chicken twisting and shaking its head and a wheezing turkey

[cbenson6820]

Hello,

I just went into the coop and found one of my partridge rocks on the coop floor acting very strange. She keeps turning her head like she is looking at the ground (one eye facing the ground, one eye facing the ceiling) and every now and then it looks like her neck vibrates or shakes really fast.She does this constantly. It makes me think she is dizzy and reminds me of an ear infection. Do chickens get those? Other than that she looks like she is healthy. I separated her from the rest of the flock so i can watch her feed and water intake and her droppings. Any ideas?

I also have a large bourbon red tom who has been wheezing and sneezing for over a month. He has no other symptoms. No nasal discharge or facial swelling. He is still active but doesn't seem to strut or gobble as much as he used to. I haven't treated him with anything but apple cider vinegar but thats not doing the job and i don't want to treat him with antibiotics if its not necessary.

Thanks for you help!

 

[rbaker0345]

It sounds like she has something in her ear. Move the feathers aside and look in her ear with a light and see if you see something. If there is wax or mites, you can use some olive oil or VetRX in her ear (a drop or two in each ear is good).

The tom probably has an URI and you should give him a mash (best to use the food processor) of fresh greens (like kale or broccoli greens), garlic and olive oil (I flavor it with vanilla wafers). The greens will provide beta carotene to support mucous membrane health and the garlic and olive oil contain natural antibiotics that bacteria cannot develop a resistance to. Also make sure there is clean, non-dusty bedding in the coop. If you don't notice improvement in a couple of days, put him onto terramyacin. Sinus infections in birds are serious at any severity. By the time you notice the symptoms, the illness is very progressed. Don't mess around. I am a sound believer in cautious use of antibiotics, they should only be used as a last resort. With a sinus infection in birds, reptiles and rodents, by the time they are symptomatic, you are at the last resort.