Hen making weird head movements

[Titania207]

Hi, my little austro Sweetie has been making a weird head movement - like twisting it and elongating her neck? Sort of like how a sassy woman would shake her head while telling someone off if that makes sense. She is eating/drinking ok and I feel like I have seen her do this before but not over consecutive days. She is 3 years old, has always been healthy. Any ideas? I am worried, she is my sweetie.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Can you check her crop?
If you feel it before she's eaten anything, it should be completely empty.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Yep, she is likely adjusting her crop. It's normal for chickens to do this occasionally, but if it's impacted they will do this frequently. Check her crop early in the morning to see if it has emptied or not.

 

[Titania207]

Thank you - her crop seems full now but they have been eating all day so I will make sure to check first thing in the morning.

 

[Titania207]

Hi all - this morning I think sweetie’s crop was somewhat full. I tried to massage it - it didn’t seem particularly hard or squishy. She is also making those head twists occasionally. But she’s also still eating and drinking and chortling away per usual. Should I do more? Or just see if it resolves itself?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Hi all - this morning I think sweetie’s crop was somewhat full. I tried to massage it - it didn’t seem particularly hard or squishy. She is also making those head twists occasionally. But she’s also still eating and drinking and chortling away per usual. Should I do more? Or just see if it resolves itself?

If your hen is eating, drinking and otherwise acting fine leave her be. If she had crop issues she would not be acting normal. The behavior you described above is her adjusting her crop which is normal.

 

[Titania207]

I am pretty sure that she does have some kind of crop issues because it was full before she ate this morning. I am trying to massage it but doesnt seem to help. But at least for the moment she's continuing to eat/drink/furiously kick leaves looking for worms so I will let her be. Hopefully it will resolve itself?

 

[StinkyAcres]

You can give her chunks of chilled coconut oil and massage for a few minutes daily. You don't want it to turn into pendulous crop.

If your hen is eating, drinking and otherwise acting fine leave her be. If she had crop issues she would not be acting normal. The behavior you described above is her adjusting her crop which is normal.

I had a hen with serious crop issues (her crop was consistently the size of a large orange) for years and she acted normally besides frequently adjusting her crop.

 

[StinkyAcres]

@Titania207 Do you offer free choice crushed granite poultry grit? Is Sweetie still laying eggs?

 

[Titania207]

I do give the birds grit. She was up in the roost but so far I havent seen an egg from her but I am not totally sure (I have 6 hens). I gave her some lumps of coconut oil which she gobbled up. Interesting about the hen that had an enlarged crop for years. I do feel that sweetie is a little off so I am massaging for a few minutes as a time as much as she will tolerate.