Chicken 'baa-ing' -- what's wrong?

17 years ago

When my chickens came in after work today, one of my Ameraucana hens is making a "baa" kind of sound with every breath. She's also sometimes shaking her head, and making an alarmed "peep" kind of sound.

I looked at her head and neck and don't see anything externally -- is there a way to see if she has something in her throat? She does NOT want to be held...

Any help would be appreciated.

--Johanna

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Comments (6)

brendasue
17 years ago
Sounds like she has something stuck in there, I think I would segregate her inside the coop until I found out what's wrong.

I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions, other than checking her mouth/throut regardless of whether she likes it or not.
Hopefully someone will come along with a more detailed suggestion. How's she doing today?
Brendasue
johanna_h
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks. She's fine today, no sign of any problem. I just wish I knew what had happened!

--Johanna

Here is a link that might be useful: My place: Busy Solitude Farm
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marlingardener
17 years ago
Johanna,
So glad your hen is better! Have you checked your coop for foreign objects? I picked pop-top tabs, wire, and other objects out of the coop area before I let my girls into it. I'm sure your coop area is clean, but sometimes a bit of foreign matter surfaces. She could have gotten something stuck in her throat and gotten rid of it herself. Of course, she could have just been making a bid for attention . . . .
velvet_sparrow
17 years ago
It could have been that she simply swallowed some food or water wrong and it went down the wrong pipe--so she was kinda coughing and raspy. My hens do this once in a while while drinking.

Watch her for signs of any respiratory illnesses--watery eyes or nares (nostrils), sneezing, head shaking, etc. You can also hold her chest up to your ear and listen for any gurgling when she breathes. I'd also take a look in her mouth, regardless how much she likes it. :)

Velvet ~:>
johanna_h
Original Author
17 years ago
Hen seems perfectly well three days later. I think you're right, something went down the wrong way.

-Johanna

Here is a link that might be useful: My place: Busy Solitude Farm
paulns
17 years ago
Our young hens have made those sounds when they've had a terrible fright, for instance when we first put them in with the older chickens.

And just the other day Trex wanted to stay in the coop to lay her egg while the others went free ranging: she came out of the coop from laying her egg, found herself alone, and set up an alarm call; when I fetched her out and carried her to the other hens - who were a long ways off and out of sight - she started to make the same sounds you describe. I swear it is weeping, with fear. Kind of funny all the same. One of the older hens gave her a sharp 'enough of that nonsense' nip at the tail feathers, which seemed to cure her.

Could something have frightened your hen?