating-labored-breathing-help.1367201/

 

[DuckGirl77]

Glad she seems mostly better though! Your flock will really enjoy the new feed and with it's higher protein (but not excessive) and importantly amino acids, truly helps support all thing immune system related.. as far as I can tell. If you think about it... please tag me after you make the switch for a few weeks or month and tell me if you notice any difference. I truly curious to other folks experience and not just my own.

@EggSighted4Life I ended up switching from 16% --> 20% protein, and I'm happy to report my birds are all doing well with their higher protein food and seemed to prefer it over the 16% when I was making the switch. It's been several months, and their feathers look beautiful. I imagine my non-laying birds prefer the lower calcium too.

 

[Sally PB]

I love to read happy endings like this. I don't always notice the start date on threads, so I don't know that the issue is from months or years passed.

Glad she's ok, DuckGirl77.