Can someone please explain this hen behavior? Is she sick??

[Allegra17]

Can someone please let me know what my Easter egger hen is doing in this video? Is it a sign that she can’t breathe or something?

 

[ameraucana_anna_524]

I'm no expert, but my Ameraucana yawns like that when she's tired. Is she wheezing?

 

[SelfSufficientMe]

My silkies do that. And I’ve had chickens do that before. Usually young pullets. I’ve read that it could be them rearranging things in their crop. So far I haven’t had anything wrong with any of the chickens that ever demonstrated that behavior.

 

[samanthaoverton]

I

My silkies do that. And I’ve had chickens do that before. Usually young pullets. I’ve read that it could be them rearranging things in their crop. So far I haven’t had anything wrong with any of the chickens that ever demonstrated that behavior.

Was thinking the same thing..sage advice

 

[Allegra17]

Thanks. She’s 2.5 years old. It’s been a whole thing with her…. We brought in 2 new hens and didn’t quarantine them (obviously huge mistake), then my original hen (the Easter egger) got sick with some respiratory virus. We took her to the vet and they prescribed a clavamox. She started looking horrible on day 3 and the vet decided to take her off of the meds and cross our fingers that it doesn’t come back since you shouldn’t stop antibiotics. Now she was doing this and so I’m just freaked out. That video is from a couple days ago but I wasn’t sure if there was something stuck in her throat and I just haven’t been able to sleep because I’m so worried about her every move.

 

[ameraucana_anna_524]

Hope she gets better!

 

[Weeg]

Thanks. She’s 2.5 years old. It’s been a whole thing with her…. We brought in 2 new hens and didn’t quarantine them (obviously huge mistake), then my original hen (the Easter egger) got sick with some respiratory virus. We took her to the vet and they prescribed a clavamox. She started looking horrible on day 3 and the vet decided to take her off of the meds and cross our fingers that it doesn’t come back since you shouldn’t stop antibiotics. Now she was doing this and so I’m just freaked out. That video is from a couple days ago but I wasn’t sure if there was something stuck in her throat and I just haven’t been able to sleep because I’m so worried about her every move.

How long has this been going on? Is her crop emptying over night? To check, when you put them to bed at night, feel her crop, it should be semi full. Then take away all food and water sources in the coop. In the morning before you let them out to eat or drink, feel her crop, it should be empty. If it is not empty it could be a crop issue.

 

[Weeg]

Also, for the respiratory infection, have you tried oregano, or Oil of Oregano? If you can't give antibiotics, it might be worth a shot to try a natural alternative. You can feed Oregano herb, or even better, get oil of oregano tincture. Note, this is NOT Oregano oil, or Oregano essential oil. Those two are the same thing, and much much more potent than Oil or Oregano. The essential oil is highly concentrated and shouldn't be fed to poultry. Oil of Oregano is perfectly harmless.
I would get a tincture of Oil of Oregano from you local health food store and give one drop to her a day. I would give it with food. I've take oil of oregano before on an empty stomach, that wasn't fun, it gets spicy!
Maybe that will help her respiratory symptoms, or at least boost her immune system to help her fight it. Good luck!

 

[Allegra17]

Also, for the respiratory infection, have you tried oregano, or Oil of Oregano? If you can't give antibiotics, it might be worth a shot to try a natural alternative. You can feed Oregano herb, or even better, get oil of oregano tincture. Note, this is NOT Oregano oil, or Oregano essential oil. Those two are the same thing, and much much more potent than Oil or Oregano. The essential oil is highly concentrated and shouldn't be fed to poultry. Oil of Oregano is perfectly harmless.
I would get a tincture of Oil of Oregano from you local health food store and give one drop to her a day. I would give it with food. I've take oil of oregano before on an empty stomach, that wasn't fun, it gets spicy!
Maybe that will help her respiratory symptoms, or at least boost her immune system to help her fight it. Good luck!

She has been fighting the respiratory issue for about a week and a half. The issue is that her appetite seems decreased. She usually runs up to me everytime I go outside hoping for treats but now I have to go right up to her and even then, she will get close to it, maybe take a couple little nibbles, but seems generally uninterested. I’m not sure how to get her any medication when she won’t even eat much.

 

[coach723]

Do the crop check as @Weeg advised, make sure there are no issues there. Some birds will adjust their crops during the day when they've eaten a lot, and it can be very normal. But if her crop is not clearing it can cause them to do it a lot. So knowing if it's got food in it when she goes to bed, and then if it's empty or not in the morning is important for trying to figure out what may be going on. Crop is pictured below, you can feel around with your fingers, you should be able to feel food in there if it's got any in it. When the crop is full, as in the picture below, it will often look swollen and that goes down as she digests.