Maine

[diana507]

PLEASE HELP! I have a chicken they is wheezing bad this morning and sounds like she is having a hard time breathing. What could it be?

 

[caesargirl]

PLEASE HELP! I have a chicken they is wheezing bad this morning and sounds like she is having a hard time breathing. What could it be?

@casportponyk, you may not be a Mainer, but lend a hand???

 

[lazy gardener]

How are the rest of them doing? I really have no idea what's going on. Occasionally, I have one that does a whistle respiration, like she's got something stuck in her trachea. Usually it passes. Have you been to the disease section and posted there. Sorry. No experience her. If it was in my flock, I'd be tempted to cull if it doesn't improve after 24 hours or if it gets worse.

 

[caesargirl]

I was told to tell you to try VetRx....

 

[diana507]

I did get some Vet Rx today and put a few drops down her throat and gave her a small piece of bread with olive oil. Still wheezing tonight. I don't have a place to segregate her from the others. The others are acting great and lively. Tomorrow I am going to try putting the vet rx on a q tip to put in her nose like the directions say you can do. I'm gonna take her out of coop tomorrow to see if she is eating or drinking and see what her poop looks like. Maybe get her to perk up some. Going to recheck her in the morning to look down her throat better since my husband will be home to help hold her so I can see better. I did post in the emergency section this morning and no one responded.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

If it were my bird I would not do anything but move her into the house where it was warm. Do you have a cat carrier? This doesn't sound good and it could be a lot of things so be prepared for anything.

 

[buckabucka]

Good luck with your bird, Diana. I agree with getting her in the house so you can observe her. I had one that was wheezing and making a loud noise with every inhale one evening. I expected to find her dead in the morning, but the noise had stopped and she was fine.
I have another bird that often made loud choking sounds, even as a chick. She is 5 years old now, still wheezing away, like she has asthma or something.

How long has this been going on? There are lots of more sinister things that can go wrong, time will tell. It sounds like you are doing your best with her.

 

[diana507]

I don't have a cat carrier or a small carrier. I have the guinea pigs old cage but that's too small for her. This all started yesterday morning when I went to let them out. Didn't notice anything the day before. That or she weren't wheezing as bad and loud. It won't bother her coming in the house and then when she's better back out in the cold? I will let you know what I find this morning when I let them out.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I've had plenty of birds I've had to bring indoors at some point in the fall/winter and they spent anywhere from 1 night to 30 nights in the house without issue, then go back outside.

If you don't have anything suitable for her to come in with - can you get a large cardboard box? Use something you have around the house (like a fireplace cover?) or lock her in a small room like a bathroom (if she's lethargic).

 

[diana507]

She's still rattling this morning not as bad as yesterday morning. She's in the nesting box laying at the moment in the coop. I will look around and see what I can find. In the meantime I put some electrolytes and probiotics in their waterer and going to put some Vet Rx in the cleft of her mouth so it will hit her nostrils too. When she's done laying I'm going to pick her up and reexamine her again to see if anything is different from yesterday.