No emergency Chicken Choked to death? Just wanted some info what to do if it happened again

[Highhopes59]

Earlier I went to pick up my Welsummer. She went to run from me but caught her on her second step Id say. She is semi tame but never gave much of a hoot when you held her. Tonight she was happy healthy pecking around when I picker her up. She didnt fight me but flapped her wing out so I tucked it back under my arm,I walked out to the coop and she starts like shes trying to get air and cant. I tried everything I could think of holding her upside down and smacking her back, tried lookng down her throat and saw absolutely nothing and even tried CPR and nothing would work. She died in my arms as I still tried to save her. I know Im a newbie really cause I havent had chickens since I was a kid but I have never seen or heard of anything like his. It was the wierdest thing. I know one thing, I wish I would of never picked her up. She was so happy and such a sweetie. Im just heart broken I did that to her. I kept thinking I felt something in her throat but cant be for certain. If this was to happen again and anyone would know what happened could ya give me instructions on what to do if it did happen agian. I just kept thinking I wasnt doing something right or something I should of been doing and didnt think of it, I sure dont mean to take away from anyone that has a emergency so this can wait if needed be.Im just scared if it ever happens agian like what to do to help them. SO scared.

 

[2greenboyz]

I really doubt it was anything you did, so quit beating yourself up over this. You really need to find out why she died. I hope you still have her - if so - put her in a cooler with ice or wrap and put in the fridge. Take her to a vet or agricultural office asap, do not freeze. It has to be done within 48 hours. You are asking what to do and this is what I would do. If she choked on something you probably would have seen it, so it was something else. I had to pull a grape out of one chicken, she was going to try and swallow it whole and she gagged on it. I am so sorry you are going thru this

You did everything you could to save her, you did nothing wrong, and you were very brave to do what you did. Now you need to find out why.

 

[Highhopes59]

I already buried her. I thought she deserve a proper burial is all, Id never thought of anything else to do except what to do to help another ever went thru thiss. She was perfectly fine and happy before I picked her up. She was just like her normal happy self. It was just like once I choked on a cold McDs french fry. I couldnt get air in or out. I felt my self draining and as I was starting to fall I threw myself into the counter top. I was hoping so bad shed cough it up. Thats the only way I can think of explaining what she went thru to a tee. Maybe Ill call in the morning and see if they want me to bring her in. Sounds morbid but she didnt deserve that at all. I dont know what theyll say being I had her funeral already. Sweetie I sure do thaank you. Maybe they can tell me what happened for sure. I know she sure was a sweetheart.

 

[ChicknCharm]

Look up gapeworms, just in case. We had one that dropped weight and shook her head, I did not notice until she was really ill. Then, it was too late, I read about gapeworms later and really think that may have been culprit. She loved eating eathworms who are involved in the life cycle. You can swab their throats with a qtip and if any red string things show up, it is gapeworm. But, I do not know if you always see them on a swab. Only an idea if you see other hens shaking their heads and "gaping" for air.

 

[dawg53]

Look up gapeworms, just in case. We had one that dropped weight and shook her head, I did not notice until she was really ill. Then, it was too late, I read about gapeworms later and really think that may have been culprit. She loved eating eathworms who are involved in the life cycle. You can swab their throats with a qtip and if any red string things show up, it is gapeworm. But, I do not know if you always see them on a swab. Only an idea if you see other hens shaking their heads and "gaping" for air.

It's rare that chickens get gapeworm. If one bird gets them, the rest get them as well. Most likely it's a respiratory problem or they're adjusting their crop.

 

[dawg53]

Earlier I went to pick up my Welsummer. She went to run from me but caught her on her second step Id say. She is semi tame but never gave much of a hoot when you held her. Tonight she was happy healthy pecking around when I picker her up. She didnt fight me but flapped her wing out so I tucked it back under my arm,I walked out to the coop and she starts like shes trying to get air and cant. I tried everything I could think of holding her upside down and smacking her back, tried lookng down her throat and saw absolutely nothing and even tried CPR and nothing would work. She died in my arms as I still tried to save her. I know Im a newbie really cause I havent had chickens since I was a kid but I have never seen or heard of anything like his. It was the wierdest thing. I know one thing, I wish I would of never picked her up. She was so happy and such a sweetie. Im just heart broken I did that to her. I kept thinking I felt something in her throat but cant be for certain. If this was to happen again and anyone would know what happened could ya give me instructions on what to do if it did happen agian. I just kept thinking I wasnt doing something right or something I should of been doing and didnt think of it, I sure dont mean to take away from anyone that has a emergency so this can wait if needed be.Im just scared if it ever happens agian like what to do to help them. SO scared.

Not much descriptions of symptoms to take a guess at what you're dealing with. I recommend you keep a close eye on the rest of your birds for any problems and let us know.

 

[Highhopes59]

Has anyone here had a chicken that had a heart attack? I dont mean to sound crazy or bring up bad memories at all. I was just wandering if thier breathing stops asap and they try to get air in and out but they cant when thier having a heart attack. My lil girl simply couldnt get air in or out. She died real quickly. No feathers ruffled no acting droopy before. Just a normal happy healthy looking chicken. My friend whos had chickens thought it possibly could of been a heart attack and was just wandering if anyone had experienced this. I did find earlier in the day a styrofoam plate that had been pecked alot and wandering if she chocked on a small piece of it and it just lodged when I picked her up and thats why I couldnt see anything in her throat?

 

[Highhopes59]

Everyone seems ok up to this day. My friend thinks she may of had a heart attack. It was a real bummer. I can lighten the note here though cause Ive got a funny thing to tell you guys and also newbies that might be freaking out that this might be happening to your chickies. Ive been stressing over my hens. I thought the one had breast cancer, honestly I did. Then 2 more of my young ones had a lump too. Now Ive owned parrots all kinda of little birds from finches, canarys and had chickens as a kid. Youd of thought Id been smarter than this. I have asked anyone that knows about chickens about it and even asked TSC where they had gotten thier chicks from. I thought Id call and ask what I might be dealing with, especially when I noticed my other 2 hens with this lump. I thought Id google it and had a real DA moment when they said it was normal and suppose to be there because its thier crop. OMGeesh Ive been worried to death lol. I cant imagine what you guys go thru trying to answer some of us - well guessin I might as well be a newbie cause I certainly dont remember anything - even that birds have crops I just want to thank you all for your caring about our birds out here it sure means the world to me. You guys are so aweaome to take your time out and care like ya do THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[witland]

Hello, I just happened to find this post and am so sorry for your loss.

Something very similar happened to me this morning -- I was feeding my hens and one of them started coughing like she had something stuck in her throat. She couldn't dislodge it and kept coughing, however I thought she was still able to breathe, since she was walking around normally. After about a minute and a half or two, I picked her up to feel her crop and she struggled (like she always does, since she hates to be held) and then she went downhill really fast after that and died within a minute or so.

She started aspirating (I guess) and some yellow liquid came out her mouth. It was really awful and has left me feeling that I didn't do enough. In fact I did so little--but at the same time didn't realize it was dire until after I picked her up.

What I fed the hens this morning was their normal layer feed and had put an ear of grilled corn in the dish because they are all nuts for corn on the cob.

After reading some comment about checking to see if her throat was blocked, I opened up her mouth and do think a kernel of corn got lodged in there. Given the fact I've seen the girls eat things much bigger than a kernel of corn, does this seem right that she would have choked on something so small?

Also is there something I should have done to try to dislodge the kernel?? A chicken heimlich maneuver, so to speak?

 

[azygous]

I had a chicken die from something lodged in her throat. Liquid came up after I had tried to shake her to dislodge the obstruction, then she died. She had been eating cherry tomatoes along with the rest of the flock.

Not long after that, I had another hen eat a cherry tomato and stop breathing. I was right there, so I saw her panic, run around, then keel over when she ran out of air. I grabbed her and massaged her crop, and miraculously, the obstruction cleared, and she began to breathe again.

I asked a chicken expert if there was such a thing as a "chicken Heimlich". He said yes, indeed there is. You grab the choking chicken by the feet, making sure you have plenty of room, and swing her in a downward motion between your feet. Gravity and centrifugal force should dislodge any obstruction.

I haven't had to use it, though. I try to cut up any cherry tomatoes that are larger than usual.

You can't have chickens without losing a few to a learning curve. It's very painful when you have a chicken in distress and you don't know what to do. We've all been there.