Help! I may have aspirated my favorite hen!!

[Deleted member 94844]

After being hen-pecked to a bloody pulp by Rockefeller while I was away for Thanksgiving, I brought Jake inside to recover. Her bloody back was cleaned and is scabbing nicely, feathers are regrowing on her bald butt, and she is starting to look better. I had been giving her a dose of Baytril every day, but after I treated her today she started clucking and gagging... she was struggling a lot and a few drops might have gone down the wrong pipe. I feel awful. She is lying in the dog's bed so I can watch her and seems better... the clucking and wheezing has stopped. That said, she is still breathing with her mouth open and looks generally not happy. Is there anything else I can/should do? Please advise!!

 

[CCsChickens]

Despite being a first and recent chicken owner, I've had my own emergencies (little and often dealing with CRD!) and my advice to you is when in doubt take them to the vet or at least someone who is better experienced in injuries/sickness in birds. I know this isn't really the answer you were probably looking for but its hard online to communicate as you're seeing the bird in person and people on here aren't; therefore advice could be misguided as a person could be thinking of one thing and you another!

I know when my chickens were heavy mouth breathing and weak from CRD my gut instinct was that I didn't know how to deal with this and then realistically I knew I needed more experienced and educated help.

Chickens shouldn't usually have open mouth breathing unless they have CRD or it is hot weather so that is an indicator that your chicken is not well - some of the liquid could have gone down the wrong hole but I still would personally get her checked out. It seems like you care for your animals deeply and take good care of them and me being likewise I know I'd never forgive myself if I left them to 'wait and see' if they were better and then something bad happened and I knew it could have been resolved by taking them to the vet. Hope this helps! Good luck

 

[Deleted member 94844]

Thanks so much for the replies... Jake is fine now and seems to be back to her normal self. My avian vet is awful and would charge $300 to walk in the door, so unless it is very serious I do not go there! Now the question remains of what to do with the bossy ***** who was hen-pecking her... Rockefeller is always the one causing problems (tearing up the plants, spilling food, pecking the other hens, etc.) so I think I probably need to rehome her.

 

[MisfitMarie]

Thanks so much for the replies... Jake is fine now and seems to be back to her normal self. My avian vet is awful and would charge $300 to walk in the door, so unless it is very serious I do not go there! Now the question remains of what to do with the bossy ***** who was hen-pecking her... Rockefeller is always the one causing problems (tearing up the plants, spilling food, pecking the other hens, etc.) so I think I probably need to rehome her.

Or make some delicious stock out of her... TOTALLY understand if you don't want to do that, though.

 

[Deleted member 94844]

Don't think I haven't thought about it!! Shame really... she can be very sweet, is a good layer, and is the prettiest girl I have (black australorp), but she is such a pain in the *** that it just isn't worth the trouble. Now that she is abusing my favorite hen, forget it.

 

[MisfitMarie]

Don't think I haven't thought about it!! Shame really... she can be very sweet, is a good layer, and is the prettiest girl I have (black australorp), but she is such a pain in the *** that it just isn't worth the trouble. Now that she is abusing my favorite hen, forget it.

I would have a hard time with that, too. I don't like the bullies. They turn me off pretty quickly. Cold you keep them in separated coops, with chicks the little Rockafeller bully doesn't bother?

 

[CCsChickens]

Thanks so much for the replies... Jake is fine now and seems to be back to her normal self. My avian vet is awful and would charge $300 to walk in the door, so unless it is very serious I do not go there! Now the question remains of what to do with the bossy ***** who was hen-pecking her... Rockefeller is always the one causing problems (tearing up the plants, spilling food, pecking the other hens, etc.) so I think I probably need to rehome her.

I think re-homing would be a great idea if shes a sweet chicken and a good layer then I'm sure someone will be willing to have her near their chickens but maybe separate! Seems a shame to kill her if shes a good layer... up to you!

 

[Deleted member 94844]

That's the thing... Rockefeller doesn't appear to abuse the other two, so I'm pretty sure she picks on Jake because she's my favorite and gets extra attention... being the bossy b-yatch that she is, always in the center of everything, she's jealous. At least, that is my crazy anthropomorphized view of the chicken psychology playing out in the coop. LOL. Jake is living in the house now and seems happy.

 

[CCsChickens]

You could try making a temporary separate run from chicken wire next to your flock but having that separate wire to protect Jake so then at least Jake can still kinda be around the others... Living inside with him being the only one of his kind might be a bit lonely? Just an idea but if he seems really happy having just you for company then I don't see a reason to change things