I heard a bizarre noise outside this morning. I honestly didn't think it was a chicken. I found my favorite Splash Orpington going about her free ranging as usual but every few minutes she does like a honk/sneeze/cough sound. As far as I know this just started today and I spend a lot of time with my chickens and hadn't noticed anything before...
The symptoms and chicken info:
- When she coughs it's more like a honk follow by stretching her neck out for a wheezing inhale. There is also a quiet wheezing sound with regular breathing and mouth is open, though it was in the mid 90s here today so most were panting on and off.
- No swelling on face, no discharge, nothing to lead me to believe it's respiratory infection yet.
- I have a very healthy flock that free ranges daily and none of the other chickens are showing any symptoms.
- She's fat, the fatest chicken I have even compared to the other English Orpingtons and has always been that way.
- She's only about a year and half old.
What I have done to treat her:
I gave her a warm Epsom salt bath and rubbed her crop for a while, assuming something was possibly stuck. I didn't see anything when looking down her throat and I also swabbed her throat with VetRX on a q-tip, no sign of worms or cankers. I also mixed some vitamins into olive oil and gave her a bit in a syringe to hopeful help her pass something that could be stuck?
I also started adding Ropapoultry to all of their water again just to be safe.
I have read a ton about common chicken ailments since owning them and I have a little first aid cabinet for them just in case but I'm finding myself completely perplexed I really hope someone can tell me what's wrong with her. I realize because she's so fat that it could be almost a meat chicken type situation for her but thought it was worth asking the professionals.
Picture of her today in her Epsom salt "bath"... thank you in advance for any help that can be offered.
The symptoms and chicken info:
- When she coughs it's more like a honk follow by stretching her neck out for a wheezing inhale. There is also a quiet wheezing sound with regular breathing and mouth is open, though it was in the mid 90s here today so most were panting on and off.
- No swelling on face, no discharge, nothing to lead me to believe it's respiratory infection yet.
- I have a very healthy flock that free ranges daily and none of the other chickens are showing any symptoms.
- She's fat, the fatest chicken I have even compared to the other English Orpingtons and has always been that way.
- She's only about a year and half old.
What I have done to treat her:
I gave her a warm Epsom salt bath and rubbed her crop for a while, assuming something was possibly stuck. I didn't see anything when looking down her throat and I also swabbed her throat with VetRX on a q-tip, no sign of worms or cankers. I also mixed some vitamins into olive oil and gave her a bit in a syringe to hopeful help her pass something that could be stuck?
I also started adding Ropapoultry to all of their water again just to be safe.
I have read a ton about common chicken ailments since owning them and I have a little first aid cabinet for them just in case but I'm finding myself completely perplexed I really hope someone can tell me what's wrong with her. I realize because she's so fat that it could be almost a meat chicken type situation for her but thought it was worth asking the professionals.
Picture of her today in her Epsom salt "bath"... thank you in advance for any help that can be offered.