Chicken keeps her head down under breast area.

[Gongusia]

I had Polish chickens for over 3 years now and my black one is having a visible problem. For the last few days she would not go down from her housing area to eat, so I fed her where she was. Then she got down and since about 3 days she is folding her head way down under her breast area and just standing there. Then she walks a little raising the head, and stops again and her head goes way under. I picked her up and looked her over and noticed that her eyes are closing and twiching and her crest is getting pale, but other than that she tries to eat and drink and then her head goes way down like she is trying to stand on her head. No other chickens are picking on her.
Does anyone have any idea what is happening? Is she having some neurological problems? Is it possible that she may have a tumor on the brain? I am totally puzzled. She is in a large enclosure with another Lace Polish, Silver Polish and Golden Polish hen and the other 3 are doing just fine. I am looking for any type of answer, because I worry about her. Thanks.
Reply

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

There are many things that can cause the symptoms you describe so it is difficult to tell exactly what is going on with your hen. Two things that come to mind are worm overload, and lice/mites. When did you worm your chickens last, and have you inspected them for lice/mites? If you haven't wormed them, or haven't done so recently, you might want to do that first. There is a lot of information on worming products and dosages if you search on this site. I attached a link with information that will help you look for lice and mites. A third cause might be some type of egg laying issue. Has she been laying regularly? http://www.avianaquamiser.com/posts/How_chicken_feathers_grow/

 

[Gongusia]

Hi,
Thanks for the info. I am following up on your suggestions. I don't think it has anything to do with the egg laying, because all my chickens have stopped laying eggs about month ago and so did she, but I am looking into the worms and mites suggestion. Thanks again.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Hi,
Thanks for the info. I am following up on your suggestions. I don't think it has anything to do with the egg laying, because all my chickens have stopped laying eggs about month ago and so did she, but I am looking into the worms and mites suggestion. Thanks again.

While you're at it, throw some vitamin E at her immediately, assuming she's still around?

Avian Encephalomalacia <-- I think that's what it's called, but ... that most often affects young birds, but these symptoms fit. Vitamin E is no longer biologically available in feed once the oils oxidize (or goes rancid), which is often the cause of the deficiency. There's also been many recalls recently, which is gonna result in many deficient birds' owners havin' troubles on here.

 

[dawg53]

Hi,
Thanks for the info. I am following up on your suggestions. I don't think it has anything to do with the egg laying, because all my chickens have stopped laying eggs about month ago and so did she, but I am looking into the worms and mites suggestion. Thanks again.

Capillary worms in the crop can cause the symptoms you described. I recommend that you orally dose her and the rest of your chickens 1/2cc valbazen, repeat dosing in again in 10 days.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Capillary worms in the crop can cause the symptoms you described. I recommend that you orally dose her and the rest of your chickens 1/2cc valbazen, repeat dosing in again in 10 days.

Good morning, Dawg ...
If you've had your coffee? Check my facts, if you don't mind:

Valbazen is 11.36% albendazole.

56.8 mg active ingredient in 1/2 cc.

:: edit in this color to correct error -- needed more coffee myself:
switched from albendazole to fenbedazole, mid post (that's twice, in one week )-;~

If the minimum desired dosage of fenbendazole were 20 mg/kg for three consecutive days (so as to eliminate all worms, save for tapes), this would treat a 6-1/4 pound bird [56.8/20 x 2.20462].

NOTE: 20 mg/kg of ALBENDAZOLE is effective against all worms (including tapeworms).

 

[dawg53]

Quote: Three consecutive days treating with valbazen is not necessary. Valbazen slowly kills worms over a 3-5 day period. (No need to worry about
toxic dead worm/feces overload.) It takes worm oocysts missed by the initial dosing to hatch into larva usually between 7-10 days...the ideal time to reworm with a second dose at the tenth day, before they become adults and reproduce...making the worming basically ineffective. An exception would be gapes and tapes...it's best to hit those types of worms hard and fast at 3-5 day intervals with increased dosages...this includes safeguard liquid goat (for gapes) wormer and levimisole (which is the wormer of choice for gapes as recommended by Covey Rise Plantation.) He KNOWS about gapes.
I'm only on my second cup of coffee...I accidently knocked over my alarm clock...then accidently dropped my toothbrush in the toilet! Gonna be one of those days (sigh.) Gotta go buy another toothbrush after my coffee lol.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Three consecutive days treating with valbazen is not necessary. Valbazen slowly kills worms over a 3-5 day period. (No need to worry about
toxic dead worm/feces overload.) It takes worm oocysts missed by the initial dosing to hatch into larva usually between 7-10 days...the ideal time to reworm with a second dose at the tenth day, before they become adults and reproduce...making the worming basically ineffective. An exception would be gapes and tapes...it's best to hit those types of worms hard and fast at 3-5 day intervals with increased dosages...this includes safeguard liquid goat (for gapes) wormer and levimisole (which is the wormer of choice for gapes as recommended by Covey Rise Plantation.) He KNOWS about gapes.
I'm only on my second cup of coffee...I accidently knocked over my alarm clock...then accidently dropped my toothbrush in the toilet! Gonna be one of those days (sigh.) Gotta go buy another toothbrush after my coffee lol.

They claim the facal matter's already on the used brush, but ... I'da replaced it, too. But, spilling perfectly good beer, coffee or whiskey is a tragedy, if not a sin ~;-)

It's the elimination of all worms, inclucing gapeworms, that compels me to suggest the three consecutive days, as indicated by the efficacy study I sent ya (along w/ others I've seen). They give the numbers found at necropsy, comparing dosages in increments of 5 mg/kg. And, despite the FDA's really stupid rule that it can be added to water, but not to feed, when using off-label? I found, 'n bought, an alternative ... but first? Lookin' for it, I found this additional tidbit for proving the safety of fenbendazole:

Side effects associated with Safe-Guard

(fenbendazole) could not be established in well-controlled safety studies in horses with single doses as high as 454 mg/lb (1,000 mg/kg) and 15 consecutive daily doses of 22.7 mg/lb (50 mg/kg).

fenbendazole for only $2.64 per gram​

Ingredients:
Ground alfalfa hay, roughage products, calcium carbonate, calcium propionate (preservative) and mineral oil..
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min.) 15%, Crude Fat (min.) 1%, Crude Fiber (max.) 30%, Fenbendazole 0.5% (2.27 g/lb).

 

[dawg53]

Cowcreek. You're good at copying reports and such....but no experience to back it up in real life. Keep up the good work, you can impress newbies...but not experienced poultry keepers. Adios.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Cowcreek. You're good at copying reports and such....but no experience to back it up in real life. Keep up the good work, you can impress newbies...but not experienced poultry keepers. Adios.

Well, I've always tended to dig in deeper than most consider reasonable. But, I'd rather be ridiculously informed before I try 'n "impress newbies" with the informations I'd just *asked* you about ... as for my own personal experience? I was raised on this farm, and caring for the animals/poultry since before grade school, beginning first as simple chores, but later becoming completely my own responsibility.

Even though it adds up to decades? I've still only dealt w/ what's come up here, and w/in the livestock of family/neighbors/etc.

SoOo ... I've learned more about poultry since comin' here, by researching to help solve the problems others have had, than all those years of carin' for our own birds.

I've also learned that you clearly oughta finish your coffee before goin' online ...