- Apr 10, 2016
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Hi everyone,
Any ideas what's wrong with my baby?
Pretzel is somewhere around 8 years old and has totally been in normal health lately up until I today. I went out to take care of her this morning and she was laying down and twisting her neck and head really weirdly. She stumbles backwards at times too. These were my ideas:
1) My first thought was that she might have been poisoned by something toxic and is having nerve problems. I don't think this is likely though because the 3 other hens she lives with are just fine and she has been in the same pen she's been in all winter so wasn't exposed to anything new. Her food and water are the same as always.
2) There might be something caught in her throat and she was trying to swallow it but she hasn't been exposed to any scraps or big things that would clog her (unless a mouse got in the pen or something). Her crop feels empty.
3) Her neck is normal, no rope that she is trying to slip or anything. Her body is totally normal and her foot and leg seem fine. She grabbed my finger like she normally would when I put it in her foot so I don't think it is a leg issue.
When I talk to her she calms down a little and doesn't twist so hard so that makes me think it might be something she has control over maybe? I had a chicken go crazy once and she acted like this but I don't think Pretzel is crazy because she clucked softly like normal when I pet her and her eyes are normal Pretzel eyes (not rolling up in her head or something.)
Does the fact that she is only leaning towards the right side tell us anything?
She is in her own little pen now so the other chickens don't hurt her or something. Any ideas what I can do to help her or whats wrong? Do I try to give her water so she doesn't get dehydrated? Should I try to feed her something like yogurt to flush her system if its something she ate/help her pass it if its something in her throat? Is this something that will pass on its own or is she like loosing nerve control cuz shes getting old and needs to be put down?
Here's a link to a movie of I put up of her on youtube.
Thank you for any ideas or tips!
Any ideas what's wrong with my baby?
Pretzel is somewhere around 8 years old and has totally been in normal health lately up until I today. I went out to take care of her this morning and she was laying down and twisting her neck and head really weirdly. She stumbles backwards at times too. These were my ideas:
1) My first thought was that she might have been poisoned by something toxic and is having nerve problems. I don't think this is likely though because the 3 other hens she lives with are just fine and she has been in the same pen she's been in all winter so wasn't exposed to anything new. Her food and water are the same as always.
2) There might be something caught in her throat and she was trying to swallow it but she hasn't been exposed to any scraps or big things that would clog her (unless a mouse got in the pen or something). Her crop feels empty.
3) Her neck is normal, no rope that she is trying to slip or anything. Her body is totally normal and her foot and leg seem fine. She grabbed my finger like she normally would when I put it in her foot so I don't think it is a leg issue.
When I talk to her she calms down a little and doesn't twist so hard so that makes me think it might be something she has control over maybe? I had a chicken go crazy once and she acted like this but I don't think Pretzel is crazy because she clucked softly like normal when I pet her and her eyes are normal Pretzel eyes (not rolling up in her head or something.)
Does the fact that she is only leaning towards the right side tell us anything?
She is in her own little pen now so the other chickens don't hurt her or something. Any ideas what I can do to help her or whats wrong? Do I try to give her water so she doesn't get dehydrated? Should I try to feed her something like yogurt to flush her system if its something she ate/help her pass it if its something in her throat? Is this something that will pass on its own or is she like loosing nerve control cuz shes getting old and needs to be put down?
Here's a link to a movie of I put up of her on youtube.
Thank you for any ideas or tips!