HELP! gasping Hen...

[wegotchickens2]

We have a problem with one of our blk austrolorps. Last night upon shutting up the girls, I found one perching and breathing heavy. Loud enough that I could hear her. I let her be for the night and this morning she is still doing it.. she was outside with the flock, but just standing there, seemingly uninterested in feeding time. As she breathes out, she extends her head up and out, opening her beak halfway to exhale loudly. She sounds kinda wheezy and obstructed. We have checked vent, and crop. Her crop was hard to feel, maybe because she has not eaten(?) She seems to be getting weaker. I hope that someone here can help! We'd really appreciate it! -Tom and Joe.

 

[easttxchick]

Is her crop distended? Has she laid lately(if she is of laying age)? Any exposure to mold or other types of toxins? Can you hear anything in her lungs? Did you look down her throat to make sure it isn't gapeworm?
So sorry for all the questions, just trying to get a bit more info.

 

[rancher hicks]

I was gonna suggest "gape worm" too. Chickens that range are more likley to get this. Chickens that range in wet areas are more likely. Can food grade DE in their feed help prevent this type of worm? Will DE prevent ALL types of worm infection?

 

[wegotchickens2]

Wow! very quick responses, thanks!
She is 2 yrs old, in her prime. Her crop is not distended, it's hard to feel at all, even though I know where it is located. I think it's empty, as she is not eating. Gape worm.. Hmmm.. Our girls have a great chicken run, which is dirt. At times it can be muddy when the weather is wet. They do have access to a dry coop at all times. They are not exposed to any toxins at all. DE? Diatomecious earth? As a preventative I take it... what can I do now? we have looked down her throat as far as we can see, and nothing, but she sounds rhaspy. -T&J

 

[wegotchickens2]

We DO have some piperazine water wormer.. will that help for gapeworm? is it worth trying? We have to worm our other girls anyway.

 

[wegotchickens2]

Well, Thanks for the input on this issue. Our Girl just passed. We just buried her. We hope that she was not in too much pain, and that she passed quickly. We thank her for her life and the bounty she gave us. Once again, BYC community thanks for the advice, what a great online community. -Tom and Joseph PS-On a bright note, the one hen we had that went broody (also a blk austrolorp) has her very first chick, now close to 4 weeks old. Dad is a Silverlaced Wynadotte, and we don't know who the actual mom is!

 

[Chris09]

Gapeworm
Syngamus trachea, a nematode worm parasite of chickens, Turkeys, Pheasants, and other game and ornamental birds occurring worldwide. Infection is by the oral route with earthworms, slugs and snails acting as transfer hosts but the life cycle may also be direct, by ingestion of embryonated egg or L3. There is an 18-20 day prepatent period. The condition is seen more commonly in poultry on free range where ground may be contaminated by wild birds e.g. from rookeries.

Symptoms:
Gasping.
Dyspnoea.
Head shaking.
Loss of appetite and condition

Post-mortem lesions
Tracheitis.
Presence of worms, paired parasites up to 2 cm long

Treatments:
Ivomec
Flubendazole in feed.
levamisole

Ivomec Injectable (ivermectin)
Ivomec injectable is used for treatment of worms in your fowl, and can be used to help keep external parasites, like Red Mites, down too.

Dosage
You will need a syringe to get ivomec out of the bottle, and you can use it to apply the dosage listed below by holding the birds mouth open, and dripping it into the back of its throat. Another method is to apply the correct dosage to a piece of bread, then feed it to the bird you are treating.

5 to 7 drops orally for adult size birds.
3 to 5 drops orally for bantam size birds.

It is recommended to worm your fowl on a regular basis, and this method will need to be repeated every 2 to 3 months to keep worms under control. In severe cases, you may want to retreat the bird 10 days after the initial treatment, to make sure you take care of the problem.

Ivomec can be purchased at most farm supply stores in the cattle section.

Warning
Take care not to eat the eggs after treating with Ivomec until the treated fowl has laid at least five to seven eggs.

Chris

 

[easttxchick]

Tom & Joseph-so sorry you lost your hen. That was really fast and there was probably nothing you could have done for her. Could very well have been something like a heart attack.
Again-so sorry.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Sorry for your loss. However, you really need to be on the alert for symptoms with your other birds. This could well have been a respiratory related disease and some birds succum to this quickly, some do not.

 

[Karen_at_LittleBrook]

What a wonderful statement you made.... "We thank her for her life and the bounty she gave us" so sorry for your loss~