Wheezing and gasping hen

[Castorri17]

Hi all, I’m brand new here. Been a chicken owner for a decade with zero issues until today. One of my barred rock hens is gasping and wheezing. I have no clue how to help her. Her comb is dark rather than usual bright red, and her eyes are red rather than usual yellow. Pretty lethargic as well. I checked her mouth and throat for gapeworm, and didn’t see anything. She’s not shaking her head or anything, other than gasping for air and wheezing.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you shine a light into her beak and throat to see if there is any white to yellow material or mucus? Are her eyes watery, bubbly, or swollen, is there any nasal drainage, or coughing or sneezing? What part of the world are you located? How long has she been wheezing? Does she sound like the chicken in this video?

 

[Castorri17]

I saw some yellow crusted looking stuff, but no clue if that was normal. She sounds like she’s struggling way worse to breathe than that. I’m in metro Atlanta GA, so no crazy harsh weather. We have about 30 chickens and I just noticed her today, but my husband says he noticed it last week. no drainage or other signs except the dull and darker comb.

 

[Castorri17]

She has died. I was too late.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. Where was the crusty yellow material? Can you keep her body cool, not frozen, and send it off to your state vet for a necropsy? You can contact them and see if they can send you a shipping label for overnight shipping via UPS or Fedex. Here is a list of most state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Castorri17]

The roof of her mouth mostly. I’ve never looked in a chicken’s mouth so that might be normal. No clue. Thanks for the info on sending her in, but I have no way to keep her cool. I wish I did.

 

[Eggcessive]

A cooler with ice would work for a few days, or double wrapped in garbage bags in the refrigerator, just don’t freeze. Pus in the roof of the beak could have been a sinus infection, but a necropsy would get a diagnosis.