Hen is panting with mouth open

[Ila88]

i just got this 2 year old yesterday and she won't come out of the nest and is panting rapidly with open beak. I've given water with electrolytes via syringe which she took, but it hasn't stopped. Advice?

 

[Eggcessive]

Set her feet in some cool water. Is she heavy or overweight? It sounds like she is overheated. They will usually pant with an open beak to cool off, and hold their wings out from the body when they are hot. Fans and lots of shaded water are good for summer heat, but if you don't think that is the problem, then check for egg binding, for any crop fullness, and feel of her abdomen for any fullness or fluid.

 

[Ila88]

Thank you. Will do.

 

[Silkylover12]

It may also be because she's hot too. It seems with chickens that when it's hot they pant because they a hot. Hopefully that helps!

 

[Ila88]

Happy to report that Ruby is doing fine today. I checked her crop and belly, which were fine. Today is cooler and she was quite active, with no panting. Thanks everyone for your help. I got some good tips on the board about keeping chickens cool. I like the idea of freezing a water bottle and putting it in the coop for them to lie near. I also added ice to their water yesterday. They loved it.

 

[Silkylover12]

Great! That's wonderful! If she starts panting, like I said, it's most likely because she's hot. I like what Eggcesive said. Do that if it's really hot. Another thing you can do is get a fan and turn it on. That would help on a summer day, and make sure she's hydrated, along with your flock. Hopefully that helps!

 

[lil bird lady1]

My bird is doing the exact same thing except is actually pretty chilly outside and I don't know what to do. She's never done this before and she's my baby so I'm really worried she's almost a year old