Chicken is making odd head movements and has a full crop

[Self sufficient chickens]

This one and a half-year-old black sex link chicken has been walking around and jerking her head frequently. Her crop is also firm and very full. What is wrong with her?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sounds like she may be trying to adjust her crop.

Is she otherwise acting normal? Staying with the flock, drinking, etc? How long has this been going on?

See if she goes to roost tonight as normal and check her crop feel in the morning before she accesses food and water to make sure it has emptied over night. Maybe see where she is roosting so you can take note of what the dropping under her look like.

Hope she is well and just made a piggy of herself.

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

Is she otherwise acting normal? Staying with the flock, drinking, etc? How long has this been going on?

Yes, she is otherwise acting normal. She is staying with the flock. She looks normal except when she walks around, she jerks her head. This has been going on for about a week.

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

Maybe see where she is roosting so you can take note of what the dropping under her look like.

Good idea

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like she is adjusting her crop because something may not be moving through. Sometimes that cannbe long grasses that get wound. If her crop is full and hard in the morning, there is something wrong. It could be impacted crop or a pendulous crop. A vet could help if you cannot help it to empty, possibly with crop surgery. Here is a good article about crop problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

Thanks! Could it be Marek's?☠

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

I isolated the chicken inside of the house and it is pooping and gorging on food. I have been feeding them pellets for a few weeks, this was her first time with crumbles since then. Could that be part of the problem? She is also drinking well.

I will see if her crop has emptied in the morning. Update then.

 

[Abriana]

I see my hens jerking their heads all the time, sometimes they open their mouths and sort of “yawn” when they do it. In my experience, nothing is wrong. Just adjusting their crops I believe.

 

[Eggcessive]

They can digest chicken feed crumbles and pellets without grit, but they do need grit to help digest grasses and other foods. Do you provide some granite grit for them to eat when they want it? I would think it was Mareks if she is just adjusting her crop, but it might help to post a video to YouTube with a link here of her neck movements.

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

Hmm... Will provide some grit but do not have any currently.