Help! Sick Chicken!

JerseyMama4

Chirping
7 Years
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Good Morning!

This is my baby Oreo. The past few days she hasn't been herself. This morning i found her huddled underneath our coop panting. Upon picking her up, i noticed that there was a lot of saliva in her mouth.I warmed up some VetRx, gave her a few drops , and got her set up with fresh water in our sick bay coop. I checked on her a half hour later and her wings were droopy and she was open mouth breathing. I brought her inside to get a good look at her. Somethings definitely wrong. The rest of my flock is fine. TIA!

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How old?
How does her crop feel - empty, full, soft, squishy, etc.?
Have you noticed anything inside her beak like lesions/plaques or yellow cheesy looking "stuff" - any sour or nasty smells from her breath?
What type of food/treats do you feed?
What does the poop look like?

If you have vet care, that is always best.
With chickens, it's hard to know sometimes what's going on, so you may have to try to eliminate some possibilities. Check the crop to make sure it's emptying.

The stance is concerning - feel her over for any injuries or tender spots.
See that she is drinking - if she won't eat right at this time, that is o.k. for a little while, but hydration is important.

Getting a fecal float to rule out Coccidiosis and worms is always a good idea. The huddling and heavy breathing makes me think of Coccidiosis, but the slimy saliva makes me think crop issue and/or canker.

btw - Welcome to BYC we're glad you're here :welcome
 
She is 8 months, empty crop, although i did notice a slightly sour smell to her breath. Nothing in her beak or mouth. Fed organic layer pellet, cracked corn scratch late in the day. I have to wait for a poop sample.

Thanks for the welcome! Ive been here for about a year but forgot my log in and had to create a new one! :rolleyes:
 
She is 8 months, empty crop, although i did notice a slightly sour smell to her breath. Nothing in her beak or mouth. Fed organic layer pellet, cracked corn scratch late in the day. I have to wait for a poop sample.

Thanks for the welcome! Ive been here for about a year but forgot my log in and had to create a new one! :rolleyes:
 
She is 8 months.....empty crop, although i did notice a slightly sour smell to her breath

For some reason, I was thinking she was much younger than 8months. O.k. is she laying eggs? When was the last time she laid an egg?
Do you feel any swelling, bloat or feeling of fluid in the abdomen?

Is she able to poop?

The panting, if she is still doing that it is concerning - she may be having some reproductive issues but, it's hard to know. Crop problems can be an indication that something else is going on such as worms, Coccidiosis and reproductive disorders.

If she is very stressed, then do your best to keep her hydrated. I would not give her a soak, but place her in a warm steamed up bathroom if possible. If she is breathing better, then you can try a warm epsom salts bath to see if that gets things moving.
Here's more information on crops.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments
 

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