Lethargic head shaking chicken

candyp

Hatching
Oct 21, 2016
4
0
7
My chicken is shaking her head and all puffed up. She also will not come out to free range. She is eating. Does not appear to have mites. What's wrong with her?
 
Welcome to BYC!

She could have lice/mites in her ears, an ear infection, debris in her ear canal, something stuck in her nares, or maybe gape worms (though unlikely).

Have you checked the feathers around her ears? If you rub her ear-feathers backward, you may see tiny, white bugs crawling around. Grab a flashlight to see better. :)

Does she also have trouble balancing? That could be ear infection.

I'd check her beak and mouth to see if anything is stuck. You could swab with a q-tip down her throat to check for red worms.

Do you see that she's got a drippy beak, bubbly eyes, sneezing, wheezing, or anything like that?

MrsB
 
She did have a little dripping beak last night but does not seem to have it now. I made her get out of hutch and walk around but she is still shaking head and puffed up. What does a dripping beak mean?
 
Had clear drops off her beak last night but seems not there now. She is 2.5 yrs old
 
Do you see that she's got a drippy beak, bubbly eyes, sneezing, wheezing, or anything like that?
She had a dripping beak last night but that seems to have gone away. What does a dripping beak mean?

MrsB
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Dripping off the beak could mean sinus infection which is most generally a highly contagious virus. These either require antibiotic treatment or the choice of culling the bird.

How does her crop feel? Is it hard or squishy? Any odor from her beak? Any sneezing?
 
Isolate this chicken immediately. A dog crate in the garage or bathroom works well.

If possible, have a vet do blood work to determine what illness you're dealing with. You will need to know in order to make informed decisions about the rest of your flock.

If it's something like Infectious Bronchitis, that sort of resolves itself on its own. If it's mycoplasma, that requires a little more drastic action. The only way to know is with a blood test.

Put her own food and water in her crate. Keep an eye on her intake. Make sure she's DRINKING. That is more important than eating.

Monitor her poops.

I would track down some TerraVet and put that in her water. You can find it at local feed stores or you can order it online. http://www.qcsupply.com/terra-vet-10-tetracycline-hydrochloride-soluble-powder.html

See if you can find a vet that will do a blood test for you. If you have a relationship with your local vet, just say you need the blood test, not "treatment." I hope they will help you.

Keep us posted!

MrsB
 

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