Young pullet with strange noisy breathing

[Sylvie202019]

We found one of our pullets yesterday who breathes with open mouth making an « aaaaaaa » sound. She does not seem to have a cold, no secrèterions, eyes are clear, no sneezing or coughing. She drinks and eat oatmeal but she is not touching her regular feel. She looks in pain, but not sick.

I hope someone here can help me.

I added a video.

 

[Lumley Farm]

We found one of our pullets yesterday who breathes with open mouth making an « aaaaaaa » sound. She does not seem to have a cold, no secrèterions, eyes are clear, no sneezing or coughing. She drinks and eat oatmeal but she is not touching her regular feel. She looks in pain, but not sick.

I hope someone here can help me.

I added a video.

I hope you find out what is going on. Almost like something may be lodged somewhere. Because she extends her neck to exhale....poor baby!

 

[Eggcessive]

She is gasping like she has a respiratory infection or possibly gapeworm. Where are you located? Gapeworm is rare, and can be diagnosed by taking some poop samples to your vet for a fecal float. It can be treated whether or not you have confirmed it, by giving your chicken SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer or Horse Paste orally 0.25 ml per pound of weight for 5 straight days. A typical 5 pound bird would get 1.25 ml.

Be sure and look inside her throat and beak for anything like a piece of food, yellow material, foreign body, or mucus.

Viruses, bacterial, or fungal diseases are common. Have you had a sick bird before, or have you recently added any new birds in the last few weeks? Is there any wet or moldy conditions, or ammonia odor in your coop that might be making her sick? How is the ventilation? What type of bedding do you have? Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections, such as MG or coryza, but not for viruses, such as infectious bronchitis or ILT, or for fungus such as aspergillosis.

 

[Sylvie202019]

Thank you. No new additions since the fall. And I did not have any sick bird for 3 months, and never in that building. Those 3 little pullets are kept inside, in their own enclosure as they were too young in September to be integrated in the outside coop. They had no contacts with other birds, humans,.. they were warm.

 

[Eggcessive]

What state or country are you in? Can you get antibiotics or the SafeGuard wormer? A syringe for measuring would be good.

Do they have pine shavings or straw bedding? Cedar should not be used. I hope you can figure this out and help her.

 

[Lumley Farm]

wow, just read the response from Eggsessive, and Googled Gapeworm. the sample of the parasite looks just like your hen!!!

 

[Lumley Farm]

but not for viruses, such as infectious bronchitis or ILT, or for fungus such as aspergillosis.

how do I get this virus confirmed/tested?

 

[Sylvie202019]

What state or country are you in? Can you get antibiotics or the SafeGuard wormer? A syringe for measuring would be good.

Do they have pine shavings or straw bedding? Cedar should not be used. I hope you can figure this out and help her.

I am in Canada. They have pine shavings. I cannot get antibiotics but I can get safeguard from amazon.
Here I have Levamisole.

 

[Sylvie202019]

She is gasping like she has a respiratory infection or possibly gapeworm. Where are you located? Gapeworm is rare, and can be diagnosed by taking some poop samples to your vet for a fecal float. It can be treated whether or not you have confirmed it, by giving your chicken SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer or Horse Paste orally 0.25 ml per pound of weight for 5 straight days. A typical 5 pound bird would get 1.25 ml.

Be sure and look inside her throat and beak for anything like a piece of food, yellow material, foreign body, or mucus.

Viruses, bacterial, or fungal diseases are common. Have you had a sick bird before, or have you recently added any new birds in the last few weeks? Is there any wet or moldy conditions, or ammonia odor in your coop that might be making her sick? How is the ventilation? What type of bedding do you have? Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections, such as MG or coryza, but not for viruses, such as infectious bronchitis or ILT, or for fungus such as aspergillosis.

I never had a sick bird in that building. She is with 2 other Ameraucana pullets. Clean litter, the building is big and they are at one end. They were too young to put in the outside coop for the winter, so we made room for them in a heated building.
Pine shaving, no molds, no new birds after I acquired those last august.
I have tried looking into her throat but did not see anything irregular, but I am not sur that I am looking deep enough.

 

[Eggcessive]

Gapeworm would be unusual in Canada in your climate. It is more common in tropical regions such as Hawaii and in our southeast. Levamisole can treat gapeworm though, if given over several days. I can try and find a dosage if you want to treat for that. Any respiratory disease can cause gasping. Testing is difficult to get in some areas unless you have a nearby poultry college or lab. Zoologix in the US, will send you swabs to obtain on your chicken, and send into them to do a poultry panel, but might be too difficult or expensive in Canada. I would probably try an antibiotic such as Tylosin or doxycycline from your vet. If it helps, it is probably MG. If not, it is probably a virus or fungal infection. Here is a link for that for any interested:
http://www.zoologix.com/avian/Datasheets/PoultryRespiratoryPanel.htmI have heard that it costs about $90 in the US. Your vet might be helpful to suggest a lab in Canada. Here are a few:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...-and-crops/animal-health/animal-health-centre
https://www.uoguelph.ca/ahl/ahl-laboratory-sections
https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/...er.201126.Veterinary_Laboratory_Services.html
http://servicedediagnostic.com/?lang=en