Strange chicken breathing

[rladner]

Hello

This is my first time posting on Backyard Chickens. As I'm sure is the case for many of you, my first post is in the disease/injury section. Worry has driven me to you guys!

I have a two month old Millie Fleur Bantam, who began a strange behavior a few days ago. At various, random intervals, she'll close her eyes, open her mouth to breathe through it while moving her head up and down. She'll do this for a few minutes at a time, before going back to her little chicken routine. This strange behavior doesn't happen often, but the first time it happened she was stressed out (because I had to chase her around trying to catch her to put antibiotics on her eye). She's also lost just a little bit of weight in the last week - but she's still got quite a bit of meat on her bones. This is very concerning for me, because I had another chick a month ago who started doing this same thing for a few hours before dying. Have any of you experienced this, and do you have any advice on what to do?

 

[MissChick@dee]

Hiya
Nice to meet you!


Sorry for your troubles.
At first read I was thinking a crop issue but you mentioned that another hen just recently passed. Sorry for your loss.
There are some basic questions that we will ask that will help us help you.
What do you feed?
Have you given her a thorough exam?
Have you checked her crop?
Her vent?
Does she wezz when she breaths?
What does her poop look like?
I’m guessing it could be respiratory.

 

[rladner]

Hello, thanks for your response!

Right now she's on medicated Chick Starter. She doesn't lay eggs, as she's two months old, about the same age as the other 3 she lives with. How would I check her crop and vent? She will occasionally weeze, it's like a whistling through her nose. Also, I haven't been watching her poop, but I can keep an eye out for it.

 

[MissChick@dee]

You might want to separate her from the others just so you can monitor her food and water intake along with her poop.
The crop is the pouch on her lower neck top of her chest on the right side. After they eat it should feel like a lump.
You could look it up on YouTube.
Her vent is where they poop.
You mentioned her eyes and putting ointment in them. What was happening there?
Does she have any discharge coming out of her nose?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hello

This is my first time posting on Backyard Chickens. As I'm sure is the case for many of you, my first post is in the disease/injury section. Worry has driven me to you guys!

I have a two month old Millie Fleur Bantam, who began a strange behavior a few days ago. At various, random intervals, she'll close her eyes, open her mouth to breathe through it while moving her head up and down. She'll do this for a few minutes at a time, before going back to her little chicken routine. This strange behavior doesn't happen often, but the first time it happened she was stressed out (because I had to chase her around trying to catch her to put antibiotics on her eye). She's also lost just a little bit of weight in the last week - but she's still got quite a bit of meat on her bones. This is very concerning for me, because I had another chick a month ago who started doing this same thing for a few hours before dying. Have any of you experienced this, and do you have any advice on what to do?

Hello, thanks for your response!

Right now she's on medicated Chick Starter. She doesn't lay eggs, as she's two months old, about the same age as the other 3 she lives with. How would I check her crop and vent? She will occasionally weeze, it's like a whistling through her nose. Also, I haven't been watching her poop, but I can keep an eye out for it.

Welcome To BYC

Can you tell us more about what the antibiotics in the eye is for? Does she have a respiratory illness?
What type of antibiotic are you using?
A video of her actions (the strange breathing) would be helpful - upload to youtube then provide us a link.

When do you notice this breathing the most - when you are trying to catch her, when she had been eating/drinking, etc. is there a pattern?

You mention a wheezing - is there mucous from the nostrils, any coughing, etc.?

What does her crop feel like?

 

[MissChick@dee]

If you could take pictures that would be very helpful too.