worms, hiccough, pasty butt

[araceli]

I'm restarting my thread because somehow it ended up in pest and predators and if I could change it I would. Today is Saturday so a week ago my chicken was found to be coughing and breathing with her beak open as though it were 100 degrees out. Hiccough or cough, one of those. As I researched I first feared tapeworm. Well a week later her health has not drastically declined as was described for gapeworm, though not totally ruled out. Now had I known that the signs of a pasty butt were sure signs of parasites she and the other 4 would of been treated sooner, like a 3 or 4 weeks ago. The hiccough/cough turns out is mostly at night. In the daytime it subsides and watching her for awhile you more likely won't hear her coughing. At night when I check her, I compare her crop with the others and it had been empty. Thursday evening I started them on Wazine. So Friday night she actually had something in her crop, very little but something. I started Wazine because she had round worms in her dropping that Thursday morning, as I had her separated and woke up to inspect. She still is seeming healthy, making happy clucks, running around and looks like she is eating and eating with enthusiasm. The breathing with the beak open at night is mild and has been since the one night I found her that way. It was the only night I saw her with her beak wide open.

I know to toss the eggs. I am doing so, even though I keep thinking how can the store bought eggs be any better than the wazine eggs, especially the super commercial eggs. With tens of thousands of chickens how on earth are their eggs not loaded with parasite meds along with the antibiotics?

Going to the funky chicken coop tour today hopefully I learn plenty of good information!

 

[araceli]

went out to check on the chickens and let them out. The separated one doesn't look like she pooped last night. Found no worms anywhere, though she certainly was infested to have pooped out several before the Wazine. I hope I used enough. 2oz with a gallon of water. The other chickens dropped no worms. Last spring I wormed and this same girl was the only one that shed worms.

 

[araceli]

okay she is still coughing a tiny bit and mostly at night. My bigger concern is her crop. All the girls have a full one. But her feels like less than a teaspoon. I see her eating. I even through out scraps of tomatoes and things and she was eating them so I am concerned why her crop is so empty. And she makes huge droppings. I only see one of them a day that I am sure of but it is huge, unusually huge. Is it okay for her crops to be empty?

 

[araceli]

My concern is growing. The bird with empty crop has not pooped in two nights, and chickens do lots of pooping at night. But with an empty crop makes sense no poop. It's confusing, I see her out there pecking around the grass and weeds. She was a very heavy chicken, so when I pick her up she has a good weight but today I could tell weight loss is happening. What could this be? I'm gonna try and feed her worms and treats and see how she does. I added vitamins to the water to help her.

 

[araceli]

this evening before dark I had the duties of cleaning the coop and was out there with the chickens for like 2 hours. The one who has been sick never coughed and she ate and ate and ate. I did feed her snack dried worms and from there there was no stopping her from eating. I felt her crop at this snack time and it was empty which was disappointing. By the time they went to roost in their freshly cleaned coop SHE HAD A NICE FULL CROP!!!!! I was so pleased to feel it! And no coughing! I had put vitamin mix in the water earlier that day too! Feeling more positive about the whole situation!

 

[araceli]

Locking up the chickens tonight I hear the same one with that hiccup sound. Thursday will be two weeks so I can de-worm her again, and hopefully get all the other worms that may be there. Especially if there is any gapeworm present. I hope not, but who knows. She is just hiccuping, momentarily out of breath for a second and then fine. Again this only happens at night. It's been some time now so who knows what could be going on. So confusing. Please if anybody has any idea please please share!!!!! Thank You chicken friends!

 

[hogster160]

I am so sorry for you problems. As a new chicken owner, I have no advice, but am hoping this will bump this thread so someone with some knowledge can help you. Good luck!

Deb

 

[araceli]

Thanks so much for saying something at all. Been talking to myself recently and am rather confused as to what could be going on. It's been kind of long time now. The pasty butt was almost two months ago. She stills seems healthy, happy, and looks well. In the daytime there is no sign of distress at all. At night the hiccup sounding cough. If I pick her up to examine she definitely has a small bit of labored breathing where I can hear her breath. As she opens her her mouth I look inside for the tell tale sign of gapeworm with red y's. It looks more overly dry. I even see like white dry looking lines around the roof of her mouth or what would be our inner cheek area. That was tonight. And her crop tonight again is empty, so I wonder where is everything she is eating going? It seems strange to me for all these weeks, whatever is bothering her, she still seems quite healthy. No serious signs of distress. Just that night hiccup and empty crop. She maintains a good weight, though lost a tiny tiny bit of weight since it all started Hope someone knows something...