Obstructed airway? Hen having trouble breathing

[Trish1974]

Go ahead and try it. But take special care not to put any pressure on her crop. Just do an invert with a gentle shake downward and let her rest in that position for about ten seconds, then turn her right side up again.

I would still recommend the vaporizer tonight.

Thank you. There is a sink in the utility room; I have the hot water running to steam up the room.
Do I hold her body upside down, or by her legs?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Thank you. There is a sink in the utility room; I have the hot water running to steam up the room.
Do I hold her body upside down, or by her legs?

Hold her by her body.

 

[SixNolans]

I haven't seen her try to drink, but she does eat. She is in a dog crate in my utility room.

Try to get her to drink and see what she does. It’s possible she has a cold too. She may need some vitamins.

 

[Trish1974]

Try to get her to drink and see what she does. It’s possible she has a cold too. She may need some vitamins.

Thank you. They have been getting vitamins every other day for almost a week due to our horrible weather conditions.

 

[Trish1974]

So, I did as @azygous suggested (turning her upside down, gentle shake, hold for 10 seconds) and it didn't help, BUT, the entire time she was upside down she didn't make the noises.

 

[azygous]

Well now, isn't that interesting? Was you hen okay with this little maneuver? Or did she panic and flap her wings?

Can you repeat it one more time? This time give her two thrusts downward and hold for a little longer. If she flaps her wings, that actually could be helpful in dislodging what's stuck in her airway.

Again, be very careful not to touch her crop.

 

[azygous]

When you do the thrusts, pretend you're shaking pennies out of a piggy bank.

 

[Trish1974]

Well now, isn't that interesting? Was you hen okay with this little maneuver? Or did she panic and flap her wings?

Can you repeat it one more time? This time give her two thrusts downward and hold for a little longer. If she flaps her wings, that actually could be helpful in dislodging what's stuck in her airway.

Again, be very careful not to touch her crop.

She struggled at first, but I had a hold of her over her wings so she couldn't flap. I will get under her wings and against her body this time.

 

[Trish1974]

Well now, isn't that interesting? Was you hen okay with this little maneuver? Or did she panic and flap her wings?

Can you repeat it one more time? This time give her two thrusts downward and hold for a little longer. If she flaps her wings, that actually could be helpful in dislodging what's stuck in her airway.

Again, be very careful not to touch her crop.

I did it again, and let her flap her wings. She is still making the horrible noises. This time every time I shook her she made the noise a little bit, but for the most part her breathing was silent again while she was upside down.
After I set her down I felt around her throat again. I can feel raspiness/rattling under her jaw. As I got past her beard her throat felt bigger around, maybe like there was fluid?? Or is that normal anatomy?

 

[azygous]

I am almost certain that the obstruction is at the very top of her airway in her voice box (larynx). That's probably what you feel. That's all the maneuvers for tonight. Tomorrow when you have a helper, in addition to shining a light down her throat and snapping a good photo, I'd like to see you repeat the inverted maneuver without the thrusts, but have your helper stroke the hens' throat toward her beak just behind where her lower beak starts. That's where her larynx is.

You could try it alone by holding her body between your knees. It would be more comfortable for you to be sitting down. Then try a little circular massage of her larynx with a downward stroke to finish. Then that will have to be it until you get help tomorrow with photographing her throat. We may even be able to see what's stuck there.