EMERGENCY - Hen twitching - Muscle Distortion

[Riverbend Farms]

My 5-6 year old bantam Wyandotte hen has been having issues breathing and has shown signs of Gapeworm. Tonight I steamed her and her head and chest started to twitch. I am really worried she might die. Any ideas? Maybe she was trying to dislodge it?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Explain how you steamed her, please.

 

[Riverbend Farms]

I heated up the shower and closed the door to the bathroom until it got steamy, and I put a towel on the toilet which is a few feet from the shower head and had her stand there

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you. I'm not familiar with gapeworm and have never seen a chicken do this. Let me tag some others who may be better able to help. Before they get here, you might post some helpful info, such as, what do you feed, how long has this been going on, what other treatments have you tried (if any), when is the last time she laid, is she eating, drinking and dusting as normal, is her crop full at night and empty in the morning before she has access to food or water, and how does her crop feel at night (doughy, gritty, spongy, hard, etc.)? Oh, and how does her poop look? Pics are helpful if you can get any.

I'll tag @azygous
@Wyorp Rock
@EggCentric

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Looks like she's adjusting her crop.

Check to make sure it's emptying overnight, if it's not, then address that symptom.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

As mentioned in your other thread, Gapeworm is not that common, but if you feel you must treat for it, then you can use Safeguard Liquid Goat dewormer (Fenbendazole). Dose is 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days in a row.

 

[TropicalChickies]

My 5-6 year old bantam Wyandotte hen has been having issues breathing and has shown signs of Gapeworm. Tonight I steamed her and her head and chest started to twitch. I am really worried she might die. Any ideas? Maybe she was trying to dislodge it?

Hello,

I'm not the most experienced person here, but my 5 mo old cockerel was making the exact same writhing neck motions one night last week. As @Wyorp Rock suggested here, he was trying to adjust his crop. When I felt the chest area, there was a hard mass in there, so I treated for impacted crop by carefully administering a tsp of oil and gently massaging the crop. Fortunately, the mass had not been there long and broke up quickly.

The instructions in the thread Wyorp Rock provided are excellent.

 

[Riverbend Farms]

it seems unlikely that she would have impacted crop, as she virtually has had no crop for a week or so/

 

[TropicalChickies]

it seems unlikely that she would have impacted crop, as she virtually has had no crop for a week or so/

Not sure what you mean -- all chickens have a crop, it's part of their anatomy. If you mean there's nothing in the crop (it's empty and perfectly flat), then no, it's not impacted. But if a chicken is eating, the crop will be bulgy with food after she eats.

 

[Riverbend Farms]

It is empty

 

[TropicalChickies]

It is empty

Is the crop empty all day or only in the morning? The crop should only be empty in the morning before the bird eats or drinks. If the crop is empty ALL the time, that's a problem if the bird cannot eat.

It wouldn't hurt to treat for gapeworm (and threadworm) if you can rule out crop impaction using fenbendozale at the dosage recommended.

How else is she doing? Is there a raspy or gurgling sound in the throat? Is her comb a healthy red color? Any mucous or discharge from the eyes or beak?