Hen breathing hard, no wheezing (poop picture added)

[Hen Pen Jem]

What expressive eyes your hen has! She has Betty Davis eyes.

Yes, her breathing looks like congested lungs. Sneezing, even occasionally is consistent with a respiratory infection. If the hen is eating, drinking and pooping well, it could take 8-9 weeks for her to recover.

I used bread for soaking up the wormer, then rolled them in some sugar. The chickens ate them right up.


God Bless

 

[arrowti]

Well, I don't know what to say... she had dose of dewormer on Satuday. She went off the antibiotic on Monday (as per the dosage instructions). She was looking pretty good - no worse than before. She ate, she drank. She wasn't even gasping as hard as she was before.

But I just went to check on her and she's dead. She was acting alright not even an hour ago. I gave her some chunks of apple (no seeds) which she gobbled down happily.



I'm going to remove her body and disinfect everything inside the area she was in (the unused turkey house, we'll be getting turkeys later this year). There are no other chickens (or ducks) showing any sign of sickness, and hopefully it stays that way.

Thank you for all your help and advice. I'll make sure to keep everything you've told me for the future - aspirin therapy for ascites, the 'crop buster' (as I call it) if I encounter any crop issues.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings arrowti,

I am so sorry for your loss. A big hug from me to you, for all your efforts!

I know how you feel. I went through a similar thing with a rooster. I cared for him for 10 days. He was happy and strutting around and crowing, when I checked on him. Two hours later when I went up to give him his last injection of antibiotic, he was dead. I cried like a baby.

Death is a very humbling experience. We can do everything possible to help a chicken and they pass away, when we think all is going well.

You may want to refrigerate her body with ice packs and send her out for a necropsy. Then, you'll know what caused her death.

Again, I am so sorry.

God Bless and peace to you.