do araucanas hold their heads differently than other breeds?

[Slinglings]

I have one aracauna hen, about 4 months old, and she just seems different to me than my other 7 hens. She walks differently, holds her differently, tilts her head to the side (looking to the sky, always the same side up) to look at me rather than holding her head up right and turning toward me like my other hens do. Her balance seems to be a little off, but it might be that she is off balance because she holds her head to one side. I called the person I bought her from and his response is that she is just different from the breeds I am used to and that she is perfectly fine. (See my signature to see what I have)


I just got her yesterday with 3 other hens (all from the same flock) and they are quarantined from my other 4.



Is it possible she was fine when I got her yesterday and hit her head or something while transporting her?

I know pictures would help, but it's hard to capture. From reading it sounds like she may have wry neck/crooked neck, but I'm not sure.

 

[nurse_turtle]

She may have trouble seeing with one eye, but there isn't a known chicken breed that holds its head crooked as part of its natural stance.

 

[Slinglings]

Thank you. I think she may have hurt herself on the way home if she was fine at her former home. I spent a long time watching them before buying and they all seemed fine.

 

[ramirezframing]

Dragonflies and Dandelions - Alan Stanford on CROOKNECK (from injury to head)

heres a link to wry/ crook neck hope it helps and she gets better.. what ever it is

 

[PhipN FarmGirl]

Just looked at your photos of the girls, they are beautiful! And the photos are so good, looks like a calendar!

 

[Slinglings]

Just looked at your photos of the girls, they are beautiful! And the photos are so good, looks like a calendar!

Thanks . I don't have pictures of my four new hens yet. I want to wit until they are outside.

 

[Slinglings]

She's definitely lowest in the pecking order, I wonder if someone gave her a hard peck and hurt her? She doesn't seem sick, she looks like she has a sore or stiff neck. She's always lived with these four hens, along with at least ten others, but they had 5 acres to roam around on.

Should I build a separate pen and put her in it, or should I put the one that's doing the pecking in it? Or put two in each?

 

[Slinglings]

I got a few pictures, these are from last night and it's possible she looks a little better today.

This is how she generally holds her head. Neck is very rounded, curves slightly to the side, and face points down.


This is how she looks up at me. My other hens hold their head and neck up straight and turn sideways to look at me, sometimes tilting a little bit if necessary. This picture shows it about as bad as it ever is. She always turns to the same side.


This is more typical:


She's eating, drinking, pooping normally. She is lowest on the pecking order and smallest. She doesn't seem sick. Just stiff and sore looking, maybe a little sad. (My husband says I project my feelings onto my animals )