My 5 wk old Polish is acting like a child with an ear infection........

[southern yankee chick]

I know that sounds crazy, but she keeps scratching the left side of her head and constantly rubbing her head to the left against her feathers. I looked but I don't see anything. I have put DE on them all and in their coop. Has anyone experienced this and what advise can you provide???
Thank you in advance!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @southern yankee chick Welcome To BYC

Do you have a video of her actions? (upload to youtube and provide us a link)

Check her over well for any signs of lice/mites. Look in the ears too.
Observe her behavior - is she preening by chance? Also is she getting any feathers/fluff in her eyes on that side of her that may be irritating her.

If you suspect that external parasites are the cause of her scratching, it would be best to treat with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust. DE is imho ineffective and can be irritating to the respiratory system.

Is she eating/drinking o.k.?

 

[southern yankee chick]

She eats and drinks just fine. Her little feather hat happens to ALL flip over to the left and she keeps her little head tilted to the left. She hates being held so examining her is a challenge......but I will get video as soon as I can. Thanks

 

[southern yankee chick]

forgive me.........Thank you for such a warm welcome. I appreciate it a bunch!!!!
Would it hurt to give her a bath and if not what would be the best soap to use?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Head tilting could be something like Wry Neck. Crested birds seem to be more prone to this - it can result from vitamin E deficiency, head injury/trauma and certain diseases.

I would examine her closely for any injury and give the ears a good look. Bathing should really be done if a bird is dirty or if you are preparing for a show. If she is hard to manage for an examination, then bathing her would be a challenge - it may be best to save that for another time after you figure out why she is having troubles.

What do you feed her? See that she is drinking well and eating her chick starter, you can add some Nutri-Drench to her water to see if that helps with the behavior.

 

[southern yankee chick]

Thank you so much.......very helpful!!!

 

[southern yankee chick]

They all get the chick starter......lettuce, spaghetti, they love cooked corn especially the cob. I give them some meal worms......yeah, they're kinda spoiled!! Im gonna try the Nutri-drench. Now can you please tell me what 'preening' is?

Nevermind........I looked it up....and although she does that, I don't think that's it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This video is a bit long, but at the beginning it gives you a good idea of what preening is. Chickens will preen or groom their feathers, this helps keep them cleaned and pristine, they also have a "preening gland" toward their tale, they will take their beak and express a tiny amount of oil and spread it through their feather during the grooming process. In the video you will see them rubbing their head toward their rear, this is what they are doing. Chickens will preen/groom after they have taken dust baths as well, this helps put their feathers back in the proper place.

Photo from: http://www.adelaidechickensittingservice.com/blog/chicken-preening-gland

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sounds like they are spoiled fwiw - We all love giving our chickens treats, just try to keep the treats moderate. Aim for treats to be no more than 5% of their daily intake since anything you give them can dilute the protein/nutritional content.
I've never given mine spaghetti, but have heard it's funny to see them eat it