beautifulbirbs
In the Brooder
- Apr 5, 2021
- 3
- 0
- 37
I just noticed this a few days ago, as I've been away, but one of my heritage rock hens (barely a year old, just started laying at the end of fall) has been acting very weird when drinking water. She kind of sits down fully on her rump and throws her head all the way back, kind of thrashing her head back and forth like she's in a trance. This isn't just tipping their head back like they do, she's almost fully laying her neck on her back feathers. I thought she had her neck broken when I first saw this (that's how awful it looked) but after I gently prodded her bent neck she regained her composure like nothing ever happened. I picked her up once while this was happening and there was no reaction, and then she broke out of her trance and got panicked. Anytime she drinks this seems to happen.
I have never seen a disease like this in my coop at all and the only things I can think of is a vitamin deficiency, but none of my other chickens are acting like this, so then I'm thinking it's an injury. It is winter so I have them in the barn but I've opened up parts of it so they have quite the range to roam and forage indoors. I close them into a smaller space to roost at night because we've had raccoon and possum issues in the past so maybe she got jumped on? I do have a few roosters but I separated the aggressive bresses (we'll eat them later) before this incident so I doubt it's rooster aggression?
I've seen her like this a few times already but she seems to be eating and drinking just fine (minus these seizures?) and since I'm not watching her 24/7, I think she is able to reright herself without my assistance. I'm half expecting her to just be dead whenever I go back, but she seems totally healthy for now and still runs around with her sisters. If anyone has had a similar experience or any recommendations, I'm open to anything.
I don't have a photo on my phone because anytime I bring my phone back she's fine, and anytime I don't she's not fine, but I'll try to get one to show, unless if something happens to her before then.
I have never seen a disease like this in my coop at all and the only things I can think of is a vitamin deficiency, but none of my other chickens are acting like this, so then I'm thinking it's an injury. It is winter so I have them in the barn but I've opened up parts of it so they have quite the range to roam and forage indoors. I close them into a smaller space to roost at night because we've had raccoon and possum issues in the past so maybe she got jumped on? I do have a few roosters but I separated the aggressive bresses (we'll eat them later) before this incident so I doubt it's rooster aggression?
I've seen her like this a few times already but she seems to be eating and drinking just fine (minus these seizures?) and since I'm not watching her 24/7, I think she is able to reright herself without my assistance. I'm half expecting her to just be dead whenever I go back, but she seems totally healthy for now and still runs around with her sisters. If anyone has had a similar experience or any recommendations, I'm open to anything.
I don't have a photo on my phone because anytime I bring my phone back she's fine, and anytime I don't she's not fine, but I'll try to get one to show, unless if something happens to her before then.
