Hen suddenly holding mouth wide open and not because she’s hot.

[klbaker75]

My hen walked into a patch of weeds she’s gone into many times since their yard is small and came out with her mouth wide open. I will attach a pic taken from the night cam. She’s not breathing heavy. Nothing poisonous that I know of. It’s been going on for almost an hour. Her comb is not purple or discolored in any way. I looked down her throat with a flashlight and the opening to her trachea is smaller than it usually is. About half the size. I don’t know what to do. I’m not sure if she ate or smelled something she had a reaction to. Any thoughts on calming this down?

 

[DellaMyDarling]

Maybe a bee sting?

 

[Kiki]

Can you get a photo I normal lighting?


What is the temperature where you are?

 

[DellaMyDarling]

Small snake bite?
Any other stingy bitey thingies?

Just thinking it would explain the slight restricted trachea, making her hold mouth open?

So hard to see skin between feathers to spot such a thing unless one can feel it first.

 

[Kiki]

Could she have injuried herself/her jaw?


Can she close it?
Drink?

 

[klbaker75]

It’s hot here about 80 at night but this isn’t her being hot. It’s so strange. I’ve been around her all afternoon when it was hot and she never panted once. She walked out of those weeds like this. I just double checked and I don’t see anything odd in those weeds. It’s just the usual weeds I have everywhere else. I’ve had chickens for 20 years and never seen this before.

 

[klbaker75]

Sadly we don’t have a lot of bees anymore. I haven’t seen any in this area for a while. Sometimes in early morning.

 

[klbaker75]

I just brought her in my house. She’s still doing it. Gave her a piece of bread with some garlic in it in case she needs an anti inflammatory and put some olive oil dabbed on the outside of the bread in case something was irritating her throat. I gave her some dry oats and wheat kernels to eat and she sounds and acts totally normal. I haven’t seen her drink but she can close it for short periods. Color looks good. Lungs and heart sound good. It’s 72 in here and she’s still doing it. It’s not panting. Just mouth wide open.