hen won't lift head much and keeps shaking her head

[Jose253]

So me and my fiance have 10 chicks I helped her raise from little chicks and now there big, bossy, girls that just started laying eggs. I built them a coop they go to sleep in every night and it's sturdy with small chicken wire then a thick black plastic around the top + back + left and right side with cedar shavings between for insulation and the back is solid wood so nothing can grab em while they sleep.. so we went out for her birthday and came home only being gone for about 36 hours at the most. So we get home to the main leader hen Jen in the coop with the rest but she won't lift her head. If she gets to it's as if she is Drunk, she is wabbly and goes face first down and she keeps shaking her head as if twitching. Like if she had a fly land on her head and just shook it off quickly.. but she doesn't really stop, her shaking calms down but I don't think she stops it fully or we just haven't noticed she stopped. As I held her she started doin this Yawning looking action with her beak open and stretched her head out alittle I was afraid she was choking on something unseen ii trimmed her tophat hairdo a bit away from her eyes but see no wound or blood except her neck half way from top and bottom seems thicker looking maybe swollen.. am I able to give her a little shavings of ibuprofen? Or something I would have at home here since it's almost 1am and I doubt any feed store is open sadly. I have her inside now in our 6ft by 2ft glass tank that's 3 feet tall with hay and I put my shirt over it so her face didn't get to hurried as I was afraid of her suffocating. She is really light sensitive too so I put a blanket around it with a night time low heat bulb over her. She seems comfy as I can make her. Thank any that reply to this and sorry so long.

 

[glassdragonfly]

So sorry for you hen! You are doing all you can for her right now. Hopefully someone will log on that can help. I have no experience with this.
@azygous @Wyorp Rock @aart

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. What part of the world are you located? Sorry about your hen. Cedar shavings should be removed because they are toxic to chickens. Pine shavings would be a better choice for bedding.

Head twitching, not being able to raise her head, imbalance, may be signs of wry neck, and can sometimes be neurological signs of Mareks disease. Mareks usually affects young chickens. Do you know if she was vaccinated for Mareks? Could she be dehydrated? Is she having any trouble moving her legs or wings?

I would try giving some vitamins including B1 thiamine in a regular chick vitamin or vitamin B complex. Then alao add 400 IU of vitamin E daily, which is helpful with neurological problems.

When chickens are acting oddly, their flock mates make turn on them and peck at them, so separate her temporarily. Make sure that she can get water and chicken feed. Scrambled egg can be added to wet feed in a small bowl and fed to her several times a day.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I built them a coop they go to sleep in every night and it's sturdy with small chicken wire then a thick black plastic around the top + back + left and right side with cedar shavings between for insulation and the back is solid wood so nothing can grab em while they sleep..

only being gone for about 36 hours at the most

Jen in the coop with the rest but she won't lift her head. If she gets to it's as if she is Drunk, she is wabbly and goes face first down and she keeps shaking her head as if twitching.

but she doesn't really stop, her shaking calms down but I don't think she stops it fully or we just haven't noticed she stopped. As I held her she started doin this Yawning looking action with her beak open and stretched her head out alittle I was afraid she was choking on something

see no wound or blood except her neck half way from top and bottom seems thicker looking maybe swollen.. am I able to give her a little shavings of ibuprofen?

She is really light sensitive too so I put a blanket around it with a night time low heat bulb over her.

Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry that Jen is not doing well.

Can you post some photos of your coop/run?
How many chickens do you have? Were they all locked in the coop while you were away?
Did they have access to food/water? How old is she? What do you feed?
Where are you located?

You mention that there is swelling of the neck - can you be more specific about the location of that? Is it her crop you are feeling (the crop is located to the right side of the breast on a chicken). Have you looked inside her beak to make sure there are no obstructions or canker?

I would not give her any Ibuprofen at this time. I would do as @Eggcessive has suggested, see if you can get her to drink on her own and get some vitamins into her.

 

[glassdragonfly]

How's she doing today?