Penny the 5 yr old bantam gasping for air.

[mew317]

Hi, Mew here. Penny is a 5 yr old Silver Duckwing hen that has Crookback.
She’s gasping for air and “Usually it means it’s a heart problem.”
We’ve pulled our bantam rooster named Digger (Rest in Peace, lil buddy) out of the same problem 4 times.
Q: VIDEOOOOO-
A: I’m not sure and I ain’t allowed.

Q: What’s the poop like?
A: Runny/solid-ish.

Q:How long since she laid a egg?
A:Since summer. She laid one that was kinda, well, not very solid. It wasn’t a normal egg as it was a soft shelled egg.

Q: Crop or Vent check?
A:No. I don’t think it’s a big problem.

Penny was bought with 5 other siblings..they died after a month one by one.
Fun Fact: Penny was bought for my birthday.
Fun Fact: She had chicks that were stolen we think.

Can someone help me out here? Thanks.
-The Chicken lover, Mew317.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

5 yr old Silver Duckwing hen that has Crookback.
She’s gasping for air and “Usually it means it’s a heart problem.”

Since summer. She laid one that was kinda, well, not very solid. It wasn’t a normal egg as it was a soft shelled egg.

Can you post photos of her and the poop?
Explain crookback.

Gasping for air can be a number of things, if you have vet care that is always best.
Feel of her abdomen between the legs, swelling, bloat or fluid. Check the crop, how does that feel-full, hard, soft, squishy, etc. Do you notice any mucous, coughing, sneezing or water eyes? Have you added any chickens to your flock within the last 30days?

 

[Abriana]

I’m sorry for your losses I lost my first chick six days after I got my first eight. It was very hard.

 

[mew317]

Crookback - Her back disc is out of place (I forget if it’s called a disc or not or if I got the right thing for it!) and can’t heal correctly. She can walk fine.

 

[mew317]

I have a picture of her before this started. Here.

Penny is off to the right side staring at me as I took the picture. Penny is a loving hen and I can’t loose her or I’ll be heartbroken.

 

[mew317]

We got Silkie Mutts (they are different types of chickens eck), Silver Wyandottes (I put up a thread about them because I had 14. Now 6.), A Golden Wyandotte cockerel, Hermit Crabs (3 of them to be exact.), 3 male guinea pigs, and then Penny. Penny has had this before but it was very mild and not “CRDOSKSKSAAAAW” and the gasping. She’s sneezing or making a very loud and high pitched bawk that’s long. I’ll go get a picture of her right now (The cage is small, I know, We’re gonna get the male guinea pigs out of there and put her in soon.) Anyways, if Penny dies, I just might stop with chickens for a bit.

 

[mew317]

A small update!
She pulled herself out of it at the moment. No eggs because Penny isn’t laying eggs. Penny is 5, possibly 6, I ain’t sure what’s wrong with her. Normally every 3 days she would lay, now it’s 6 or 7 months. I’m worried about Penny

 

[perthchickie]

I had a 3 yr old rescue with a similar problem- constant gasping to the point that she couldnt sleep. The vet did a blood test and she had severe anaemia. One of our other ladies donated some blood to her but that only fixed things for about half a day. It's just awful when you cant fix things for them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

A small update!
She pulled herself out of it at the moment. No eggs because Penny isn’t laying eggs. Penny is 5, possibly 6, I ain’t sure what’s wrong with her. Normally every 3 days she would lay, now it’s 6 or 7 months. I’m worried about Penny

I'm glad she has pulled through for the moment.
Her age is not helping her. Reproductive problems and internal laying are common in hens as well, so that's a possibility.
Sometimes the best you can do is keep them hydrated and eating. Add some poultry vitamins once a week, check her crop to make sure it's empty in the morning before she eats/drinks, watch to make sure there's no lice/mites and consider getting a fecal float to check for worms.

 

[mew317]

She is betterrrrrr! She normally does this but it goes away in 3 to 4 days.