Hen Making Strange Noises

[Cyan the chicken parent]

Hi me again. Hate to sound like I only come when there is a problem with my flock... but one of my hens, the proxy three year old Daisy, recently has been making a peculiar sound. More like she never stops making noises and I can't discern if she is making her regular cooes or wheezing. She moves her beak slightly as if she is speaking, but honestly I don't want to disillusion myself believing it's a breathing voice. She's eating like a horse and running around fine. Also an egg daily, so this is either noticed early or something else. I'm about to go back out and check on her again to make sure she doesn't have a blockage or anything like that. Coop hygiene is good- being cleaned regularly. I only noticed this behavior yesterday or the day before. I'm really scared because of the things I've been searching online and hope so badly this isn't gapeworm- we finally got through an issue with mites and had to treat that a couple months ago(the coop has since been disinfected and all that) and honestly if this is gape worm I'm going to start believing we are cursed.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Please get a video of what she sounds like.

Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

Thanks!

 

[Cyan the chicken parent]

Please get a video of what she sounds like.

Upload video to youtube and provide a link.

Thanks!

Thank you sm for your reply- I'll get a vid for you when the chickens wake up.

 

[Myrshine]

A video would be very helpful. Usually chickens that sound like horses have some sort of respiratory infection going on, have heart-related issues, in pain somewhere on the body or is egg bound.

 

[Cyan the chicken parent]

Hi all I am so sorry for the delay- I had the worst time uploading the video. Here's the link it's on a google drive : https://drive.google.com/file/d/10TwADbHN8Fk0IB5kfiW-D1an2_9jFFmk/view?usp=drivesdk
My sister checked on her today and heard her, she thinks its something to do with her nose that maybe it's clogged or something blocking and that's why she is making the noise. Her mouth is closed also when she is wheezing or whistling I'm not sure what the noise is. I heard that garlic is a natural dewormer and am going to research if this goat dewormer that I think we still have is safe for use on chickens. Thank you so much for your patience♥

 

[Myrshine]

Sounds like she may have something inside her nose causing the noise. Or her respiratory tract is irritated by something and it’s causing the squeaky noise you’re hearing from inflammation.

 

[Eggcessive]

That sound is stridor, a sound made when there is something partially blocking the airway. I had a hen who gulped her feed, and would get a piece stuck in her airway. It also can occur when the trachea (airway) is swollen like a child with croup, or if there is a mucus plug in the throat during a respiratory infection. Usually it clears within a couple of hours or overnight, if it is feed stuck.

 

[Cyan the chicken parent]

I have a hard time opening her beak so I can take a look at her throat- is there a way you recomend for cleaning her nose? Like would a wet q-tip work?

 

[Cyan the chicken parent]

I'll check her throat again before feeding time, see if I find anything stuck. God I hope it isn't swelling, can I even tell if it's swollen up as you said from an external examination? I could be doing it wrong and just want to check-

 

[Eggcessive]

If she is not in any distress, and is eating and drinking, just watch her. Look for any nasal drainage (dirt or feed may stick to it,) bubbles in an eye, sneezing or a swollen eyelid. Those are outward signs of a respiratory disease. Most of the time the stridorous noise will go away on it’s own. To check inside the throat, get someone to help you, press on the sides of the beak, open, and look inside with a flashlight.