Adult Hen Can't Eat.. Pecking air and missing food

[Delfena]

I searched the threads, and couldn't find a match.. It seems that similar problems were caused by injuries, or were prevalent in chicks. Here's my issue..

I have a two year old hen that I've had for about three months. She was perfectly healthy and happy until today.. I was sitting in the grass and she ran up to me and started pecking at the air (I was eating dinner). She's always been friendly, but never got this close to me willingly. I got out some scratch and offered it to her, and she turned her head, eyed it, and pecked the air.. Missing by a few inches. She kept frantically trying to get it, but couldn't. I tried holding it in a flat hand, and then putting it on the ground. She couldn't get it either time. I put her back in the run near the food, and she pecked at the canister, but never made contact.

What could cause this in an adult him with no injury? And what can I do about it? She's acting like she's starving, and I'm worried! If it makes any difference, she's a partridge Brahma.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[CrazyChookz]

Hi
It sounds like your hen has either an eye or brain problem.

Have you tried bring her to the vet?
They might be able to help. I suggest you look up farm animal vet, chicken vet etc. before you contact any vet because many don't take chooks as patients.You should act fast if she is starving.Mention she is a Partridge Brahma at the vet.

Hope she gets better!

 

[TeamChaos]

Huh, well it would seem as if her sight has been compromised somehow, doesn't it? How many chickens are in the coop and what kind of bedding to you use? Does she sleep on the same roost as everyone else? My first thought was ammonia blindness, but I don't know how frequently that happens in non-factory situations. I know some poisonous plants can cause blindness, as can some long term infectious diseases. Does she lay normal eggs? Anything remarkable about her appearance or behavior that might help us parse out the cause and if it can be reversed?

Regardless, she's going to need some special care in the mean time- if you're willing to put in the time, I'd get a bigger, deeper dish for food and get her used to coming to the same spot to eat when you call her. I'd put a waterer or water dish very close to it and dip her beak in it each time until she learns where it is herself.

 

[Delfena]

Thanks for the advice. She's with two other chickens.. One I've had for two years, and the other I've had for about three months (I got her around the same time that I got the one having the problem, but they were from different people). They are all adults and have had no previous issues. I use straw bedding on the coop, and just dirt in the run (with some straw during the wetter months). And yes, they all sleep on the same roost. We did just landscape our yard, but the designer knew we had chickens, so I hope she would choose non toxic plants ( they're mostly grasses, Oregon grape, ferns, and columbines). I haven't seen them pecking at the plants, only at the lawn. Nothing notable about behavior beyond the sight issue. She is missing a small patch of feathers by her neck.. Her previous owner said she was picked on by the other hens.

Thanks for your help!

 

[drumstick diva]

It does sound like a problem with her sight. Will she take food if you offer by hand - close to her face.

 

[Delfena]

No, she won't. She'll try to peck at it, but always misses. I put her food and water into shallow dishes as recommended, but she still can't get anything. I dipped her beak in the water, but she ran away.

How long should I let her go like this? Will she eventually learn where the food is? I just don't want her to suffer.

 

[Lewbylew99]

Maybe try with a sqaured ice cream container and put the food it there. This is what i did because my chicken wasnt eating properly then once she ate all the food out of that bowl i put a proper chciken bowl in and shes eating perfectly now, And if that doesnt work then just sprinkle the food round there bowl and see how that goes but if it doesnt go very well then just take her to the local vets and see what they can do...

Lewbylew99

 

[Lucky hick]

I have a sick hen that I have been hand feeding.....especially cut up grapes and watermelon. Sprouts that I grow and a dropper for water with some antibiotics in...put on her top beak and she swallows it. Good luck with your hen.....

 

[seminolewind]

My Polish roo did that a few years ago. We thought brain injury. He died. He did the same thing. He couldn't aim.

 

[Rainbow Eggs]

Inability to properly use neck is happening to individuals in my flock. We have 16 hens and by accident, 3 roosters. I thought that finding 2 hens that looked fine in the morning, in late afternoon huddled against something with quite a few feathers (hen colored nearby) on the ground meant one of the junior roosters injured them trying to breed when the main rooster wasn't around. However it has been really hot. Then 2- 2 1/2 mo old pullets showed puffed feathers moving poorly and listless the next day. I've been giving them all eyedroppers of water with electrolytes, but the two hens who weren't holding up their necks even, died after 2 days. The two pullets look better but they cannot aim properly to pick up food. If I open the beak and give them moistened pellet of (sprouted whole grain) bread or their own chick food moistened, they are hungry and want more. But when they try to peck on their own they mostly peck in the air. Obviously they are hungry but they are misjudging aim. When they were first looking poorly eyes were half closed more on one side. There are plenty of clean filled waterers, but I've noticed the birds walking around with their wings slightly lifted in an attempt to stay cool. Is it a combination? Heat and injury by rooster? roosters all in isolated coops now. I autopsied dead birds. No mites, no worms in intestines or trachea-