Please help ASAP!

[TheFarmMama]

One of my month old marans got its head stuck inside the cage earlier this morning. When I heard the racket I came running and got its head unstuck as quickly as I could but I fear maybe not soon enough. All seemed well initially but now (appears to be a she compared to its friends) she is having trouble breathing. About 15 mins after it happened she was starting to gasp for air while trying to eat (didn't see if anything actually got consumed, she just ran to the trough when I filled it up) and now she has these random episodes where shes craning her neck to one side and making what sounds like something quietly blowing their nose. I don't know how else to describe it. Then she does that slightly opened mouth gasping and you can see the little tongue sort of strain. Right now she's cuddled up inside my sweatshirt. She's still alert, can hold her head up, and can look around when the others fuss for her. But she's also very content sleeping in my arms which is NOT normal for this one. Usually she's the least friendly so I know something isn't right. When I set her down now she's not interested in standing up anymore and is keeping sort of crouched down then falls to her right side some. She's also acting like she has something in her mouth like when you'd get reflux and keeps swallowing. She's still well enough to try to escape me grabbing her out of the box I had put her in. Has this happened to anyone else? Is there anything I can do? I'm so scared she's going to die but I'm trying not to lose faith quite yet. I feel so helpless and sad for her. Please help if you can

I'm adding a few pics now: http://s794.photobucket.com/albums/yy230/TheFarmMama/ Under title "Hurt Penguin". There's another pic of her on here too when she's healthy&well.

 

[chickensioux]

Does she have any wounds? Can you tell if she is injured anywhere in or near her mouth/throat? She could just be in shock. I would keep her inside in a warm, dark, quiet environment. Can she eat or drink? If you have some, put vit/electrolytes in her water. If you don't have that you can put sugar or gatorade in her water. See if you can get her to eat something for you. Yogurt, scrambled eggs. She could have an injury you can't see. Keep us posted and maybe someone else has some ideas too. Good luck

 

[tdgill]

some cold mash..if there is swelling maybe something yummy and soft and cold would help reduce it. and rest

 

[TheFarmMama]

Thanks for the responses yall. No visible wounds. Seems like she hurt something inside her neck. She's been sleeping in my lap for the last hour and a half. She does wake up and even stood to look around a few times but it seems like whenever she stands is when that weird breathing starts. I'll try some sugar water and see if she'll drink it first. I'll keep yall posted. Thanks again.

 

[TheFarmMama]

Well she did drink a few sips of sugar water for me although it was a bit of a forced effort on my behalf with putting it to her beak. When I let her go this last time she did get up from her laying position and run around some so I'm thinking maybe a pulled muscle? That would explain her weird head/neck positioning I figure. She does look like she's maybe a little swollen in the neck too. It would make sense with how she was throwing her body around trying to get unstuck. She was doing good with no noises for a little while but once she got active again it started back up. She seemed pretty happy when she saw her 2 buddies so I'm going to let her go in with them and try to get a little sleep for a bit. Maybe they can stimulate her to drink and eat some and hopefully she'll improve more. Poor thing.

*I just let her go on the ground to see if she'd walk into the cage with the others...not only did she walk, she jumped and RAN to them and then straight to the food lol So maybe someone just secretly wanted some attention? Still making an abnormal chirping noise but guess not much to complain about if she's doing all that right? I know I ramble...sorry, I just worry about them so much and we only have 3 of the FBCM, that were given to us, so they're very important to me.

 

[chickensioux]

Sounds like she will be fine. Maybe sore for awhile. Hope all stays well....

 

[Barnyard]

I was going to say that it sounds to me that she may have had a little swelling going on and then when she went to get something to eat, well it just kinda got stuck. The weird way she was moving her neck side to side, was her trying to get the food to go down. I have watched my chickens enough to know that if they are really hungry and eat to fast, they do this. I have also had a Mille Fleur that did this and "it" was choking...the hole wierd noise while breathing, tongue sticking out of its mouth kinda thing, I had to force the food back out of its throat mouth. If I had not done that, it would have died for sure.


I hope your girl is going to be ok now....sure sounds like she has improved a little!!

 

[TheFarmMama]

Thanks again yall, I think it is safe to say she's okay now or at least on her way to it anyhow. She's (hopefully she stays a she! lol) doing much better, eating, drinking, and acting like a normal chicken again for the most part. She was more like just keeping her head to one side only-the side that was facing the ground while she was struggling to get out and sort of falling over when she laid but sleeping and acting like the others now so thank God for that one and thanks again to all of you for helping and the well wishes!