Hen coughing and gurgle sound while breathing

[flocktoflock]

Hi, hope y'all are well. Wondering if anyone has some ideas of what might be happening for our hen.

She is making a gurgling like sound while breathing and is also coughing regularly. See the attached video for the sounds she's making.

https://imgur.com/a/GeQ8Xam

She otherwise seems ok, doing her normal routine and eating and drinking. Haven't seen her laying in the last few days though.

Some additional bits of info if helpful:

• The gurgling sound greatly increased and lingered after I picked her up and she was on her side or slightly upside down.
• Sometimes I see her shaking her head, but not all the time.
• I haven't seen her "gaping".
• She's 6 or 7 years old
• Symptoms started maybe a week ago, while we had a tremendous amount of pollen in the air.
• Poops look normal to my untrained eye
• A few days before these sounds started, she did have a puffy eyelid for 2 days, but it resolved on its own.
• None of the other birds are experiencing these symptoms.

Appreciate it, thanks

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The gurgling sound greatly increased and lingered after I picked her up and she was on her side or slightly upside down.

Does she lay eggs? When was the last one?
Any bloat or feeling of fluid in the abdomen below the vent between her legs?

Is her crop emptying?

Have you added new birds recently?

When handling her, carefully pick her straight up and support her abdomen with your arm or hand. Don't put her on her side or upside down.
If you are going to be treating, examining or giving medications, pick her up and promptly move her to a work surface like a table so she can stand on her own while you are tending to her. Take care not to press the crop when picking her up.

If her crop is not emptying, address that symptom per the article below.
Often a hen may have reproductive problems and/or organ dysfunction where fluid is gathering in the body, this can cause some sneezing and gurgling. A crop problem can too. A respiratory illness can too....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[flocktoflock]

Thanks for reaching out.

She unfortunately ended up coughing up and blood and got much worse. Our vet helped her move on peacefully and we submitted her for a necropsy.

I will try to remember to update this thread when we have more answers, in case this thread becomes useful to others later.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for reaching out.

She unfortunately ended up coughing up and blood and got much worse. Our vet helped her move on peacefully and we submitted her for a necropsy.

I will try to remember to update this thread when we have more answers, in case this thread becomes useful to others later.

I'm sorry to hear about your hen

Please do post back when you find out more.

 

[21henmom]

Did you find out what caused her to pass? I am going through the same thing.

 

[LandonE]

Did you find out what caused her to pass? I am going through the same thing.

Im willing to bet she may have eaten something sharp or something that she didn't fully kill and ended up cutting her crop or throat at first I thought it was normal as ive had a hen who's been coughing for 3 years and has never had issues but I believe that's a different problem

 

[21henmom]

Thank you for responding. I have had one with breathing problems for 6 years myself. I currently have three that are coughing and gurgling (this just started today). Someone posted that it could be heat stress. The 3 that are affected so far are 7,6 and the 4 y/o rooster is really big. I hope they can hang on another day. It is supposed to cool down.
I had one I think ate something and died a few years ago. You are probably right since she coughed up blood.