Back of hen's neck swollen

[newbithian]

Hi, I found one of my hens outside of her enclosure today (not an uncommon occurrence as this particular hen tends to climb onto things and fly out pretty frequently). This time it was different, though- she was just standing there with her eyes closed. Didn't move when I approached, and when I moved her back inside the enclosure, she walked around very slowly, finally settling under the the coop.

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)

Amber Link Chicken, 5mo., same weight as the other Amber Link​

2) What is the behavior, exactly.

Back of her neck is swollen, she's moving slowly, and her eyes are closed.​

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?

The past few hours.​

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?

No.​

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.

Swollen neck.​

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.

No idea.​

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.

Has been eating and drinking the same as the rest of the chickens.​

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.

Normal​

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?

None​

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?

I'd prefer to treat her myself if possible​

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use

~800ft^2 enclosure housing four chickens with a coop in the middle containing straw and hay.​

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @newbithian Welcome To BYC

How is your hen today?

Are there any puncture wounds/cuts - visible injury?
The swelling - is it hard or soft like it's filled with air?

Hopefully someone else will chime in with their thoughts.

If she seems o.k. with the flock then keep an eye on her, if not, then separating her so you can monitor her more closely would be a good idea. It may be just an injury where she overextended her neck or got it caught in something - injuries can take several days to start to improve.

Give her a good once over for swelling anywhere else on the body - the abdomen and around the vent. Also check her crop to make sure it's emptying overnight.

If she is eating, drinking and pooping on her own, that is good - watch to see that she is staying hydrated.
Keep us posted.

 

[newbithian]

She laid a pretty deformed egg the following morning. My best guess is that she was egg-bound and the "swelling" was just a result of her pose, but in any case she seems to be fine now. Keeping an eye on her nonetheless and making sure she has enough calcium in the meantime.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad to hear she is back to normal.
Did you happen to take a photo of the deformed egg?