Two-month long respiratory illness? Need advice

[darlingdarla]

You should see some results within a few days.

Depending on your set-up, you can try adding another feed station, that may reduce stress in trying to eat in a hurry.

Thank you, I usually put three plates out but I can always add more.

I have two more questions, sorry if I'm asking to many, i know that gapeworm is more dangerous to younger birds and I've mentioned that i have chicks coming soon (next week today actually), so I'm assuming that gapeworm is just something i have in my soil and the birds got it by eating a host like a slug, will i need to worry about my young ones when i move them outside in a few months? Also, what's the probability of my flock getting them again in the future?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

.They can be found in soil, etc., I would not worry too much about youngsters at this time. See how your adults do.

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/gapeworms
https://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2655&Itemid=2933

 

[darlingdarla]

.They can be found in soil, etc., I would not worry too much about youngsters at this time. See how your adults do.

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/gapeworms
https://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2655&Itemid=2933

So today was the flock's last dose of Safeguard, my sick hen is still wheezing, I think it's either something viral or as you suggested a reproductive issue.
So now I need to know how I can keep her comfortable, and what I can do to help improve her breathing?
It's finally starting to warm up and today was a really great day, I'm hoping the warm weather makes her feel a bit better. I took the day and cleaned out my coop and run as well as the yard.
What kinds of reproductive troubles could it be?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So today was the flock's last dose of Safeguard, my sick hen is still wheezing, I think it's either something viral or as you suggested a reproductive issue.
So now I need to know how I can keep her comfortable, and what I can do to help improve her breathing?
It's finally starting to warm up and today was a really great day, I'm hoping the warm weather makes her feel a bit better. I took the day and cleaned out my coop and run as well as the yard.
What kinds of reproductive troubles could it be?

Well, as mentioned in post#2 she may have Ascites which would be a symptom of reproductive problems.
Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Internal Laying, Salpingitis, cancer, tumors are some common reproductive problems hens can have.
IF she has fluid in the abdomen, it can be drained, that may give her some short term relief - but you don't feel that there's fluid there.
Since she cannot breath when you pick her up, I'm just not sure what else you can do.

It could also be viral like Infectious Bronchitis.

 

[darlingdarla]

Well, as mentioned in post#2 she may have Ascites which would be a symptom of reproductive problems.
Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Internal Laying, Salpingitis, cancer, tumors are some common reproductive problems hens can have.
IF she has fluid in the abdomen, it can be drained, that may give her some short term relief - but you don't feel that there's fluid there.
Since she cannot breath when you pick her up, I'm just not sure what else you can do.

It could also be viral like Infectious Bronchitis.

Alright, thank you then, you've been a big help.

 

[rebrascora]

Can you give her a soak in warm Epsom Salts bath and then post a photo of her wet back end before you dry her? Cup your hand between her legs when she is roosting at night and do the same to her sisters so that you can compare one to the other. Soiling her butt feathers suggests that there is some swelling. If you insert a lubricated gloved finger into her vent whilst she is soaking, how does it feel.... ie quite tight like there is pressure from surrounding tissue or reasonably relaxed. She may poop when you remove it but this will give her a little relief if she is starting to get bunged up, as eventually happens with these sort of problems. Can you monitor her droppings (perhaps cage her overnight in the coop) and get some photos of her poop) and watch her closely when she is eating because sometimes they will pretend to eat
I agree with @Wyorp Rock that this is likely a reproductive issue and there is an internal mass which is putting pressure on her respiratory system. The fact that she has stopped laying eggs at 3 years old and you describe her as hefty, are both indications of that, together with the yellow soiling and worsening respiratory distress when you handle her. It is also the time of year when these reproductive issues come to a head because they have been through a dormant period in their reproductive cycle during moult and winter when their body has a chance to recover a little from the effects of a malfunction, but then their hormones kick in and they start ovulating again and whatever ailment they are suffering (internal laying or salpingitis etc) causes the mass inside them to start increasing in size again. Does she have a nice ,plump comb?.... that tells you that she is ovulating. If no eggs are coming out then they are going somewhere else inside her. You will not feel individual eggs in her belly, just a fullness compared to a healthy laying hen which should have a slightly flaccid abdomen. Usually with internal laying and/or ascites, the fullness will be between the legs, whereas salpingitis causes swelling around and just below the vent because the mass is suspended in the oviduct. Sadly if this is her problem, there is not a lot that can be done unless you have a good vet and lots of money to throw at it... please ask for more info if this is the case but surgery or hormonal implants are the two options. If she has ascites, which can be a symptom of internal laying, draining her can give quite dramatic relief, but comes with it's own risks and is only a temporary solution as the fluid will build up again.
Assessing her poop out put overnight will give you an insight into whether her digestive tract is becoming affected/impacted, if there is an internal mass. The internal vent exam will also help you to gauge that. Seeing a photo of her wet back end may enable us to assess if she is swollen.... feathers can hide a multitude of sins!

The other bird that is gaping may have blocked nares and have difficulty breathing whilst she is eating the sloppy food. It should be easy enough to check for that and unblock by gently bathing with warm, moist Q-tips and/or picking them clean with dental sticks.

 

[darlingdarla]

Can you give her a soak in warm Epsom Salts bath and then post a photo of her wet back end before you dry her? Cup your hand between her legs when she is roosting at night and do the same to her sisters so that you can compare one to the other. Soiling her butt feathers suggests that there is some swelling. If you insert a lubricated gloved finger into her vent whilst she is soaking, how does it feel.... ie quite tight like there is pressure from surrounding tissue or reasonably relaxed. She may poop when you remove it but this will give her a little relief if she is starting to get bunged up, as eventually happens with these sort of problems. Can you monitor her droppings (perhaps cage her overnight in the coop) and get some photos of her poop) and watch her closely when she is eating because sometimes they will pretend to eat
I agree with @Wyorp Rock that this is likely a reproductive issue and there is an internal mass which is putting pressure on her respiratory system. The fact that she has stopped laying eggs at 3 years old and you describe her as hefty, are both indications of that, together with the yellow soiling and worsening respiratory distress when you handle her. It is also the time of year when these reproductive issues come to a head because they have been through a dormant period in their reproductive cycle during moult and winter when their body has a chance to recover a little from the effects of a malfunction, but then their hormones kick in and they start ovulating again and whatever ailment they are suffering (internal laying or salpingitis etc) causes the mass inside them to start increasing in size again. Does she have a nice ,plump comb?.... that tells you that she is ovulating. If no eggs are coming out then they are going somewhere else inside her. You will not feel individual eggs in her belly, just a fullness compared to a healthy laying hen which should have a slightly flaccid abdomen. Usually with internal laying and/or ascites, the fullness will be between the legs, whereas salpingitis causes swelling around and just below the vent because the mass is suspended in the oviduct. Sadly if this is her problem, there is not a lot that can be done unless you have a good vet and lots of money to throw at it... please ask for more info if this is the case but surgery or hormonal implants are the two options. If she has ascites, which can be a symptom of internal laying, draining her can give quite dramatic relief, but comes with it's own risks and is only a temporary solution as the fluid will build up again.
Assessing her poop out put overnight will give you an insight into whether her digestive tract is becoming affected/impacted, if there is an internal mass. The internal vent exam will also help you to gauge that. Seeing a photo of her wet back end may enable us to assess if she is swollen.... feathers can hide a multitude of sins!

The other bird that is gaping may have blocked nares and have difficulty breathing whilst she is eating the sloppy food. It should be easy enough to check for that and unblock by gently bathing with warm, moist Q-tips and/or picking them clean with dental sticks.

Alright well thank you that's a lot of info. When I said she stopped laying I mean she lays maybe once every few months, she's actually in the nest box now so I'm waiting to see if she's going to lay or just sitting there (I understand her just sitting there could indicate a reproductive issue so I'm very anxious). I'm really hoping it's not anything like that, though I understand it's what it's looking like. Why is it always the favorite that gets sick? There's no swelling that I can see, even in comparison with her flockmates, and no she's not pretending to eat, she has a full crop every night and an empty one in the morning.
I'd be worried about soaking her, I'm scared she's just going to drop dead if I put to much stress on her.

If it's a reproductive issue is there anything I could've done to cause it? I ask because number one I don't want my other hens to have the same affliction, two I've never read about someone causing something like internal laying.
On a similar note, is there anything I could have done, but didn't, to prevent this?
And do you know how long she has if it is something serious or unfixable? I know it probably varies depending on which disease she could have but just a ballpark guess would be great.

 

[rebrascora]

Timescales wise, if it is Salpingitis and this has already been going on for at least 2 months, probably a lot longer and she is still ovulating, which means that she is consistently adding to the problem (springtime is the worst time of year as it is peak time for ovulation) then I would say that she will be lucky to go another month, probably less. If it is internal laying then it can take longer but maybe just a couple of months.

As regards anything you could have done differently to prevent it, that is hard to say. Mostly it is genetic and a result of the selective breeding by mankind to achieve birds that lay far more eggs than nature ever really intended. I have a theory that birds that are overweight are more prone to such ailments and feeding too much/many carbohydrate treats can lead to obesity, so if you are giving them scratch, corn, rice or bread etc on a regular basis, then I would recommend cutting it right back or stopping it and replacing with healthier treats, but in general, it is just the luck of the draw and sadly all too many hens suffer these reproductive ailments/malfunctions once they get beyond 2 years because their systems are not meant to be so prolific. Other causes of it can be dirty nesting material or being kept with one more drakes, particularly adolescent drakes, as they will often attempt to mate female chickens, but their anatomy is not compatible and infection can be introduced.

 

[darlingdarla]

Timescales wise, if it is Salpingitis and this has already been going on for at least 2 months, probably a lot longer and she is still ovulating, which means that she is consistently adding to the problem (springtime is the worst time of year as it is peak time for ovulation) then I would say that she will be lucky to go another month, probably less. If it is internal laying then it can take longer but maybe just a couple of months.

As regards anything you could have done differently to prevent it, that is hard to say. Mostly it is genetic and a result of the selective breeding by mankind to achieve birds that lay far more eggs than nature ever really intended. I have a theory that birds that are overweight are more prone to such ailments and feeding too much/many carbohydrate treats can lead to obesity, so if you are giving them scratch, corn, rice or bread etc on a regular basis, then I would recommend cutting it right back or stopping it and replacing with healthier treats, but in general, it is just the luck of the draw and sadly all too many hens suffer these reproductive ailments/malfunctions once they get beyond 2 years because their systems are not meant to be so prolific. Other causes of it can be dirty nesting material or being kept with one more drakes, particularly adolescent drakes, as they will often attempt to mate female chickens, but their anatomy is not compatible and infection can be introduced.

Okay, thank you, my hen took a turn for the worst today. She just seems very down and wants to sleep. She keeps going into the nest box but not laying an egg, I'm letting her sleep in there tonight.
What can I do to make her more comfortorble? I can't bring her inside since I've got my brooder set up for babies on Tuesday.
It's really odd, I've never lost an adult hen, this hen is part of my original flock and was the first one to let me pick her up. I've always thought I was well prepared for an eventual death, I mean it happens but after two years its a lot harder then I thought it would be, just anticipating it. I've always believed that I take the best care possible of my flock but this is making me doubt that. It's odd how you think you don't care about something as much when it's here, but once losing it becomes a possibility all you can think about is how empty everything will be without it there. I'm just praying that if she has to go it'll be pretty quick and as painless as possible.
Anyway, thank you, all of the information that you and Wyorp Rock provided was helpful now and will be very helpful in the future.

 

[333113]

Okay, thank you, my hen took a turn for the worst today. She just seems very down and wants to sleep. She keeps going into the nest box but not laying an egg, I'm letting her sleep in there tonight.
What can I do to make her more comfortorble? I can't bring her inside since I've got my brooder set up for babies on Tuesday.
It's really odd, I've never lost an adult hen, this hen is part of my original flock and was the first one to let me pick her up. I've always thought I was well prepared for an eventual death, I mean it happens but after two years its a lot harder then I thought it would be, just anticipating it. I've always believed that I take the best care possible of my flock but this is making me doubt that. It's odd how you think you don't care about something as much when it's here, but once losing it becomes a possibility all you can think about is how empty everything will be without it there. I'm just praying that if she has to go it'll be pretty quick and as painless as possible.
Anyway, thank you, all of the information that you and Wyorp Rock provided was helpful now and will be very helpful in the future.

"Every time I think I know everything I need to know about chickens, I find out I don't." That is a direct quote from my vet, who raised chickens himself and is pretty much a chicken expert, besides being a vet.
We don't now and probably never will have a complete diagnostic and treatment system for poultry. When faced with chicken health problems, most of us consult Merck on poultry or backyardchickens.com or, if you are lucky to have one, the local chicken vet. Sometimes we can figure out what is wrong, but many, many times we just don't have enough information to know how to make it better.
The last resort for most of us is supportive care. A quiet place to rest, away from the flock but close enough to hear them, nearby food and water, and perhaps a little less light will give a bird a chance to heal on her own, if she can, and a peaceful place to die if she can't. I have a large dog crate from Goodwill for this purpose. With a comfy layer of straw that I clean daily and a food and water container fixed to the door so she can't spill them, she can take her time getting well or not. Sometimes they fool you and get well, other times they don't. Either way, I have done my best to make her comfortable. I still miss them, some more than others, as you can see on the memorial page. As long as you have done what you can, that's all you can do.
And I personally thank you for being so conscientious.