Strange head movement from polish hen. *Video included*

I found my frizzle hen this morning at the back of the coop totally flat out. From the looks of the coop and with all her feathers that were scattered around i thought the others in her coop had attacked her. She is at the bottom of the pecking order and a very quiet hen. She did not want to stand and seemed to be struggling for breath. I was thinking she had shock from the attack so brought her into the house where it's warm. She was still down and looked to be struggling for breath in the crate. I had to go out but when I have returned she is stood up but looks like she has some kind of neurological damage with her head twitching. I have experienced wry neck before but this is not the usual head twisting associated with this. She opens her beak when she does the twitch. Her crop is empty and she is not tempted by any food but I have managed to get some water into her. She is not being very cooperative with the head twitching. Here is a short video of her taken just now she has been like this for about 4 hours ~

[VIDEO]
Anyone seen this before? Ideas on what I can do for this much loved lady would be very much appreciated. Thankyou in advance.

What does her poop look like? It can tell you a lot about her condition. How old is she?

I can see that she's sick, though. There are so many chicken diseases, it's impossible to say what it could be that's making your hen sick.

If it's viral, antibiotics won't help, but on the off chance she has an infection of some sort, why not start her on an antibiotic? If it's going to help, you should see improvement in 24 hours.

Her head movement may indicate discomfort in her crop. Do you feel anything hard in it?

Has she been laying? How long since she laid an egg?

Sorry, this is the best I can do with the information you've provided. You might follow the sticky up top and answer all the questions. It would give us more to go on.

Thankyou, she is 22 months old. Her crop feels empty but I can feel what can only be described as a tendon/ligament coming from under her beak down her breast. Not her breast bone as it seems too high up. She is not laying. She went broody last summer and by the time she weaned the chicks we had headed into winter. I've checked and can't feel an egg stuck. She has never been a good layer. She was normal yesterday and on the roost as usual when I locked up last night.

She has been in the crate for the last 5 hours but has not pooped at all. I poop pick my coops every morning and there was nothing untoward this morning. I worm regular and they are up to date. In the last 15 minutes the head twitching has stopped and she is stood there with her head down.




Will check what antibiotics I have in other wise it will be a vet job as we can't get antibiotics without a prescription here

Since you haven't seen her poop yet, you might wanna tube some fluids to her. 2-3 ml per 100 grams is what I shoot for. If crop clears, repeat in 60-90 minutes. If still no poop after second tubing, give fluids again. Can you get a tube and syringe? What do you have in the way of vitamins?

-Kathy

I'm not sure that antibiotics are necessary, since it appears to be abnormal neurological movement probably from a head or neck injury. I would keep her separated with food and water, and give her vitamin E orally or in her food. Selenium, a mineral, is also needed, and if your vitamins don't contain it, then give her a bit of egg, tuna, liver, or chopped nuts daily. Just a small amount is needed. I would treat it like wry neck, keep her calm, limit noise, and help her to eat, possibly by wrapping her in a towel, and feeding her feed moistened with a lot of water. My one remaining polish hen is blind in one eye from being pecked, and she is always being attacked or bullied by the other hens. She was scalped by one former rooster, but recovered nicely. She loves to be with the others so I just let her be, and try to keep her from getting lost, which she tends to do. Here are some links about wry neck which you may have already seen:
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck

Thank you ladies.

I have got some baby vitamins down her with the dropper that came with them. Non iron ones. Now the head twitching has stopped I have also managed a good dose of colloidal silver incase of bacteria etc. She wil not eat, tried the tuna and egg but she is having non of it right now. When I gave her the colloidal silver her crop was gurgling? It is totally empty.

Got some tubing but what size for a bantam polish? It's the tubing for my incubator humidity pump so I'm guessing that may be too big for her. I have new syringes on the way that are for my new worming program so that's handy!

She is in a crate on her own with only the incubator humming away at her. She's just resting now with her head to the right but still stood up.
It always happens to the nice ones of the flock, knew I should not have kept those pullets the horrid things they are. I reckon I know who the instigator will have been too

My little OEGB's hens (500 grams) can handle a 6 mm (0.236") tube, as can my 300 gram pigeon. This might sound crazy, and I haven't verified it on all birds yet, but if the diameter of the tube is about the same diameter of the eye, it will fit. If you use a something other than a catheter, be sure to melt the end so it's not too sharp.

Fluids first, then food. Never force feed a dehydrated bird.

-Kathy

Thanks Kathy

I will check this tube that I have and if not will have to order some. My friend is a vet nurse so she maybe able to get me some quicker too
There is no force feeding her, I've just been putting the food in front of her but she's not interested. The fluids I have got into her about 5ml - 7ml so far have really caused the crop to gurgle. Is this just because it's empty?

Looks like it may be respiratory to me. Maybe an injury or foreign body/debris in the airway.