Gasping, sick hen

[christwodog]

Do you have any Nutri-Drench? You can put it in her water and also give her some undiluted, it's good for getting some calories and vitamins in her. My hens also like tunafish, straight from the can. Maybe she would go for that?

 

[mountaingirl196]

The electrolytes in her water are Life Lyte. Don’t have any NutriDrench but will see what I can come up with in that line. Good idea.

Thinning out the water helped, she is back to drinking it.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings mountaingirl196,

Do you have any antibiotics on hand, a broad spectrum would most beneficial.

It seems your hen has an upper respiratory infection. She probably fell into the water and then got wet, from stumbling around in illness. Illness can come on suddenly, or sometimes we don't notice that a chicken is sick for a few days.

You've done great by keeping her warm. Cold weather is a stressor, and can bring on illness, especially, upper Respiratory Illness. She is closing her eyes because she is very ill, rales and gasping are common symptoms with upper respiratory. It's hard to know if it is bacterial or viral without a CBC at the vet's office.

Here in California, no antibiotics can be purchased for animals without a vet's prescription. But, I know many keepers outside of California will use Tylan 50 for URI, with good results.

Another option would be Denagard (Tamulin Hydrogen Fumarate), it can be purchased on Amazon, over night shipment. Or, you may be able to purchase it at a farm/feed store. I have used Denagard successfully in the treatment of upper respiratory illness. It is a liquid and is mixed into the water. Let me know if you need the dosage; it is a 10 day course of treatment.

Alternative treatments:

• You can also help her by using a humidifier next to her cage, in the bathroom so she can breath better. A dab of eucalyptus essential oil in the humidifier is also helpful.

• Next, use an oral syringe to give her some honey (Manuka Medical Grade is best), 2 mL will be helpful. Add a pinch of Cinnamon to the honey, this is also helpful for URI.

• It's time she started eating, you may have to feed her with a syringe. I highly recommend feeding some Hemp Protein powder mixed with honey. Hemp protein will help stimulate her appetite, as well as nourish her. Also, administer a dose of poultry vitamins, since she hasn't eaten.

• Offer, diced black or red grapes, cooked whole grains: brown rice, oat groats, wheat berries, barley, diced toast with a bit of butter, cooked mixed vegetables, diced cooked meat protein. These are all foods that may stimulate appetite, diced foods take less effort for the sick hen to eat. Always off feed, wet or dry.

I hate to have to syringe feed a hen, but if they start to weaken from weight loss, then you just have to. You should be able to buy feeding syringes at any pharmacy, they even sell them for human babies to administer liquid medicine. I always make sure I have plenty in stock, as they are essential in caring for sick chickens, cats, dogs, etc.

If the hen can just eat a little a few times a day, she will have a better chance at recovery.

If you can take her to see a vet, it will be much easier on you and the hen. A vet will provide any medication you need for your hen. If not, the members here at BYC, will offer advice, please consider these too.


These are my thoughts, I hope they are helpful.

God Bless

 

[mountaingirl196]

You know, in watching her with this water I almost wonder if something is causing her to be very, very thirsty. She is dipping almost her whole head in as she drinks and has water all down the front of her feathers. If she did that outside for a while before I got home it would explain why she was soaking wet when I got home.

 

[mountaingirl196]

Hen Pen Jem, thank you, that is a wonderful post. I don’t have any animal antibiotics on hand but I can likely run into town to get some, only one feed store is open on Sundays but I will call and see what they have.

She is eating a little. Not much, but a little. Mixing the water and yogurt with her feed helped, but she is back at the water dish right now. I think she was just after the water with her feed, the calories were incidental. Made me feel better watching her eat a bit, though.

Any ideas why she is hitting the water so hard?

 

[Morrigan]

As far as the water drinking goes -- your first post indicated the she was initially not drinking, so it's possible that she is making up for lost water and getting rehydrated. At some point, however, if it doesn't ease up, I would be more concerned.

To get some food in her without a syringe, you can make little food balls -- about the size of a large pea -- using wet chicken feed, eggs, honey, etc. Then wrap her in a towel, so her wings don't flap, and put her on your lap. Very gently, open her beak and place the ball of food inside her beak. She should swallow it on her own (at least my hens always have). Sometimes, after a couple of balls are in, the hen becomes interested in food again -- especially if it is something really good like eggs -- and starts pecking it out of your hand.

I really wish I could help more. Hopefully she will continue to improve.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Hen Pen Jem, thank you, that is a wonderful post. I don’t have any animal antibiotics on hand but I can likely run into town to get some, only one feed store is open on Sundays but I will call and see what they have.

She is eating a little. Not much, but a little. Mixing the water and yogurt with her feed helped, but she is back at the water dish right now. I think she was just after the water with her feed, the calories were incidental. Made me feel better watching her eat a bit, though.

Any ideas why she is hitting the water so hard?

That photo of her last poop was almost pure water. She is feeling dehydrated, she may also have a fever. So, it is good for her to drink. Especially if you have some electrolytes in the water. You can check to see if she has a fever, then you will know she is fighting infection.

How to take a chicken's Temperature

1. Restrain the chicken by wrapping it in a towel and tying the legs with a sock, then, holding it facing backwards under your non-dominant arm. Hold the chicken gently against your body, and slide the hand underneath the legs and squeeze.
   
   
2. Gently insert the thermometer into the cloaca, about ½ inch or so.
   
   
3. The chicken’s temperature is relatively high compared to humans and should be between 105.8° F – 107.06° (40.6°C and 41.7°C).
   
   
4. Remember that the stress from handling the chicken can slightly elevate its temperature.
   

Eating will also make her want to drink water.

God Bless

 

[kissezmychicken]

Tylan has been great for any URI I've had with my chickens. I open you can get it I gave it orally not injected. Please keep us posted.

 

[mountaingirl196]

Update - my hen is hanging in and seems to have stabilized in a not great place. She is eating on her own - a little, not much, some chick starter mixed with boosted water (Life Lyte) along with cooked egg, mealworms, shredded carrot. She probably eats two tablespoons total in a day, I’m throwing out a lot of food. Life Lyte in water, she is drinking it regularly. About a cup a day. Giving her VetRx orally in the am, Tylan orally in the evening. She is in the house with us since it’s warm and she wants company. Stands fine, doesn’t walk much, often stands hunched. Comb is darkened, dry and flopped over. Gaping and head shaking happens occasionally, no rales heard recently. She seems to have problems swallowing. Pretty weak but interested enough to not want icky stuff in her beak twice a day, so there is that.

Poops only about once a day. It looks closer to normal than it was, she just needs to do more of it.

Thanks for earlier suggestions. I’m not sure what else I can do at this point other than give her time.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would Google the article “Go team tube feeding” to watch videos and learn to tube feed her. You can use a piece of aquarium air tubing for fluids, or get a red rubber catheter or feeding tube from a vet to give thicker feed. It sounds scary, but inserting a feeding tube just into the crop is pretty easy once you know how to put it in. That would give her nutrition and fluids, giving her a chance to recover.