Please help! Chicken suddenly gasping but otherwise alright

[LHCrown]

Hi friends! I live in Oregon and we’re currently having an awful heat wave, all my chickens have been panting a little as it gets to be over 100 degrees, I’ve been keeping their water fresh and they have lots of shade to hide in and I like to give them frozen treats. This morning I checked them and nothing seemed amiss but a few hours later I noticed one of my 4yo Americanas was standing in the same spot and gasping for air. I immediately took her from the group and have her quarantined in a pen. She seems alert and is standing upright, not fluffed up at all, just kinda pitching forward and gasping with her mouth wide over and over. There’s a soft little hiss/wheeze sound when she breathes in but it’s very quiet. Every now and then she will shake her head and my partner said there was some clear liquid that came out of her mouth sometimes when she shakes. I tried looking down her throat and cannot see any red worms or obstructions, I didn’t want to stress her too much so I could have missed something. She’s eating a little, I gave her some frozen corn and her regular feed, she’s eaten the corn but doesn’t seem interested in the other feed. I’ve tried giving her a little water very slowly with a syringe but it just made her cough and gasp and I felt like I would drown her. I’ve got some VetRX but haven’t given it to her yet because I don’t know how to get it in her if she won’t drink. This was so sudden I just can’t figure out what could be wrong. Here is a video of how she is breathing. She hasn’t changed in hours now.

https://youtube.com/shorts/5TSmYGEN0iw?feature=share

 

[WonkierZulu]

Dip her feet in cold water. Had one hen Saturday do the same thing. Read on here to put her feet in cold water it did the trick after about 30 min

 

[Texas Transplant]

There are others that will have more expertise but, I wanted to get back to you since your bird sounds like she is in crisis. If she has a small comb she may be over heated. I live in Central Oregon and I just dunked my girls (no higher than the wings) in a bucket for a minute in cool (not cold, you don't want them to go into shock). From what I understand, corn is a "hot" food and will actually heat them up (even though it's frozen) you may want to try frozen/fresh non-citrus fruit and/or frozen peas. I've also been making a mud puddle (not too wet) in a few places in the shade and they seem to be resting their keels on the cool damp dirt. I hope someone else gets back to you soon.

 

[LHCrown]

Dip her feet in cold water. Had one hen Saturday do the same thing. Read on here to put her feet in cold water it did the trick after about 30 min

I’ll try anything! Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Let us know how your girl is doing....hopefully, someone with more expertise gets back to you soon

I’ll try anything! Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[LHCrown]

Let us know how your girl is doing....hopefully, someone with more expertise gets back to you soon

I should note that the temp has gone down a lot here, only 85 degrees right now and my yard is very shady and cool. She’s moving a little more, pacing around in her pen but still gasping. I offered some frozen peas (didn’t know about the corn being a hot food, thank you for the tip!) and she’s been eating those pretty happily. I tried putting her feet in some cool water, she didn’t protest but it didn’t seem to help. It doesn’t seem like she’s pooped at all the whole time she’s been in her pen so that’s worrying me a bit, and still hasn’t drank any water. I posted on Reddit and some people mentioned soaking the feet and said their chickens were behaving similarly in the heat but I’m concerned people are misunderstanding and think I’m just worried about normal panting. I’ve seen the normals panting all the other chickens are doing, this is definitely not that!

 

[Texas Transplant]

Glad to hear the temperature has gone down....sadly, we're still hovering at 106 at 5:30 It'd be worth trying to open her mouth and see if there is something stuck in her throat (it does happen)....otherwise there are a number of things it could be (gapeworm etc). I've read articles that say when a chicken has gone beyond normal panting from heat exposure, their mobility becomes impaired and they can start gasping for air.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Glad to hear the temperature has gone down....sadly, we're still hovering at 106 at 5:30 It'd be worth trying to open her mouth and see if there is something stuck in her throat (it does happen)....otherwise there are a number of things it could be (gapeworm etc). I've read articles that say when a chicken has gone beyond normal panting from heat exposure, their mobility becomes impaired and they can start gasping for air.

Oh, sorry, I see you already looked down her throat, whoops, slightly delirious over here, we don't have air conditioning (never needed it before!).

 

[sewingkitty1170]

There are others that will have more expertise but, I wanted to get back to you since your bird sounds like she is in crisis. If she has a small comb she may be over heated. I live in Central Oregon and I just dunked my girls (no higher than the wings) in a bucket for a minute in cool (not cold, you don't want them to go into shock). From what I understand, corn is a "hot" food and will actually heat them up (even though it's frozen) you may want to try frozen/fresh non-citrus fruit and/or frozen peas. I've also been making a mud puddle (not too wet) in a few places in the shade and they seem to be resting their keels on the cool damp dirt. I hope someone else gets back to you soon.

Yes! Corn is a hot food! My dad grew up on a farm and raised chickens for eggs. Dad advised me not to feed it to my city flock during the warmer months.

 

[sewingkitty1170]

I should note that the temp has gone down a lot here, only 85 degrees right now and my yard is very shady and cool. She’s moving a little more, pacing around in her pen but still gasping. I offered some frozen peas (didn’t know about the corn being a hot food, thank you for the tip!) and she’s been eating those pretty happily. I tried putting her feet in some cool water, she didn’t protest but it didn’t seem to help. It doesn’t seem like she’s pooped at all the whole time she’s been in her pen so that’s worrying me a bit, and still hasn’t drank any water. I posted on Reddit and some people mentioned soaking the feet and said their chickens were behaving similarly in the heat but I’m concerned people are misunderstanding and think I’m just worried about normal panting. I’ve seen the normals panting all the other chickens are doing, this is definitely not that!

If she’s wheezing and has fluid flowing out of her beak, it could be pneumonia. Call your vet. I think you can give VetRx orally, but check the instruction. If you have Nutra Drench, give her some. That should help! I’ve given it to a sick chick and it perked mine right up!