HELP chicken doing weird motion with her chest and acting sick

[duckabs]

we recently got 3 laying chickens, yesterday i noticed some weird behaviors in one of them, her breast has always been very large. she has been separated from the other two lately and seems to be resting a lot more. she still forages and eats the meal worms we feed them for treats. she also does this weird thing with her breast like a kind of slow hiccup she sucks it in. we have only been getting 2 eggs a day but they each lay at different times so i can not tell if it is just a rotation or if she is not the one laying. what is she doing, what should i do?

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

Can you send a video? She may have impacted crop, which wouldn’t be good. Is she doing it with both sides or only one? If one what side is it on?

 

[Ian0823]

we recently got 3 laying chickens, yesterday i noticed some weird behaviors in one of them, her breast has always been very large. she has been separated from the other two lately and seems to be resting a lot more. she still forages and eats the meal worms we feed them for treats. she also does this weird thing with her breast like a kind of slow hiccup she sucks it in. we have only been getting 2 eggs a day but they each lay at different times so i can not tell if it is just a rotation or if she is not the one laying. what is she doing, what should i do?

Mine 3 yrs old ex batt did the same
Weeks later I found that she had been suffering from sour crop but she laid eggs just like she always does .
She remained life less for 3 days drank only water and died in my hands
But I can be wrong
Atleast this happened to me
Check you hen's crop before you let them out

 

[aart]

Can you send a video? She may have impacted crop, which wouldn’t be good. Is she doing it with both sides or only one? If one what side is it on?

Yes, please, video(upload to youtube or similar platform then link here)
or pics would help here.

 

[duckabs]

i checked for sour crop symptoms and i don’t think that is it but note that it is very hard to look inside a chickens mouth, smell their breath and listen for gurgling sounds so i could have missed it. I have been watching her more closely and today and i also noticed a white poppy bottom. here are videos and pics: video links: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GwCUgG5X7JbwQYLi9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Kv1MgTkRsmj6YAWf9

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

It looks like she is trying to throw up. I would massage her crop a bit, and try not feeding her for 12 hours or so to see if it goes away.

 

[aart]

That is odd....looks involuntary.
At least feel her crop when you put her in the crate, then no feed or water until morning when you feel crop again and check poops from overnight.

I would isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling. Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[duckabs]

last night i separated her. i put her in a dog crate and there was plenty enough room for her in the night but the crate is still relatively small. she is itching to get out. what should i do?

 

[aart]

last night i separated her. i put her in a dog crate and there was plenty enough room for her in the night but the crate is still relatively small. she is itching to get out. what should i do?

Did you check her crop night and then in morning?
I would keep her in there for a few days to get a handle on her intake, output and crop contents.

 

[duckabs]

Did you check her crop night and then in morning?
I would keep her in there for a few days to get a handle on her intake, output and crop contents.

well she has always had a sort of swinging front and it wasn’t any different today. I was doing some research and i think that pendulous crop might be it but she is not losing weight at all and i still did not find anything about the thing she does with her chest. but I am still doing research and hopefully we will figure this out.