Stressed chicken?

[MariaChickenMama]

I posted about my chicken on another group and my chicken went from having a respiratory infection to having gapeworm to having heart failure. Every night she seems worse with labored breathing.

Could it also be stressed? Late January the Rooster spurred her and I removed her from the rest of the flock because I saw blood. I ended up putting on a hen apron on her and put her back in the coop with everyone else. The next day the rooster was being mean to her along with some other hens so isolated her. At this time I noticed she had a poopy butt. I tried to give her a bath and she freaked out and was super wiggly. So I stopped the bath and started cleaning her butt every couple of days with wet paper towels. It has been a lot of work but then it got really cold outside so I stopped for a little bit. But then I see her breathing strange every so often. I was able to give her a bath a few weeks ago but I’ve been busy and sick so I haven’t been consistent. I was going to give her one today but got busy doing other things and my husband thinks I’m crazy giving a chicken a bath. I’m going to try to give her a bath in the morning. I know she will be stressed out. I wish I could at least put her in the coop in her crate with everyone else because I feel bad her being away from everyone but someone said that vent gleet was contagious.

I just don’t know what to do. I did make some magic water and put in a separate waterer in her crate and I see her drinking it once in awhile.

Because I don’t know what she exactly has I would rather give her natural ingredients.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You are not crazy washing your chicken's bottom. It might help to clip some of the feathers from around her vent to help her stay clean. Soak her in warmish water, not cold, and she should tolerate it better. A basin works well. The water only has to be deep enough to cover her dirty parts. A little Dawn dish soap should help loosen any stuck matter, and dry her as well as you can. Some chickens will tolerate having their feathers blow-dried on low while you hold them under one arm like a football. Good luck.

 

[MariaChickenMama]

You are not crazy washing your chicken's bottom. It might help to clip some of the feathers from around her vent to help her stay clean. Soak her in warmish water, not cold, and she should tolerate it better. A basin works well. The water only has to be deep enough to cover her dirty parts. A little Dawn dish soap should help loosen any stuck matter, and dry her as well as you can. Some chickens will tolerate having their feathers blow-dried on low while you hold them under one arm like a football. Good luck.

So Dawn is best then? I was using Epsom salt.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So Dawn is best then? I was using Epsom salt.

Epsom salt has its uses, certainly, and can be soothing, healing and laxative, but for cleansing I prefer Dawn. After all they use it on ducklings that have been caught in oil spills, it's effective and mild.

Just be aware that if your chicken seems very ill or lethargic, a bath can do more harm than good, so in that case, a wet wipedown with paper towels may be the better option.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

What do you mean by magic water?

 

[MariaChickenMama]

Epsom salt has its uses, certainly, and can be soothing, healing and laxative, but for cleansing I prefer Dawn. After all they use it on ducklings that have been caught in oil spills, it's effective and mild.

Just be aware that if your chicken seems very ill or lethargic, a bath can do more harm than good, so in that case, a wet wipedown with paper towels may be the better option.

I know when I’ve given her a bath before she has stress breathing but she does calm down after awhile

 

[MariaChickenMama]

What do you mean by magic water?

It’s a mixture of warm water, garlic, acv (the mother) and honey. I saw it on a YouTube from Justin Rhodes

 

[16 and me]

I posted about my chicken on another group and my chicken went from having a respiratory infection to having gapeworm to having heart failure. Every night she seems worse with labored breathing.

Have you treated her for these issues? If she is ill, the rooster will likely drive her away to protect the rest of the flock.

Keep her quarantined until she's been treated and recovered. The magic water may be a preventative measure, but the gapeworm, respiratory infection and vent gleet (if that is what she has) need to be treated. What are you treating her with?
When you say heart failure, can you elaborate? Has she seen a vet?

 

[MariaChickenMama]

Have you treated her for these issues? If she is ill, the rooster will likely drive her away to protect the rest of the flock.

Keep her quarantined until she's been treated and recovered. The magic water may be a preventative measure, but the gapeworm, respiratory infection and vent gleet (if that is what she has) need to be treated. What are you treating her with?
When you say heart failure, can you elaborate? Has she seen a vet?

My vet doesn’t treat chickens. People in the group thought it was heart failure because of her gasping while breathing but she only does this at night when the shed she is in is closed up for the night. I’ve been treating the vent gleet with a bath when I can. Respiratory with vetRX but getting Tiagard this week. Not sure what to treat gapeworm with

 

[16 and me]

Have you seen the gapeworm in her throat, or are you just assuming because of her gasping? If she is only doing this at night when she is locked up in the shed, I'd be concerned about the ventilation inside. If you have seen gapeworm, then you will need a de-wormer.

How much ventilation is in the shed, and what kind of bedding are you are using? How many hens are in your flock, and how big is the shed? Over crowding & poor ventilation will cause respiratory issues. The vent gleet could be due to parasite overload, but also could be due to stress. If the bath is causing her additional stress and she is already lethargic, it may be better to wait until the respiratory issues are resolved.
What do you feed her, and how is she eating & drinking?