Help! Hen is making strange noise and clearly in trouble.

[genesis1981]

One of my 3 Black Australorps is croaking/struggling to breath and acting very lethargic but also when she gets up she seems like she's in pain. She is breathing with her beak open like she does when its hot but its quite cool right now.
Im not sure if she is egg bound or what. All the stuff I read about being egg bound doesnt say coughing or hiccuping is a factor. I am ore worried its a respiratory thing i cant identify because I am new to hens.
She does have her butt in a weird position at times. And she seems to have some poop around her butt feathers and normally she does not.
Also she wont eat her mealworms but when I put down some oyster shells she got up and went to town on them.
Can someone that has more experience than me take a look at this video and let me know what they think? The symptoms apparently started yesterday. I was just on a trip and my sitter told me thats when he noticed the noise but she was acting more normal yesterday but I dont think he really knew what to observe.
The noises started first thing this morning when they came out of the coop into the run and she has had a couple fits of this coughing business.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

One of my 3 Black Australorps is croaking/struggling to breath and acting very lethargic but also when she gets up she seems like she's in pain. She is breathing with her beak open like she does when its hot but its quite cool right now.
Im not sure if she is egg bound or what. All the stuff I read about being egg bound doesnt say coughing or hiccuping is a factor. I am ore worried its a respiratory thing i cant identify because I am new to hens.
She does have her butt in a weird position at times. And she seems to have some poop around her butt feathers and normally she does not.
Also she wont eat her mealworms but when I put down some oyster shells she got up and went to town on them.
Can someone that has more experience than me take a look at this video and let me know what they think? The symptoms apparently started yesterday. I was just on a trip and my sitter told me thats when he noticed the noise but she was acting more normal yesterday but I dont think he really knew what to observe.
The noises started first thing this morning when they came out of the coop into the run and she has had a couple fits of this coughing business.

Can't see the video- upload to youtube and provide a link - the BYC upload does not work.

When did she last lay an egg?
What's her crop like?
What do you mean that her butt is in a weird position?

 

[genesis1981]

Ok I will try to upload the video. She just seems to almost arch her back a bit downwards.
I was away for two weeks so I can’t be sure when she laid. I put a glove on and stuck my finger in her vent and did feel what feels like an egg a couple inches in. Shes just sitting away from the other two hens in the corner nestled down now.

 

[genesis1981]

She is eating a little so I don’t think her throat has something stuck. Her gasp cough almost looks like the videos I’ve seen for gape worm.

 

[genesis1981]

 

[genesis1981]

Here is the sound she is making. She has no mucus or swelling around her face or beak which is why I’m super confused.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any calcium or Tums that you could give her orally? If there is a stuck egg that can be helpful to increase muscle contraction. Also get her drinking some water or dip her beak a few times. Place her on a warm heat pad on top of a moist warm towel.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok I will try to upload the video. She just seems to almost arch her back a bit downwards.
I was away for two weeks so I can’t be sure when she laid. I put a glove on and stuck my finger in her vent and did feel what feels like an egg a couple inches in. Shes just sitting away from the other two hens in the corner nestled down now.

Sounds like she's having trouble with an egg. If she's in distress or there's swelling or fluid that can may her have trouble breathing. I would not jump to gapeworm.

Since she's in distress, I would not soak her that may put her over the edge, but I would bring her in, place her in steamed up bathroom. Maybe also place her on a heating pad set on low.
Don't worry about food at the moment - she does need to be drinking. If she's egg bound, calcium may also help with contraction - give her a TUMS or 1/2 tablet of Caltrate.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-egg-binding-causes-symptoms/

 

[Eggcessive]

Look into her beak with a flashlight while someone holds her head. Look for any yellow or white gunk or spots, or cankers in her beak and throat. It sounds like she is either coughing or sneezing.

 

[genesis1981]

I did see her drinking water. And she has eaten tons of oyster shells since I put in the run. Should I give her time additionally? We will look down her beak with a flashlight. She really looks totally normal except that when she gets up from resting in the corner the gasp/croak/cough/crow starts again. She also does this head and body shake with the cough.