I have a 6 month old pullet who in the past couple of weeks has begun gaping (takes a deep breath) on and off during the day. She doesn't do it constantly, but does it enough to make me wonder. She eats, drinks, poops and bounces around just fine. There has been NO signs of coughing, sneezing or head shaking. NO nasal discharge, eye discharge or any crustiness around her head. NO wheezing or any difficulty breathing. Except for the occasional gaping she looks and acts perfectly healthy.
She's in our temporary pen which is a chicken tractor elevated on some pressure treated wood pallets with pine shavings for bedding. She has been isolated from the main flock and any wild birds. The only birds she was exposed to were 3 hatchery chicks and 3 I hatched here.
After searching here for gaping I thought she may have gapeworms so I looked down her throat. Nothing. Of course I hadn't read that gapeworms have an intermediate host and she's done no ranging where she could pick them up.
This began after I cleaned out the pen she's in and put in some new bedding. I had bleached the floor a year and a half ago when I moved the last residents out but there was some dust left that I couldn't get out. Is it possible I stirred up something during the cleaning that's causing the problem?
Any suggestions?
-Cindy in MA
She's in our temporary pen which is a chicken tractor elevated on some pressure treated wood pallets with pine shavings for bedding. She has been isolated from the main flock and any wild birds. The only birds she was exposed to were 3 hatchery chicks and 3 I hatched here.
After searching here for gaping I thought she may have gapeworms so I looked down her throat. Nothing. Of course I hadn't read that gapeworms have an intermediate host and she's done no ranging where she could pick them up.
This began after I cleaned out the pen she's in and put in some new bedding. I had bleached the floor a year and a half ago when I moved the last residents out but there was some dust left that I couldn't get out. Is it possible I stirred up something during the cleaning that's causing the problem?
Any suggestions?
-Cindy in MA