Why is my hen shaking her head

[Zoom Zoom]

How do I look in her ears? I felt her neck and didn't find anything unusual. How can I tell if she has something stuck in her esophagus? Wouldn't that hinder her eating and drinking which is normal? Thanks

 

[Free Feather]

Get a q-tip and remove some of the cotton from the top of the q-tip in order for it to fit inside the ear/ear canal, do not remove all the cotton from the tip. Then snugly wrap your hen in a towel and lay her down on one side on a table, her head should be the only part of her body that is exposed. You'll need to tie her lower legs together (close to her feet.)...I use a shoestring, and tie it like tying your shoe, not too tight. Make sure you have good lighting to see what you're doing. Pull back the ear flap on the side of her head. Slowly and gently insert the q-tip into the ear canal. DO NOT go in deep. Very gently swab the ear canal, then slowly withdraw the q-tip. Flip her over and swab the other ear following the same precedures I mentioned, use the other end of the q-tip or a new one...doesnt matter.
Then take a look at the cotton on the q-tip: If you see what appears to be dirt or wax, like human ear wax or sort of red in color or black/red dots...it's mites/with feces.
If you see yellowish/white gunk, it's a bacterial infection. If it's yellow/green gunk, probably a fungal issue.
If it's ear mites; use an eyedropper with vegetable oil in it and put a few drops in the ears. The oil will smother the mites.
For a bacterial infection; use an eyedropperful of hydrogen peroxide and put a few drops in the ear. It will bubble up, then after about 30 seconds use a clean q-tip to slowly and gently swab the ear clean and dry. Then use neosporin ointment, gently inserting the tip of the tube into the entrance of the ear canal and gently and slowly squeezing the ointment into the ear... then you're done. Do not overfill the ear. Flip her over and do the same thing to the other ear.
If you see yellow/green or just yellow on the q-tip, it's possibly fungus; dampen the q-tip with warm water, slowly and gently swab the ear clean. Then apply lotrimin ointment or monistat 7 (miconazole) cream into the ear as best as you can.
These steps might need to be repeated several months or longer down the road.

Thank you for this! I have an itty OEGB pullet I will need to do this for.

 

[Zoom Zoom]

My internet has been down AGAIN

Luckily I had printed off your recommendations. I checked Annie's ears and didn't find anything on the q-tip and I checked her again for external parasites and didn't find any. She has a vet appointment in the morning, I want him to take a look in her ears - will make me feel better if nothing else. We have become regulars in his office with our dog with arthritis, cat with an ear infection and another cat losing all her hair. Other than the pale comb, head jerking and sitting a lot, Annie seems to be OK. Any other suggestions will be welcome. Thanks for sending the detailed instructions.

 

[sapphirethehen]

maybe there is dust on her head, or parasites.

 

[Zoom Zoom]

Here's an update on Annie. When the vet first looked in her ears he said they were clean but he went back for a second look. He then saw what looked like ear wax and little white things moving so applied drops to both ears that will kill the live mites and also destroy the eggs. I do not know what he used, it looked like iodine. Now I'm wondering about my other chicks. I'm thinking I should treat them all and remember reading about a wormer that also kills mites. I tried a BYC search but didn't find what I was looking for. I last wormed the flock with Safe Guard last November. Is this too soon to deworm them again? I'll start another string on this too. I am so relieved that it wasn't something serious. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Free Feather]

I went to check out my Old English Game Bantam pullet's ear, but there is no way a q tip is going to fit. Does anyone know what I could use instead?

 

[dawg53]

I went to check out my Old English Game Bantam pullet's ear, but there is no way a q tip is going to fit. Does anyone know what I could use instead?

Try twisting toilet tissue to a point. Then try to insert it slow and easy into the ear canal, not deep. Dont wet it, pieces might break off and get lodged creating big problems.

 

[Free Feather]

Try twisting toilet tissue to a point. Then try to insert it slow and easy into the ear canal, not deep. Dont wet it, pieces might break off and get lodged creating big problems.

Thank you! I could not think of anything to use.

 

[nikki88]

My chicken started doing this when she had fowl pox

 

[sapphirethehen]

she haz wurms