What Causes a Chicken to Breathe Hard?

A chicken breathing hard is a physiological reaction to stress. As members of a prey species, their natural reaction to threat is an alarm or "flight'' reaction, which means that the animal's body gears toward escaping trouble rather than fighting it. To escape quickly, the chicken increases its output of adrenaline, which triggers an increased heart rate, causing heavy breathing. Various different environmental, social and management-related factors can be responsible for stress in chickens.

  1. Temperature

    • Severe cold or heat, or a rapid change from one to the other, causes chickens to breathe hard. Whether the temperature is below zero or severely hot, without the necessary shelter only healthy chickens will remain unstressed. Observation of wild birds frenetically feeding before dusk shows that birds are aware of the potential dangers of a cold night without food. Therefore, a late night meal for chickens is important.

    Breeding and Laying

    • Breeding and laying periods can cause heavy breathing, especially if it is the first season of sexual maturity for the chicken. The stress is mainly caused by hormone changes. For females, laying eggs can be a stressful time due to the extra effort required of the chicken.

    Overcrowding

    • In an overcrowded environment, injuries can be sustained through fighting for food or water. Such injuries can lead to disease through infection, which will cause heavy breathing. Furthermore, in an overcrowded enclosure there is an increased opportunity for the growth and spread of diseases between birds.

    Malnutrition

    • While malnutrition will not directly cause a chicken to breathe hard, it will increase the risk of diseases and infection. Poor quality feed can also distress chickens. In the winter months they require a higher nutritional intake to remain stress-free.