Constant wailing. Sad hen? Sick hen?

[stumpdog]

We have an older Maran hen that for the past month or more has been expressing a plaintive cry every five or six seconds all day every day. She eats, and forages, and roosts, but unless she's busy eating the crying is continuous. We've examined her and not found any visible wounds. We first noticed it after she lost a chick, likely to a predator of some sort, and for a while wondered if she was despondent. But in viewing older videos she was already doing it when that happened. Anybody seen anything like this? I'm linking to a 10 second video to illustrate what I'm talking about.

 

[Rhode Island Red]

We have an older Maran hen that for the past month or more has been expressing a plaintive cry every five or six seconds all day every day. She eats, and forages, and roosts, but unless she's busy eating the crying is continuous. We've examined her and not found any visible wounds. We first noticed it after she lost a chick, likely to a predator of some sort, and for a while wondered if she was despondent. But in viewing older videos she was already doing it when that happened. Anybody seen anything like this? I'm linking to a 10 second video to illustrate what I'm talking about.

I have never seen anything like that but there is a chance she might be looking for her chick and not knowing where it is

 

[MysteryChicken]

Sounds like she's gasping for air.

 

[Rhode Island Red]

Sounds like she's gasping for air.

Does sound like it in a way

 

[Rhode Island Red]

We have an older Maran hen that for the past month or more has been expressing a plaintive cry every five or six seconds all day every day. She eats, and forages, and roosts, but unless she's busy eating the crying is continuous. We've examined her and not found any visible wounds. We first noticed it after she lost a chick, likely to a predator of some sort, and for a while wondered if she was despondent. But in viewing older videos she was already doing it when that happened. Anybody seen anything like this? I'm linking to a 10 second video to illustrate what I'm talking about.

Keep an eye on her and what she does and look for sicknesses with symptoms of that if she is sick. Hope she is well

 

[cherrynberry]

Never had this happen...but as long as she is eating and drinking it should be fine

 

[aart]

Sounds like she's gasping for air.

Looks like it too.
I'd suspect she either has something stuck in her throat,
or has a respiratory ailment(more likely as it's been going on for a month).

 

[MysteryChicken]

Looks like it too.
I'd suspect she either has something stuck in her throat,
or has a respiratory ailment(more likely as it's been going on for a month).

Possibly.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

for the past month or more has been expressing a plaintive cry every five or six seconds all day every day. She eats, and forages, and roosts, but unless she's busy eating the crying is continuous.

Take a look inside her beak for any lesions or canker.
Check her over really well for any air bubbles under the skin at the locations shown in the image below - look for injury that may be hidden under the feathers too.
For this to be going on for a month, but she's eating/drinking and foraging - it's odd.
If you have a vet that can run a fecal float to see if there's evidence of worms that would be good too. If a vet is not an option and don't see any evidence of obstruction or canker inside the beak, swelling/air under the skin that would indicate a ruptured air sac, then I would go ahead and de-worm her. You can find Safeguard (Fenbendazole) at TSC. Dose her at 0.23ml per pound of weight orally once a day for 5 days in a row.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Looks like it too.
I'd suspect she either has something stuck in her throat,
or has a respiratory ailment(more likely as it's been going on for a month).

I agree. It’s dangerous for this bird to be doing it constantly