Head Shaking-Help!

[nzpouter]

try and give them some vit B.

 

[WilczenskiFarm]

Quote:
I too have about 4 birds out of my 8 that are head shaking quite a bit... but I swear they only do it consistently at night when they go in to roost. I'm worried because I know there was only one that started out shaking her head ... and now about 4 do this. I don't notice any yawning, nor any other symptoms what-so-ever.

 

[jennh]

Hi ! I lost a hen, my black Australorp, this past summer. She was acting fine the night before, eating her treats, and acting normal other than shaking her head and making a sneezing, coughing-like noise, like she had something in her throat. I came home from work the next day at noon and found her dead in the run A couple of days later my light Brahma, Isabelle, started doing the same thing. I picked her up and felt her throat. It felt like there was something about 1-2 inches long in her throat.
I came in and googled her symptoms and came up with gapeworms. It said the only thing that is effective against gape worms is horsewormer. I went to Agway and got Equimax (ivermectin 1.87%/praziquantel 14.03%). Since my "girls" love their treats (mini animal crackers), I just put a little dot, about the size of a pea, on their treat. They gobbled it down. They never even knew they were eating wormer. Isabelle is fine now. I just wish I would have known then what I know now. I probably could have saved Jezebel.
Hope this helps!

Jen

 

[JayDe]

Thanks for the replies! My chicks have been headshaking and doing the "gape" movement for MONTHS now--October it started when I brought home 3 headshaking silkies. It seemed to spread to the baby Orpingtons and now they all do it...they do it more when they are relaxed in their hutch.

After my last post, I went ahead and gave them ivermectin 1% in their water (1 ml per quart) for two days. I did not notice any difference in their behavior and besides some lose stools for a couple days, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary for the worming-no expelled worms, etc.
They still seem the same and it's now 4 months later.
No one seems sick...just head shakes. They don't seem to shake their head when they are running around outside...Stress??
No coughing sounds/sneezing...they had been sneezing at one point, but I don't hear it anymore.

I'm sorry to hear about your baby...I am glad you caught it and saved the rest of your chickens.

Did you look at my video? Did yours headshake like mine? Oh..that wasn't the post with the video. Check out www.youtube.com/jayde303 and click on the head shake video. Thanks!

 

[JayDe]

Quote:
I too have about 4 birds out of my 8 that are head shaking quite a bit... but I swear they only do it consistently at night when they go in to roost. I'm worried because I know there was only one that started out shaking her head ... and now about 4 do this. I don't notice any yawning, nor any other symptoms what-so-ever.

This sounds like mine. Mine only do it when relaxed in their hutch. Sometimes when I'm holding them I notice it as well, but never when they are outside. Mine spread, too. I'd try the ivermectin, just in case it's gape. I think it must be some kind of stress thing..maybe it's a learned "tick"? I would think if it were gape, at least one of mine would have died by now. They started out as chicks doing it--just a couple of weeks old...and now they are 14-16 weeks.

 

[jennh]

Jess, I looked at your video. I didn't see anything unusual. I see chickens do that all the time. Maybe you can post a longer one so we can see more head shaking?

Jen

 

[Noble Rooster]

Hi JayDe,

My chickens also do the same headshaking thing. I first noticed it when they were quite young (a few weeks) and they seemed to do it the most when they were just hanging out in their coop. It seems to come in bouts when I notice they do it a lot, then it will die back. Once in a while there is a sneeze too but it's not a chronic thing. They never do it when they are outside exploring. Recently the headshaking in mine has been accompanied by some ear-scratching (and there was a separate beak issue that was going on that's now taken care of), so I've been treating for mites and seeing what happens. Mine have not been doing the gapeworm yawn and otherwise everyone eats well, is in good flesh, has bright shiny eyes and feathers, is active and playful, is laying regularly, etc. I was wondering if it were some kind of tic as well. I think if you haven't seen anything else going on that would indicate another problem (like worms, mites, or a respiratory thing) just keep an eye on it, but if everyone is basically OK I wouldn't take drastic measures. Maybe they've all just watched A Night at the Roxbury too many times:

 

[wildorchid053]

mine do it and they are full grown.. i noticed it mostly when i talked to them.. i wonder if some noises vibrate the feathers around their ears and tickles so they shake their heads. see if they do it when it is quiet.. that was the only guess i could come up with.. mine have been wormed with wazine and ivomec.

 

[littlekit]

I have a rooster that shakes his head when I say his name. I thought maybe he just doesn't like his name. Or the sound of my voice saying his name?
He is six months old and a very healthy boy as far as I can tell. He scratches his ears sometimes. Should I be concerned about worms?
Poop is all normal looking. He is a dominique and he free ranges during the day.

 

[drumstick diva]

Do chickens get ear mites like dogs/cats? I know that causes head shaking.