Chicken is making odd head movements and has a full crop

[sealer39]

From your description, it sounds like she has an impacted crop. You can massage her crop in an upwards motion a least three time a day to help break things up. Google this method to help with impacted crop. When you get the grit also get some coconut oil from the grocery store to mix with it. Chickens (at least mine anyway) love it and it’s a good way to get them to eat the grit quickly. One of my Marans recently had an impacted crop from eating to much hay and this was my approach to help her with it. She was fine again within a week.

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

Great, thank you so much!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

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.

That sounds like a burp.

This has been going on for about a week.

A week is more than a crop adjustment. Impacted crop usually sees diarrhea, excessive drinking, and lethargy... not gorging and acting normal. They won't eat food of their's no where for it to go.

I would take a fecal sample in to get a float done and check internal parasite load before anything else. Marek's doesn't *usually* present this late... but it is possible it has presented before mildly and this is just a relapse.

How is her crop this morning? Even a pile of dirt is considered good enough for grit.

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

Her crop is just as full as last night

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

I will pick up grit today

 

[Self sufficient chickens]

Her droppings smell worse than any other chicken by far