Gurgling hen..whats the problem?

[kimette]

I have a Red Ranger hen that's gurgling or rumbling when she breathes. Is it time to cull?

 

[Eggcessive]

How does her crop look and feel? Is it enlarged and puffy? Does she have any respiratory symptoms, such as watery or bubbly eye, nasal drainage, cough or sneeze, gasping?

 

[kimette]

Her crop seems a bit big and soft.When I picked her up a soft egg fell out. Her breathing is labored rumbling , gurgling with every breath. I massaged her crop and did not smell any odor from her beak. However her vent is pasty. I isolated her. Definitely rethinking the concept of "dual purpose" bird although she has laid nice, large brown eggs.

 

[kimette]

Akso, No noticeable eye problems.

 

[Chick3nL1ttl3]

I currently have a hen with identical symptoms… can’t figure out what’s happening to her. Any updates?

 

[Eggcessive]

If her crop is large and puffy, especially early in the morning, she may be having liquid crop contents coming up into her throat causing the gurgling, kind of like if you have mucus, and need to cough to clear your airway. Do not massage a full puffy crop because it can push contents back up. Sometimes the crop problems are a result of a reproductive disorder, ascites, internal laying, and other things. Try giving her some cut up small pieces of chilled coconut oil to help her constipation. A small bowl of watery chicken feed cannget more fluids into her. Do you have any pictures of her poops? What color are her poops or the urates?

 

[kimette]

Thanks SO much for your help! I will try both of your suggestions. Last night the crop felt firmer. She is still gurgling. I put ACV in her water.Her poo is pasting on her vent. So it's likely runny and sticky. I suspect a genetic issue since she's a McMurray Big Red broiler that I kept for eggs. Again thanks for your help. I really don't want to lose her.

 

[kimette]

I currently have a hen with identical symptoms… can’t figure out what’s happening to her. Any updates?

What breed is your hen?

 

[Eggcessive]

The best time to feel her crop is early am before eating or drinking.

 

[kimette]

I'm thinking it's ascites. See below.
"Ascites is a term that describes abnormal fluid accumulation in the belly, hence the term ‘water belly’ (figure 1). When this term is used in poultry medicine it is usually used to describe pulmonary hypertension syndrome in broiler chickens; a combination of clinical signs and changes within the bird including increased fluid in the abdomen."
If so this means I have no choice but to cull her. I cant watch her her suffer.