Help... chicken barking Gape-worm or respiratory? video attached.

[arkk]

My Buff Orpington hen just started doing this. She does it several times then stops. She seems fine otherwise. Is it respiratory or gape worm?? Or something else?

Hopefully I'm posting the video correctly.

 

[azygous]

It's very doubtful your hen has gapeworm. Have you inspected the inside of her mouth and looked down her throat? It should be pink and smooth and clean inside. Pay attention to the center of the throat where the larynx is. Do you see anything foreign caught there?

Does she have any swollen facial tissue? Any discharge from eyes or ears or nares?

How long has this sneezing/coughing been going on? Is it regular, say, several times an hour? Or is it occasional, more like a few isolated times a day? How dusty is it where she hangs out? Is her feed fine and dusty?

 

[arkk]

I haven’t looked in her mouth. I’ll do that tomorrow. No discharge or swelling. They were free ranging all day today and it’s not dusty. Food is pellets. It seems to happen several times in a row, then nothing for awhile, then several times again.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sounds like she is sneezing which sometimes can be from getting feed in the nostril during a meal, but if it occurs every few minutes when not eating, can be a sign of a respiratory virus or disease.

 

[Tammylynn1972]

Hi there. I just went through this with my hens. Sounds like a cough. Ours got worse to the point one was wheezing. Took them to a vet and they are being treated with antibiotics. We didn’t want to treat them in this way but felt it was what we needed to do to get them healthy. The vet said they were being treated for pneumonia. Hope this helps

 

[Tammylynn1972]

And even if it is a sneeze it’s still respiratory. Just keep an eye and make sure it’s not getting worse. Ours had no discharge and seemed fine otherwise.

 

[arkk]

Thank you. She wasn't making any strange noises yesterday and seemed totally fine except my son said she had watery poo. Right now I've just added vitamins/electrolytes to the water and we are watching closely. Her comb does seem a touch pale too, but it's also pretty cold and a lot of the other hens have somewhat pale combs as well.