Hen Stretching Neck Upwards

[dillondonnelly1]

Hello, everyone.

I am posting because I am concerned about one of my chickens. A few days ago, I noticed that she would jerk her neck upwards as far as it could go, sometimes in a quick succession. I also noticed that her breathing sounds quite funny.
Below I have linked a video. You might have to restart the video a few times, because she does the neck thing at the very beginning. Also, if you listen closely to the squeaky noise that sounds like an old swingset, it's her breathing.

I should probably add that she is a year and a half old. I don't know if this could be worms or possibly respiratory problems, but I would appreciate any help I can get.

Thanks, Dillon.



Edit: After doing some follow up research, it appears that you need a different kind of medication for each kind of worm. In my case, I thought my hen had gapeworms, but I used Wazine 17 which I later found out is only to treat roundworms.
I urge anyone who may come across this thread on Google(or BYC) to make sure you have an idea of what kind of worms you are dealing with before you purchase any dewormer.
Although the wormer I used was for ringworms, my hen still seems to be doing better. However, I am going to buy a different treatment that is used for gapeworms, just to be safe.
Also, make sure you do a follow up treatment between two to four weeks after the initial treatment.

 

[Suzie]

She may have gapeworm...I did study the you tube video

If it is gapeworm ( and I suggest you Google this to see if the symptoms match ) then you can give her Fenbendazole ( Panacur paste ) to help her.

 

[dillondonnelly1]

She may have gapeworm...I did study the you tube video

If it is gapeworm ( and I suggest you Google this to see if the symptoms match ) then you can give her Fenbendazole ( Panacur paste ) to help her.

Thank you for your advice. I headed to my local feed store and picked up some de-wormer. I hope this solves my problem.

 

[dillondonnelly1]

Update 12/9

After waking the hen up last night and having her get a drink of the medicated water, she almost instantly seemed better. Whether or not this was just my imagination last night is beyond me, but I could definitely tell that she was closer to her normal self today. In fact, she was running around and was actually the first one to the door today when I went out to give everyone treats. From my perspective, things appear better. I did notice however, when I was closing the coop for the night, that when she breaths, it sounds nasally - similar to how someone with a cold sounds when they sniffle their nose.

P.S. Out of curiosity, I checked her crop, and I believe that an impacted crop can be ruled out. There were no visible or physical signs of impaction.

 

[chickenchick071]

Hi there, I am new to this group. My chickens have had some of the symptoms you described. I have literally talked to everyone I could about them and Googled info for hours out of the day! Basically they sound louder when the breath, they shake their little heads. What wormer did you use and how did you do it?

 

[dillondonnelly1]

Hi there, I am new to this group. My chickens have had some of the symptoms you described. I have literally talked to everyone I could about them and Googled info for hours out of the day! Basically they sound louder when the breath, they shake their little heads. What wormer did you use and how did you do it?

Hello, ChickenChick071.


I am sorry to see that your chickens may be experiencing the same issues that my hen was. I used Wazine 17 wormer, which I found at my local Tractor Supply store. It was very simple to use. You just mix a tiny amount of the wormer in with your chickens' water.

Today, I also sprinkled some diatomaceous earth in their run and in their coop. I even sprinkled some into their feeder. If you don't know what DE is, it's basically tiny aquatic animal skeletons. These skeletons are very sharp to tiny insects and worms. The skeletons gash the bugs open, exposing their internal organs, causing them to die shortly after. This stuff is entirely safe for your chickens to eat and will not harm them.

 

[chickenchick071]

Thanks so much for your reply! I am familiar with DE and have some on hand. One of my chicken the turken has started to cough. It was randomly yesterday but much more so today. Her egg also looked wrinkled. I have been treating naturally with garlic and ACV and also vet rx. We peeked down her throat and didn't see any gapeworms. I called and avain vet yesterday and she said as long as there is no dishcharge, foul oder,or acting sickly to just wait it out. I'm not sure I want to do that. Do you happen to know a good and easy to dose antibiotic? I have read so many different approaches. I would like to to about it the safest and easiest way. Thanks so much!

 

[dillondonnelly1]

Thanks so much for your reply! I am familiar with DE and have some on hand. One of my chicken the turken has started to cough. It was randomly yesterday but much more so today. Her egg also looked wrinkled. I have been treating naturally with garlic and ACV and also vet rx. We peeked down her throat and didn't see any gapeworms. I called and avain vet yesterday and she said as long as there is no dishcharge, foul oder,or acting sickly to just wait it out. I'm not sure I want to do that. Do you happen to know a good and easy to dose antibiotic? I have read so many different approaches. I would like to to about it the safest and easiest way. Thanks so much!

Not a problem at all! And I feel completely the same way. I would not want to wait it out and take the chances of something happening to one of my chickens. The way I look at it is it's always better to be safe than to be sorry. That's a good sign that you didn't see any worms, however!
As for the antibiotics, I have always used Oxytetracycline from Tractor Supply. It's a broad spectrum antibiotic and it's just as easy to use as the wormer - the only difference being is that it's a powder. I have only ever used it once, and that was when my rooster was getting sores on his feet, and it seemed to help him rather quickly. Another thing I should probably add is that - unlike the wormer - you should try to keep your chickens on the antibiotic for about a week after their symptoms clear, to ensure that they will not come back.

Edit: If you are using Wazine, it must be followed up a month later. I was reading the bottle and found this out. Also, I found out that Wazine is only used to treat roundworms, not any other kinds. Although my hen seems better, I am going to buy another medication that is for gapeworm infections, since that was my suspicion of what she had.

 

[chickenchick071]

Can I do both dewormer and antibiotics to cover all bases. And would I treat just tweet the turken or the other 3 girls as well. They are not coughing, but still shaking their heads. All the chickens even the one with a cough are eating and drinking normally and acting normal. Geesh this is complicated lol

 

[Suzie]

Please never use an antibiotic unless you are sure of what is ailing them...

If you suspect a worm infestation..use a de-wormer...such as Panacur paste ( for horses ) or safeguard for goats...

After an initial dose...re-treat in 14 days...discard ALL eggs during treatment...i,e, 28 days in total...IF you then suspect a further problem...please re-post..