EE gasping 24 hrs- help, please!

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Fair Oaks Pullets

Chirping
Jul 21, 2021
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North Texas
Would please love your help for our poor 1.5 year old Easter Egger! She has been making a gasping motion since yesterday (about 24 hours ago). Here is a VIDEO. When we first noticed she was breathing funny, she was hunched in the corner of the run by herself. We have had high temperatures in the 90s and 100s this past week so I emergency-fed her some sugar water, assuming the issue was the heat. We also set up a sprinkler to cool down the run. I put out frozen strawberries and cucumber slices. She shares a coop and enclosed run with two other hens. They are acting normally, though none of the three hens have laid in the past two days and we usually get at least an egg every other day. But that might also be the heat.

Yesterday she was squawking a bit with the gasps but now she just gasps silently. I fed her some Nutri-Drench just now and noticed that it feels like she has water in her chest. I read about gapeworm so I checked inside her beak. I couldn't really see down her throat but didn't notice anything strange and red. She has not been shaking her head either. She is moving around more but mostly stands by herself next to the waterer. I believe she is drinking water, but I am not sure if she is eating, nor have I gotten a glimpse yet of her stool.

Thank you in advance for your help. Please let me know if there is a particular professional I need to consult (I don't know much about vets around here) or if I need to just keep an eye on the poor girl and continue with the Nutri-Drench. I feel so sorry for her!

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You can cut some small pieces of chilled coconut oil for her to peck on her own. Massage the crop several times a day. In the morning, very early before she has a chance to eat or drink, feel of her crop to see if it has emptied. I could not see the video.
 
Eggcessive said:
You can cut some small pieces of chilled coconut oil for her to peck on her own. Massage the crop several times a day. In the morning, very early before she has a chance to eat or drink, feel of her crop to see if it has emptied. I could not see the video.
Click to expand...

Ok, thank you! I will try.
Does this link work?
 
Update: Our hen expired last night. It's a relief because she was still having trouble breathing. We will treat the remaining hens with a dewormer as a precaution; perhaps it was something like Gapeworm after all.
 
Sorry for your loss. :hugs

Gapeworm is highly unlikely.. but as organs fail all birds gape. As do most trying to adjust the contents of their crop. You could at least discuss the commonality of gape in YOUR area with your local agriculture department or that lab..

Sending her body in for necropsy is the best way to get answers for your flock instead of throwing unknown fixes at unknown causes.. here is a link for your state poultry lab, should you decide to go that route..

https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/tests/necropsy-poultry/

Hope the rest of your flock continues to thrive! :fl
 
Oh, I am sorry to hear that you lost her so quickly. Has there been mold around the coop or run? It would be impossible to know exactly what killed her, but mold can lead to a respiratory disease called aspergillosis. I second that your state vet in one of four locations, could perform a necropsy on her body if you get her there or ship her body overnight via prepaid Fedex or UPS. Keep the body cold, but do not freeze if you plan a necropsy. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html
 
EggSighted4Life said:
Sorry for your loss. :hugs

Gapeworm is highly unlikely.. but as organs fail all birds gape. As do most trying to adjust the contents of their crop. You could at least discuss the commonality of gape in YOUR area with your local agriculture department or that lab..

Sending her body in for necropsy is the best way to get answers for your flock instead of throwing unknown fixes at unknown causes.. here is a link for your state poultry lab, should you decide to go that route..

https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/tests/necropsy-poultry/

Hope the rest of your flock continues to thrive! :fl
Click to expand...

Oh that is ALL very helpful. It's good to know that fact about gaping, and I hadn't yet heard about state poultry labs and getting a necropsy. Thank you for your time and expertise!
 

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