Hi and Help!

[katieshens]

Hi. I am new to keeping hens and have 2 backyard pet hens which I allow to free range during the day. One has just started extending her neck and doing what sort of resembles a yawning movement with beak wide open. No other visible symptoms. Has she something caught in her throat, or do you have any other clues as to what this might be? Her crop has always been sort of to the side, compared to the other hen and I wonder if theres such a thing as a twisted crop? Also she is a lot smaller than the other even tho they get the same food. I just read about checking around the breast bone and she does seem a bit boney.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! You might want to post on the Emergencies forum about your hen www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures how old are the girls, have they ever been wormed?

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Sorry about your hen. How long has this been going on? Listen to her breathing to see if she possibly has a respiratory ailment. You would hear wheezing while she breathes. Check for runny nose and watery eyes. It is possible she could have gape worms. As Kelsie has asked, have you wormed them recently? Safeguard Equine Wormer Paste will take care of gapeworms.

So I would check of respiratory ailments and if none seem to be present and you have not wormed your flock in this last year, you might consider worming them. A pea sized dolup on a tiny piece of bread. Give each bird one piece. Repeat this dosage in 10 to 12 days. Do not eat the eggs for 2 weeks after the last dosage.

BUT....you should still post this in our emergency section for more help with this. There could be other things going on as well. Kelsie has left you with the link.

I hope she makes a full recovery.

 

[gander007]

 

[drumstick diva]

Late getting to this - did they have gapeworms? A friend ignored those symptoms in her hen and it passed away. She kept treating it with human cold medicine - for whatever(??) reasons.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

We're glad to have you.

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!