Hen: Opening Beak Wide (soundless)

[peepinglaura]

My brooding hen is doing something I've never seen before, and I'm concerned. She's opening her beak and throat really wide- if it were a person I'd think she was wretching. She looks at me and makes this bizarre, wide- mouthed, wide throated motion. She's not uttering a sound. She is due to ahtch today. Is she telling me to stay away, or is she sick?

Thanks,

Laura

 

[Teach97]

I have a hen doing the same thing. She is sick...probably gasping for breath (repiratory problem) Might possibly be something stuck in the throat but doubt it...there is another problem but it is escaping my mind right now...I am shooting her up with an antibiotic...yeah I know...too many antibiotics are being used and we should do a culture and figure out which antibiotic to use to treat it...well I don't care to wait around and watch the bird die

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I dont think she is sick. I think she is warning you to stay away from her eggs.

 

[peepinglaura]

Yeah, there's no raspy breathing so I think it might indeed be a warning. I hpe so- she's my daughter's chicken, bought with her own allowance and she adores her.

Laura

 

[scooter147]

They will do this as well if they have gape worms. It is a worm that inbeds itself in the throat and this is an attempt to try to dislodge it.
Is she doing this a lot? If it is a infrequent thing she could just be yawning

 

[peepinglaura]

It's definitely not a yawn. She isn't doing it much, but she did it for an hour straight this morning. I'll go look up gape worm. Thanks for the tip.

LAura

 

[peepinglaura]

Nope, not gapeworm! I'm glad to know about it though, so I can spot it if I see these symptoms.

Laura