Lethargic Hen

[bailey'smama]

I have a hen who is a little over a year old. About two days ago, I was feeding the chickens bread which I do frequently. She ate some, but then, looked like she was choking: opening her beak very wide, would pick up bread and drop it, etc. After a few minutes, she went back to eating.

This morning, she did not leave the coop with the other chickens. She is sitting on a perch opening her beak widely like she can't get enough air. She isn't in a nesting box either so I don't think she's broody. She didn't even come out for sunflower seeds so I'm concerned.

What could be wrong? and what do I do?

 

[Miss Lydia]

bailey'smama :

I have a hen who is a little over a year old. About two days ago, I was feeding the chickens bread which I do frequently. She ate some, but then, looked like she was choking: opening her beak very wide, would pick up bread and drop it, etc. After a few minutes, she went back to eating.

This morning, she did not leave the coop with the other chickens. She is sitting on a perch opening her beak widely like she can't get enough air. She isn't in a nesting box either so I don't think she's broody. She didn't even come out for sunflower seeds so I'm concerned.

What could be wrong? and what do I do?

Maybe gape worms, they get in the throat and can choke them. Get Epernix pour-on and treat them all depending on her size you put 3 to 7 drops on the birds skin on the back of neck close to where the wings start. if you can;'t find Epernix then get Ivermectin pour-on. Epernix is better because theres no egg withdrawl.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=102698​

 

[DazeGoneBy]

This sounds like what our 6 week old hen was doing in the first week after we got her. We noticed her opening her mouth real wide for several days. Then, she got lethargic and her eyes would droop, then shortly she kept one eye closed. I had noticed her sneezing and some bubbles over her nostril when we first got her. Hubby did some searching on the internet and thinks she had a respritory infection (http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/respiratory_disease.htm).

So, we called the lady we got her from, and she said she would take her back for a week and give her antibiotics and see if she could make her better. Just got a call that she is doing great and we'll go pick her up tomorrow. Yay!