panting hen - what's going on??

[Red]

Recently our 5 year old black sex link hen, Penny, will sometimes start panting in her sleep. She will face the ceiling and open her mouth and pant. This only happens at night when she's sleeping, and only then when she is laying / sitting down. It seems to stop when she roosts on a perch or stands up.

She is still acting perfectly healthy throughout the day, and when she is awake the only time she pants is if she is stressed or too hot, and that is very rare. The weather here is pretty cool so i can't imagine it's heat-related.

I'm a little worried about this - any ideas?

Thanks for any advice

Red

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Is it really hot where you live right now? Penny might just be hot.

My black Ameraucanas will pant w/ their little mouths open during the day when they are hot. I think they get hotter than the other b/c of their color.

I give them ice chips in their water to peck at, ice chips in a bowl or offer them something cold to eat. Sometime getting them a little misted can help cool them down also.

If you are worried about a respirtort thing going on, then hold Penny realy close to your ear and listen to her breathing to see if you hear rattling.

Hope Penny is ok.

 

[Jenski]

Could she be getting a little . . . ahem . . . plump at five years old? I wonder if she could have fatty liver syndrome, or something else that can affect the heart and respiratory system.

?

 

[Red]

Thank you very much for the quick response!

It's not overly hot here (UK) , and a lot cooler at night. She hasn't been panting throughout the day, only at night...and her whole neck strains while she pants.

I will go try and listen to her breathing, she is panting right now in bed...she's even woken herself up and is just sitting there panting at the ceiling

Thanks again

 

[Red]

Sorry, Jenski, cross-post. Thank you for the reply

Tilly (Penny's sister) is quite plump (we are trying to get her to lose weight, but being the top of the pecking order she gets all the treats first

) but Penny is one of our slimmest chickens...

Do you think I should take her to the vets? Oh she'll like that, she hates being picked up or even touched by people, she's our chickenist chicken!

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Hmmmm! If it's not to hot then I guess she isn't over heating.

Is she still laying? Is her tummy swollen? Is she eating & drinking? Have you checked her vent to make sure everything is ok there?

Sometimes if they are egg bound, prolapse or internal layer they may pant, but their tummy will most likely be swollen.

Hope Penny is ok. Let us know what you find out.

 

[Red]

I have gone down and gently moved her onto her perch, and although the panting stopped for maybe a minute she has started again now...

As far as i know she has been laying...she lays identical eggs as her sister so it's difficult to be sure, but she has been going up to the nest box and singing the egg song after going up there so i presume she is laying.

She is eating and drinking normal. I'm not sure if her tummy is swollen, i don't handle her as regularly as the others because she is so nervous around humans...i did hold her today though and didn't notice anything different. I will have a proper check tomorrow.

Thank you again...

 

[Jenski]

Red - I sent you a PM.