- May 25, 2019
- 46
- 64
- 119
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Speckled Sussex hen, 4-5months old, Seems like a normal weight.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She is twitching her head frequently, similar to the way they might if a fly were buzzing around them, except there’s no bug near her. Her comb might be a bit pale, but it never really is very dark anyway.
I don’t think it’s ear mites because I put DE in all the places they like to dust bathe and she really rubs her whole head and gets really “into” her baths. She hasn’t been scratching either. She acts normal other than the twitching. (It actually reminds me of the “tic” my five year old daughter gets when she is really stressed. Like she is trying to get hair out of her face over and over when nothing is there.)
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
She did this for a while when I was first getting my flock together. (I got chickens from a few different places all within a few weeks before realizing I was supposed to quarantine for weeks before introducing. I have ten total from 4 places. This one was part of a group of five which were the first ones I got. One of the five in her group died suddenly three days after I got them - that one had bloody stool for two days before dying. They were all given antibiotics for three days, and Hydro Hen, then a preventative course of Corid for two weeks to build immunity to other strains of cocci, followed by vitamins and probiotics for three days. They were also given DE, apple cider vinegar, and garlic during this time. No one else had bloody stools or seemed sick except one seemed tired at the end of the day for two days in a row at the end of the Corid, which was when I started the vitamins because I worried the Corid created a B vitamin deficiency.)
Then I noticed today she was twitching her head again after not doing it for a while.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No.
But I will note here that my neighbor two doors down has many chickens, ducks, and geese that come close to my chickens. She hasn’t mentioned any issues, but I don’t know if any of hers are sick.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
I looked her over and didn’t see any evidence of trauma. The rooster doesn’t seem super fond of her, so he pecks her sometimes. But she has a buddy who chases the rooster off for her most of the time.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
Yesterday was my youngest daughter’s birthday party. I went out to show my friend the chickens and all the kids and other adults ended up coming out. One kid in particular kept chasing the chickens even after being told to stop. (I ended up taking the kid inside and putting her in timeout myself because her guardian wouldn’t do anything other than tell her to stop - which she ignored.) I’m wondering if having so many strangers in their space could cause this specific hen to get too stressed. I always say she’s a cry baby because she squawks loudly when our rooster even comes towards her. Maybe she is more prone to stress/fear than the others?
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
None are laying yet, so I have them on chick starter, unmedicated, organic. I give them a little organic scratch with DE and garlic powder mixed in it. They are given lots of grit. They get basil, lettuce, and parsley from the garden (no pesticides). They free range in the yard half the day (the dog gets the yard the other half) from about lunch time until dusk, so whatever bugs and grass they pickup. She seems to be eating normally.
Usually, they have been getting plain water. Today, I put some stuff for chickens in the water that has vitamins, electrolytes, and probiotics. I saw her drink a good bit, as much as the others.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
I haven’t noticed any unusual stools as far as I can tell. No blood. It has been hot, so they are drinking a lot and that makes some poops watery. Some is cecal. Sometimes they have a liquid white poop. Some is green (I figure from all the grass they eat.)
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Just the addition to the water today and looking at her a lot.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Would prefer to do as much as possible myself.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Would have to take a video.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use.
I have part of my garage partitioned off for them. (A quarter of a two car garage.) The top half is open. (It’s really just some chainlink fence around their section with some garden fabric around it to block their view and minimize litter getting kicked out). I keep it open during the day and a fan on to ventilate it. There’s aspen and pine bedding. I also have a dust bath in there in the corner for them for days when it is too muddy (which is often) or sometimes if I have to keep them inside all day if I won’t be home until late (rare). I’m using the deep litter method, but most poop ends up on the poop board, so it stays pretty clean.
Speckled Sussex hen, 4-5months old, Seems like a normal weight.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
She is twitching her head frequently, similar to the way they might if a fly were buzzing around them, except there’s no bug near her. Her comb might be a bit pale, but it never really is very dark anyway.
I don’t think it’s ear mites because I put DE in all the places they like to dust bathe and she really rubs her whole head and gets really “into” her baths. She hasn’t been scratching either. She acts normal other than the twitching. (It actually reminds me of the “tic” my five year old daughter gets when she is really stressed. Like she is trying to get hair out of her face over and over when nothing is there.)
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
She did this for a while when I was first getting my flock together. (I got chickens from a few different places all within a few weeks before realizing I was supposed to quarantine for weeks before introducing. I have ten total from 4 places. This one was part of a group of five which were the first ones I got. One of the five in her group died suddenly three days after I got them - that one had bloody stool for two days before dying. They were all given antibiotics for three days, and Hydro Hen, then a preventative course of Corid for two weeks to build immunity to other strains of cocci, followed by vitamins and probiotics for three days. They were also given DE, apple cider vinegar, and garlic during this time. No one else had bloody stools or seemed sick except one seemed tired at the end of the day for two days in a row at the end of the Corid, which was when I started the vitamins because I worried the Corid created a B vitamin deficiency.)
Then I noticed today she was twitching her head again after not doing it for a while.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No.
But I will note here that my neighbor two doors down has many chickens, ducks, and geese that come close to my chickens. She hasn’t mentioned any issues, but I don’t know if any of hers are sick.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
I looked her over and didn’t see any evidence of trauma. The rooster doesn’t seem super fond of her, so he pecks her sometimes. But she has a buddy who chases the rooster off for her most of the time.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
Yesterday was my youngest daughter’s birthday party. I went out to show my friend the chickens and all the kids and other adults ended up coming out. One kid in particular kept chasing the chickens even after being told to stop. (I ended up taking the kid inside and putting her in timeout myself because her guardian wouldn’t do anything other than tell her to stop - which she ignored.) I’m wondering if having so many strangers in their space could cause this specific hen to get too stressed. I always say she’s a cry baby because she squawks loudly when our rooster even comes towards her. Maybe she is more prone to stress/fear than the others?
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
None are laying yet, so I have them on chick starter, unmedicated, organic. I give them a little organic scratch with DE and garlic powder mixed in it. They are given lots of grit. They get basil, lettuce, and parsley from the garden (no pesticides). They free range in the yard half the day (the dog gets the yard the other half) from about lunch time until dusk, so whatever bugs and grass they pickup. She seems to be eating normally.
Usually, they have been getting plain water. Today, I put some stuff for chickens in the water that has vitamins, electrolytes, and probiotics. I saw her drink a good bit, as much as the others.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
I haven’t noticed any unusual stools as far as I can tell. No blood. It has been hot, so they are drinking a lot and that makes some poops watery. Some is cecal. Sometimes they have a liquid white poop. Some is green (I figure from all the grass they eat.)
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Just the addition to the water today and looking at her a lot.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Would prefer to do as much as possible myself.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Would have to take a video.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use.
I have part of my garage partitioned off for them. (A quarter of a two car garage.) The top half is open. (It’s really just some chainlink fence around their section with some garden fabric around it to block their view and minimize litter getting kicked out). I keep it open during the day and a fan on to ventilate it. There’s aspen and pine bedding. I also have a dust bath in there in the corner for them for days when it is too muddy (which is often) or sometimes if I have to keep them inside all day if I won’t be home until late (rare). I’m using the deep litter method, but most poop ends up on the poop board, so it stays pretty clean.
