Tilhana
Songster
Hi all! Hoping someone can help me...
Last night I noticed one of my 2-year-old hens was hanging out in the corner of the coop, panting. Normally they sleep on their perches, and usually when I see one on the floor it means they're sick. I've seen birds panting a bit the last few days since it started getting hot, but this was late, after it had cooled down a bit. I separated her from the flock just in case.
This morning she's still holding her mouth open and her breathing seems labored. She stretches her neck out when she breathes and when I hold her it feels like she's really working to expand her lungs. She drank some water and afterwards I noticed a sort of intermittent wheezing, rattling sound on the exhale. But the panting is pretty much constant.
She looks pretty normal otherwise. Her comb is red but perhaps a bit less perky than usual. Eyes and nose are clear; I checked her throat and can't see anything abnormal.
I've looked online and there are about 12 different respiratory illnesses with similar symptoms. Anyone have any ideas of what it might be? Anything relatively non-invasive treatments I can do to give her sort of an immune boost to help her fight off whatever it is?
Thanks for your help!
Last night I noticed one of my 2-year-old hens was hanging out in the corner of the coop, panting. Normally they sleep on their perches, and usually when I see one on the floor it means they're sick. I've seen birds panting a bit the last few days since it started getting hot, but this was late, after it had cooled down a bit. I separated her from the flock just in case.
This morning she's still holding her mouth open and her breathing seems labored. She stretches her neck out when she breathes and when I hold her it feels like she's really working to expand her lungs. She drank some water and afterwards I noticed a sort of intermittent wheezing, rattling sound on the exhale. But the panting is pretty much constant.
She looks pretty normal otherwise. Her comb is red but perhaps a bit less perky than usual. Eyes and nose are clear; I checked her throat and can't see anything abnormal.
I've looked online and there are about 12 different respiratory illnesses with similar symptoms. Anyone have any ideas of what it might be? Anything relatively non-invasive treatments I can do to give her sort of an immune boost to help her fight off whatever it is?
Thanks for your help!
