# Chicken health issues



## [email protected] (Apr 11, 2020)

Hi, I am currently worried about my flock. I have 10 chickens who have been happy and healthy for the last year. I have dealt with a few issues successfully (egg bound chicken, fox attack, etc..) but am now unsure what I should do. Recently one of my hens Dahlia has been opening her mouth like she is gasping for air. then she shakes her head. It has gotten worse, then better, then worse at certain times of the day. I have been treating the entire flock with VetRX and giving them cider vinegar in their water. I am assuming that if it is viral or bacterial the rest of the flock would have contracted it as well so I haven't quarantined her yet. So far I have not noticed anything abnormal from the others. Dahlia seems slightly withdrawn some times but not always. combs look bright red and healthy, and I see no runny mucus on her beak or in her eyes. it has been at least two weeks dealing with this and with a pregnant wife I can not go to the vets with the threat of bringing Covid-19 home with me. Any ideas?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Check inside her mouth and her nares, see if something is caught in there. There's also the issue of fowl pox depending on where you live. 

Take a look and let us know if you see anything.


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## [email protected] (Apr 11, 2020)

Thank you for the response. I live in Western Massachusetts in the woods far away from neighbors. I checked mouth, down her throat with a q-tip, and nares and couldn't find anything. I can hear a wheeze when it is acting up usually in the evening even though she does it intermittently during all hours. Her stool looks fairly normal as well. If viral I would think she would have gotten over it by now. Bacterial?


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## [email protected] (Apr 11, 2020)




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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That makes me think she's got something stuck somewhere you can't see it. It really isn't uncommon for them to get something stuck in the nares. It might be deep enough you can't see it. 

You can try flushing the nares with saline. Put some in a syringe without a needle, holding her with head down gently flush the sinus. You don't want a lot of pressure behind it because you can blow her sinus out.


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## [email protected] (Apr 11, 2020)

Ok, I will give that a shot. Thank you!


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Hi Jon! Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry to hear of your chicken. Did rinsing her sinus's help?


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