Hen sounds phlegmy

[DebiWebi]

I have a 1-1/2 year old Red Sex Link Hen, named Ginger, that made a couple of wet coughing sounds this afternoon, and I just noticed her breathing sounds a little phlegmy. She's been acting normal all day, free ranging in the yard, taking dirt baths, eating grass, digging. She's also molting heavily. I'm hoping she just has some feather fluff in her throat. No discharge from her nostrils, eyes are clear and bright, no discharge there either. Any advice for me, other than taking her to a vet?

I have two other hens and they are fine. They are all molting heavily, no one is laying at this time. There are only a few things that stand out about Ginger, not related I imagine: Her front toe nails are a little deformed and so I have to trim them. She's had some strange eggs. Last summer and through the winter they were perfect green eggs. Then this summer they were getting quite large and not well shaped, sometimes with rough shells. Then they started turning white, and by late summer she was laying shell-less eggs. She hasn't laid an egg in a few weeks.

Thanks.

 

[Yardfulla poopers]

Oops, was trying to fix a word and hit post.
The lack of egg laying along with the watery cough is concerning. I wish I knew more but I know there are many more here that can offer help

 

[Eggcessive]

Two things can cause gurgly breathing—mucus from a respiratory disease or infection, and sometimes the crop can be slow to empty and food can come back up into the throat. Check her crop and tell us if it is empty, full, firm, doughy or puffy. Check it in early morning before she eats or drinks. It should be empty then. Listen for crackles while breathing. Look at her eyes for bubbles or watery eyes, drainage, swelling of the face, or for nasal drainage. Some respiratory viruses, especially infectious bronchitis, can affect egg shells.

 

[DebiWebi]

Thank you Eggcessive, I will certainly do so.

 

[DebiWebi]

Well I checked her crop in the morning and it was empty. I decided to let the girls out early so I could check her out. She seemed perfectly fine, no cough or other issues. Then another of the hens coughed a couple of times. Yikes! But then that was it, everything is back to normal. So I guess she just had something stuck in her throat, probably a feather. Thank you for the info on cough causes, I'll remember that. We'll see what her egg production is like in the spring. I hope the time off will reset her body. A couple of times the no-shell eggs broke in her and I had to help her out. Other times she'd just plop an egg on the patio of lawn, like she didn't even know it.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am glad that her crop is emptying overnight. Chickens do cough or sneeze once in awhile, especially during eating or from something getting into their nostrils. Just like any animal or person. Hopefully, her egg problems clear up. Make sure that she gets layer feed and crushed oyster shell to make her shells hard.

 

[DebiWebi]

Yes, thanks, she's been on layer feed ever since she was off chick feed. I give them oyster shells (they don't seem too fond of them); dry out, crush & throw egg shells in the run; and recently bought calcium tablets to crush and add to their "bedtime snack."

I think they ARE getting down stuck in their throats, they sit on my patio and groom themselves later in the day and they all end up with down and feathers sticking out of their beaks. First molt for them, they don't look very happy about it. Reminds me of "that time of month" when I was a young teen.

 

[Eggcessive]

Molt is not for sissies. It makes them uncomfortable.