Emergency!! Raspy hen

[crunchycxnmama]

Earlier today we found one of our girls hiding in the corner, straining and sounding very Raspy. My husband brought her inside and cleaned out her sinuses and cleaned her up, where he then found a bubble of air under her skin up by her neck. Even after cleaning out her sinuses, she is still very Raspy and breathing out her mouth. She sounds horrible.
We have separated her from our flock in case it is something contagious, but we aren't sure what to do from here. Is there anything we can do to help her? Is it worth trying to fix, or should we put her out of her misery?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Earlier today we found one of our girls hiding in the corner, straining and sounding very Raspy. My husband brought her inside and cleaned out her sinuses and cleaned her up, where he then found a bubble of air under her skin up by her neck. Even after cleaning out her sinuses, she is still very Raspy and breathing out her mouth. She sounds horrible.
We have separated her from our flock in case it is something contagious, but we aren't sure what to do from here. Is there anything we can do to help her? Is it worth trying to fix, or should we put her out of her misery?

Hi and

I'm sorry you are having trouble.

It looks like she may have a ruptured air sac. Does the lump feel like it's filled with air?
If you have a vet that can assist you that would be best.

Some people are able to let the air out - you will need to sanitize the area and either cut a small or use a sterile needle to let the air out. There is risk of infection when you do this, so you need to keep watch on her. If you see any signs/symptoms of infection then antibiotics may be in order.

I will link you to the information I have on the procedure.

Keep up posted.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/843992/q-and-a-article-from-a-peafowl-website

 

[crunchycxnmama]

Thank you. We just noticed that a bunch of our other girls are now sneezing and shaking their heads. Is there anything we can do for them all?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you. We just noticed that a bunch of our other girls are now sneezing and shaking their heads. Is there anything we can do for them all?

How is the one that has the bubble under her skin?

Your other girls - with sneezing and shaking the head - do they have any discharge from the eyes or nostrils as well?

Infectious Bronchitis, Mycoplasma or one of the many other contagious respiratory illnesses that are common in poultry may be the culprit. Clear away mucous from the nostrils and if they have discharge from the eyes, flush that with saline. Antibiotics can help with any secondary infections associated with respiratory illness. You can try injectable Tylan50 - dosage is 1 cc or ml per 5 pounds of weight. You can give it orally or as an injection into the breast muscle 1/4 inch deep.

If the eyes are swollen, then apply some Vetericn eye gel or Terramycin eye ointment to the eyes to help with infection.

If you feel like antibiotics are not the route you want to take at this time, you can try using VetRx, some people report that it helps with some respiratory symptoms.

Make sure they are drinking plenty of water - you can add poultry vitamins if you have them. Sick chickens sometime find that wet feed is more palatable than dry pellets or crumbles - some add-ins for extra protein like egg or tuna is usually welcomed as well.

Let us know how they are doing.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[crunchycxnmama]

Their sinuses are a little plugged and we have been clearing them out. Our chickens are all organic and antibiotic free, so we didn't plan to use the antibiotics in till completely necessary. We got some VetRx and are going to use that. Hoping it will stop whatever this is in its tracks!
They are still eating and drinking well.

 

[Eggcessive]

Are you seeing watery eyes or nasal drainage, sneezing, or rattly breathing? How is your coop, as far as good overhead ventilation, or any dust or wet, moldy conditions? How long hav you had the chickens, and have you added any new birds recently? Make sure they are drinking fresh clean water. Are they eating okay?