HELP PLEASE

[chicklady2468]

Hi I'm new here and I need some help. I have an adult hen (austrolorp) 2 years old that was perfectly fine yesterday. When I came home from work today, she was inside the coop wheezing and gasping for air. She stretches her neck up as she gasps for air.
As I was trying to check her throat, she bit me in the finger so hard that it bleed. I thought maybe she had something stuck in her throat, but I couldn't see anything. She's not eating or drinking right now. She just sits there wheezing and gasping. I have 13 hens and she's the only one acting like this. My hens are very healthy and I am very concerned about her. Does anyone know what could be wrong with her? Her name is Lotte and she's named after my mom, who lives in Germany, that's where I'm from. Please help.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi I'm new here and I need some help. I have an adult hen (austrolorp) 2 years old that was perfectly fine yesterday. When I came home from work today, she was inside the coop wheezing and gasping for air. She stretches her neck up as she gasps for air.
As I was trying to check her throat, she bit me in the finger so hard that it bleed. I thought maybe she had something stuck in her throat, but I couldn't see anything. She's not eating or drinking right now. She just sits there wheezing and gasping. I have 13 hens and she's the only one acting like this. My hens are very healthy and I am very concerned about her. Does anyone know what could be wrong with her? Her name is Lotte and she's named after my mom, who lives in Germany, that's where I'm from. Please help.

Welcome To BYC

Do you have vet care available?
Were you able to look in her beak and throat to see if anything is stuck in there?
Has she been in a dusty or moldy area?
Do you feel any swelling in her abdomen?
Is her crop full, empty, squishy, hard, doughy or does her breath smell?
Any discharge from the eyes or nose?

Wheezing and gasping can be caused from a number of things, here are a few:

• Dust from bedding, feed or fungus and mold.
• Respiratory illness like Infectious Bronchitis, Mycoplasma, Coryza and ILT .
• Internal laying and reproductive disorders can sometimes cause respiratory distress.
• Impacted or Sour crop.
• Aspiration of food/debris.
• Stridor

It's hard to know what's going on with her. Separate her so you can monitor her symptoms, see that she can drink water and watch to see if she improves when removed from the area she is kept in.

Keep us posted.

 

[chicklady2468]

I don't have a farm vet available. I looked in her throat and I didn't see anything obstructive. No discharge from eyes or nose. No coughing. I don't think her breath smelled. I will definitely check her crop in the morning and separate her from the rest of the girls. She has not been in any dusty or moldy places. Coop is dry and clean. I hope she's still alive tomorrow. Thank you for the help.