Gagging (NOT gaping), lethargic, etc. Help ASAP please!!!! (VIDEO INCLUDED)

[ozu]

My Australorp keeps like, jerking her neck like she's gunna throw up (not gaping like when they can't breathe. Like she's gagging, mouth closed, head lurching forward) and she seems a little more chill than usual? Lethargic pretty much, and her comb/waddles/face look pretty pale.. when I come to the pen everyone runs to me and she stays hunched in the back.

Sometimes she stands with her butt directed towards the ground and yesterday I saw her strain and it looked like she was trying to poop, and that's when I checked her butt and saw she had a TON of lice all over it (so she might have just felt irritated?). So obviously, we are dealing with a lice problem (but I don't know how that would make her make gagging noises?? Paleness I could see..)... we tried some spray when it was warmer but it didn't work so yesterday we dusted them liberally with poultry dust. When we bring them in we are going to check them again and if we see anymore lice, we'll dust again.

She's still eating readily when inside the garage pen, and drinking and I know her breath smells fine and the inside of her mouth looks okay...

She's been laying but stopped laying once it got cold. I have checked to see if she was egg-bound but it doesn't feel like it.

But I am really concerned she isn't going to survive.. I love her, I don't want to lose her No one else is acting like this. I have 4 Red Sex Links, 1 Barred Rock, and 1 Easter Egger. They're all acting normally. And then I have a flock of three silkies that are always nearby and they are acting fine too. And I have a single rooster, he's fine too. They all got dusted for the lice and everything...

Please help!!!

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) Australorp, we got her in April as a week old chick, I dunno how much she weighs but she feels like the lightest of my chickens.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Gagging motions, standing with butt aimed down, paleness
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Probably a couple weeks.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? Nope
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No signs of trauma
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Not that I know of?
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Yes. Eating for sure.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. I can't tell what ones are hers, but I haven't seen any... strange looking poops.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Rubbed her crop downwards. Gave electrolytes and yogurt.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Best if it's by myself. Parents won't be willing to go to vet.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. See below.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use Pine bedding. DE. Dirt outside.

Video... the black chicken in the back, watch her. You might have to watch the video on YT itself.

EDIT: We gave Laurel some olive oil and massaged her crop. She seems to have perked up a bit. We also put a bit of oxine in the water and she's drinking like crazy right now. Crossing my fingers..

 

[anniep]

Hello, my hens wil do that from time to time. it happens when the birds eat to much dry food at one time. To prevent it I would just make sure you don't suddenly shock them with food after a long time without. I always keep a little layer of food in their food trough to make sure that I don't surprise them. It has happened to me before and just make sure they have water. I think what you did was wise though. Also if your birds do run out of food. Try feeding them little bits at a time. If you don't have time to sit and pamper your birds scatter the food around the floor of the coop in the shavings so they can't scarf it down.

 

[ozu]

Hello, my hens wil do that from time to time. it happens when the birds eat to much dry food at one time. To prevent it I would just make sure you don't suddenly shock them with food after a long time without. I always keep a little layer of food in their food trough to make sure that I don't surprise them. It has happened to me before and just make sure they have water. I think what you did was wise though. Also if your birds do run out of food. Try feeding them little bits at a time. If you don't have time to sit and pamper your birds scatter the food around the floor of the coop in the shavings so they can't scarf it down.

Thank you! She's been doing it insistently and continuously so it confuses me!
They are actually never without food... they have constant access to food, so it seems weird that she would suddenly scarf it? She tends to eat pretty.. normally?

Edit: Ever since I gave her the olive oil, she hasn't done the throw-up motion. I hope that fixed her issue :c I might give her some tomorrow to make sure.

 

[anniep]

Thank you! She's been doing it insistently and continuously so it confuses me!
They are actually never without food... they have constant access to food, so it seems weird that she would suddenly scarf it? She tends to eat pretty.. normally?

Edit: Ever since I gave her the olive oil, she hasn't done the throw-up motion. I hope that fixed her issue :c I might give her some tomorrow to make sure.

Good idea and Good Luck!!

 

[Eggcessive]

She may have an impacted crop or a sour crop. Is it possible that she has something like long grasses or a big chunk of food she can't get down or blocking her crop. Be sure to massage her crop down several times a day. Here is a good link on crop issues and lice:
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/01/crop-issues.html
http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[ozu]

She may have an impacted crop or a sour crop. Is it possible that she has something like long grasses or a big chunk of food she can't get down or blocking her crop. Be sure to massage her crop down several times a day. Here is a good link on crop issues and lice:
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/01/crop-issues.html
http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

Thank you! We have give electrolytes and that kind of stuff a week or so ago.. I thought maybe sour crop because her crop is not large or firm like I read it would be if impacted, but her breath doesn't smell bad. I heard that the smell is really gross and you will know right away. I gave her olive oil and massaged her crop last night, and today after I woke up. Tonight when we put her in, I will do it again. I suspect something is just stuck in there, going off the list of symptoms... We added oxine to their water because I heard that the acid in the ACV while they are having crop problems can do more harm than good, and oxine is supposed to kill bacteria and viruses. In ten days (from the day we dusted them), we will dust all the chickens for lice again. But ever since the first dusting, I have seen no live lice. [/crosses fingers]

 

[Math]

Reckless, you may need to consider a worm treatment for your birds. I had a hen to be lethargic a couple weeks ago but she seems to be okay now. However, I plan to do a worm treatment when the egg production goes down when they molt. I am waiting because I plan to discard their eggs when I do the worm treatment and I am currently getting 23 eggs per day from 26 hens and I don't want to discard that many eggs for two weeks.

Remember, you will need to do a follow up lice dusting to kill the lice that will hatch. God bless your chickens.