What's wrong with Gurtrude?...

[chubbydog811]

I have a 4 year old drk brahma bantam hen - named Gertrude - that has been acting a bit off...I'm starting to get worried about her becauase she started doing this cough/cackle thing....

Here are sypmtoms, previous and current:

It started off last week - her crop seemed to be impacted. I gave her some oiled down food, and lots of fresh water. After about 2 days her crop seemed to have cleaned out (I guess you would say) and it was more normal.
Her chest (crop area) still looks kind of swolen, but he crop is soft, and there isnt much in it (?)...
She got better for a few days, but then just yesterday night, she started getting sluggish. This morning she started with this cough/cackle thing. When she does it, she stretches her head up and acts like there is something stuck...I felt around, and there doesnt seem to be any obstructions.
Her poops are normal for the most part - though a little on the dry side. She has only passed maybe 1 or 2 muddy/watery poops in the past week. No blood in it.
She seems to be eating/drinking ok.
She is our only free range chicken (hence why she is named), so she has no contact to other chickens. She wont wander far enough from the horse barn to go see the other chickens (she lives in an extra stall at night, and has free range of the barn and surrounding during the day).
We feed her layer pellets.

Can anyone help? Any ideas what might be wrong?
We nursed her back to health after being badly attacked by a dog, and we have grown very attached to her.

Thanks...

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

I don't know, but I thought I would bump you in case there is someone on tonight with a better idea. I wish you and Gurtrude the best and hope she gets well soon...

Keep us posted...

 

[sammi]

try and confine her..and keep watch on the crop..
take food and water away at night, and recheck the crop in the morning..it should be empty or flat.
feel for any lumps or grainy feeling.
check for sour odor.
use a small flashlight and check the throat and mouth for any sores, whitish or yellowish, or plaque, ..
or if you see red gape worm in the throat.
or any other obstruction.
please try to describe the droppings in more detail..color and consistency.

when you gave her the water and oil ..how did you give it?

 

[chubbydog811]

Thanks...Her crop is fine now, she's just being sluggish and doing her cough thing.
She is confined in a chicken box (one we made for the chicks so they could be in the barn). Its about 2'x2'.
When I gave her the oil, I just mixed some of her food in with it (I do this with my dog also lol) It got mushy enough that it was easy to go down.
Her poops are dry, like I said already. They are green/brown/white. They are also smaller than usual. About the size of a nickel.
Ill check out her throat when I go down to the barn...