Chicken acting like it can't swallow! Is this normal?

[Helloworld]

If she is choking won't she die from lack of air?

Worms will die and she will “hairball” them out. Your entire flock needs to be treated.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My hen was standing in the yard kind of butt pointed down. Acting like she is kind of choking. Like bobbing her neck and arching it puffing out her feathers. I have taken her into the house. She is trying to make noises, but can't. She keeps dozing. Is this normal? I'll try to post a video to youtube in a minute.
She's also refusing food.

She also keeps standing on one foot and picks her feet up high when she walks.

Can you post your video?
How is she doing?
How old is she?
When did she last lay an egg?

What you describe sounds like she may have something stuck in her throat or she is having a problem with her crop. Feel her crop - what is that like - hard, soft, squishy, doughy, air filled, sour smelling breath?

Don't try to feed her if she is still in distress. She does need water available.
Report back to us how the crop feels and we can go from there.

Rooster Booster makes a top dressing wormer that is used once a month.

Worms will die and she will “hairball” them out. Your entire flock needs to be treated.

While it's possible that the hen may have gapeworm or even capillary worms, other possibilities like an impacted crop or even a blockage needs to be explored. A chicken does not have a gag reflex so cannot hairball worms out of the crop or esophagus. That would be a nice feature for chickens to have, that would drastically cut down on crop issues

fwiw - unless you have a buying source or extra already purchased. Rooster Booster Multi-Wormer top dressing is no longer available. Supplements and feeds that contain antibiotics were pulled from shelves at the beginning of 2017. The "de-wormer" in the Rooster Booster was Hygromycin B which is an antibiotic.

Fenbendazole or Valbazen would be good to use for treating worms, but of course, getting confirmation of worms if possible is best, that way you don't treat unnecessarily.

 

[Helloworld]

“Hairball”

In quotes because although they can’t do it, excessive gape worms will cause her to try and regurgitate.

If she drinking excessive then check for off feed and impacted crop. Add yogurt or fermented feed for a day.

 

[Helloworld]

Yes I bought extra but wondered what happened to it at TSC. Oh well, back to Australia for Rooster Booster tablets! Always somethin lol.

 

[PrettyChickens15]

She is a little over 2 years old.
She seems to be acting almost normal today.
I'm pretty sure she laid an egg yesterday.
Her breath smells fine.
She is eating, but seemed to be drinking a lot of water after and while she ate layer feed.
She did the neck arching thing a couple of times while she was eating.
I don't really know anything about crops so I'll have to look that up in a bit. It's ridiculous I haven't looked it up before and I've had chickens for six years now

I'll upload the video of her after I run my errands.

Thank you both for all the help

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She is a little over 2 years old.
She seems to be acting almost normal today.
I'm pretty sure she laid an egg yesterday.
Her breath smells fine.
She is eating, but seemed to be drinking a lot of water after and while she ate layer feed.
She did the neck arching thing a couple of times while she was eating.
I don't really know anything about crops so I'll have to look that up in a bit. It's ridiculous I haven't looked it up before and I've had chickens for six years now

I'll upload the video of her after I run my errands.

Thank you both for all the help

Look forward to the video.
The link below has some nice photos and write up about crops, so you may want to read that. https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour/


Check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks, that is really the only way to tell if it's functioning properly. It should be empty or flat in the morning. You can compare her to some of your other girls if you need to. Sometimes if I have one that is flighty, I go in the coop and check her early before she comes of the roost. Otherwise I wait by the pop door and catch up my "victim" as she comes out While you are examining her, it would be worth a look inside the beak, see if there is any obstruction, lesions, plaques or canker.


Drinking a lot of water after she had that episode and extending the neck makes me think she had something stuck. I would watch her for several days just to see if she continues those actions.

Keep us posted.

 

[PrettyChickens15]

There is a video of her from yesterday. She isn't doing that as much today.
That article was very helpful. I'm going out right now to feel her crop. Is it okay I'm not doing it in the morning?

 

[PrettyChickens15]

I felt her crop and it felt just like her breast. I think I was feeling her crop

 

[Wyorp Rock]

In the video it looks like she might be adjusting her crop. It's always a good idea to get a fecal float if possible.

It won't hurt her to feel the crop throughout the day, you should feel a small bulge when she has been eating. A good way to check her since you have never done this it to feel the crop (right side of the bird) when she goes to roost - you should feel that she has food in that pouch. THEN check it again first thing in the morning, it should be flat - this will give you something to compare

 

[Justso]

Have you ever wormed?
How many chickens do you have?
And lastly where are you located in Illinois, I might be able to help you with valbazan