Chicken sticking neck out and opening mouth wide

[ilovemy7chicken]

My 3 week old poult was doing the same exact thing this evening, which is why I searched out Backyard Chickens for advice. I had given her some grit in the meantime and it seams to have cured her. She was also "puffing" out on the sides of her beak when she was yawning. Everything stopped with the grit. They say that new chicks and poults don't need to have grit if they are on a starter feed but sometimes they will try to eat their bedding or if you give them anything else to eat I think they really need it.

 

[ChickenGirl78]

Hi There,

I'm brand new to this forum and fairly new to raising chickens. I am having a similar issue with my chicken. A couple of weeks ago I lost one of my Ameraucanas. He became very docile and lethargic with blinking eyes, and head shaking and was drinking a ton of water the last day. From the same batch of chickens, but different parents, I have a hen who I just noticed this afternoon who opens her mouth wide at times and has it cracked open in between and is shaking her head a bit. I was wondering if anyone had a few ideas of what that might mean? I know that there could be a few different things wrong but am new on any chicken illnesses. The only thing so far other than the first death of my cockerel a couple weeks ago is I have seen some chicken mites/lice on one bird I brought home 6 months ago and have treated him for it a couple of times. None of the other birds have gotten them yet. I use apple cider vinegar in there water along with garlic. I have not vaccinated or used medicated feed. I want to raise them as natural as possible as I will be eating them and their eggs, so I don't want added chemicals. If you have any other ideas, I would appreciate your input and feedback.

Thank you so much,

ChickenGirl78

 

[bigbird]

Mine had something caught in her throat between her throat and crop. I tried everything I could think of to get it to pass through. Olive oil, bread, oil on bread , massaging crop, etcetera. The only thing that eventually worked was when a cotton swab was pushed down her throat to take a culture, and it miraculously dislodged it. That's how I knew what was wrong with her. She started eating everything in sight almost right after that.

 

[ChickenGirl78]

My girl is still active and eating and drinking well...she just shakes her head a lot and over stretches her mouth a bit often. I caught her and tried rubbing her neck/crest, feeling for inflammation and looking in her mouth...didnt' see or feel anything...thinking about trying a salt brine down her throat to see if maybe she has those worms...at a loss as what to do. ;-/

 

[bigbird]

I couldn't see or feel anything either when this was happening to my chicken either. Didn't really know what was wrong until the swab poked it on through. Where about are you located?

 

[ChickenGirl78]

I am from Alberta Canada. Quite a ways away from you. Did you poke the swab in yourself or you had a vet do it?

 

[bigbird]

Vet did it. He was taking a culture with a swab to check for an infection. It was by accident that he dislodged whatever was in its throat. This procedure was after a bunch of diagnostic stuff was already done, and the last thing that could have been done. First thing was his crop was opened, and found nothing abnormal.

 

[mariasheehan]

Oh, I've been avidly reading this post hoping that my blue laced red wyandottes could be saved. My rooster and my hen both developed these symptoms for several days: stretching neck, opening mouth, shaking head, sneezing, etc. Then my rooster seemed to improve a bit so I stopped worrying and got busy getting ready to go away on family vacation. 2 nights before we were to leave he took a sudden dive for the worse and died the following day. Very sad. The hen had symptoms as well but also seemed to improve and then worsened again. After losing our rooster, I took her decline more seriously and started giving her oral applications of wild garlic (I didn't have any regular garlic on hand), oregeno and apple cider vinegar. She's seemed to improve but is still gasping a bit. She began eating after 1 1/2 days of herbal application but still gasps, though not as frequently, and now has a runny nose! I will try and give her more garlic/oregeno/acv again today.

Just wanted to add to this thread to encourage any others whose chickens are suffering in this way.

Good luck to all with sick chickens!

 

[chickens1333]

I have 6 baby chickens.. we got them from tractor supply this time and they seem to be doing fine. Except one is stretching her neck out and opening her mouth wide. It started to worry me but she stopped and hasn't done it yet since. I did some research just to make sure and it said it was like them yawning but most animals don't yawn 5 times in 30 seconds. I kept reading and it said there was nothing to worry about. I wish the best for yalls chickens and I hope I helped yall.

 

[Birdking]

i have the same problem every once in a while.
i use garlic apple cider vinager, thyme, cinnamon, basil and chil pepper with a tiny bit of peper. i just mix it in with the food with some apple cider vinager in the water.

on occasion i give my birds piere mineral water. it seems to help.
but the symptoms can come back everyonce in a graet while.