My chicken won’t extend her head

[The chicken whisperer 5]

So my bantam Cochin won’t extend her head she isn’t eating a lot or drinking a lot I was wondering if there’s anything that could help her? Thanks

 

[danceswithronin]

Check her crop and see what it feels like.

 

[nightowl223]

So my bantam Cochin won’t extend her head she isn’t eating a lot or drinking a lot I was wondering if there’s anything that could help her? Thanks

There are several things that could make a chicken act like they don't feel good, and most of them need immediate action. Chickens instinctively hide illness or injury, as they're prey animals, and the weakest prey animal is the next target for the predator. So once they start actually LOOKING ill, it means it's bad enough they can't hide it any more.

Check her over for lice or mites. They can bleed a bird significantly, even kill them, from anemia or an illness that the anemia allows them to catch.

Check for odd lumps or bumps or injuries, including on or around her abdomen. Cochins, Banty or large fowl, are extra fluffy, so they can hide a lot in all those fluffy feathers.

Check for any drainage or swelling on her face, around her eyes or nares, to indicate illness. The picture doesn't SHOW any, but it's only one side, so it needs said.

Bring her inside, so you can watch her and control what she eats and drinks. Try to offer her treat-type foods, like black oil sunflower seeds (aka BOSS), scrambled or boiled and mashed eggs, or other things you KNOW she likes. Also offer her yogurt, or oatmeal with natural honey poured over it. Add water soluble vitamins/electrolytes (like Durvet makes) to her water one day, and ACV (with mother) and honey the next. You can also just use the infant vitamin drops without iron [a couple of drops straight in her mouth], and put the vinegar and honey in her water each time.

She's a pretty thing! I hope using these suggestions, you can pinpoint what the problem is, or at least use the foods and treated water to get her back to her pretty, flufy self!

 

[chappelljanet58]

Just got new chickens from a breeder and one of the chickens in the pen had a closed eye--the guy said "I think she got something in her eye so I wont sell her." I had reservations but bought the other 3; I was gone for 2 days and my husband said one chicken had a closed eye yesterday and is dead today and now I have another with the same symptoms. He noticed nothing else. HELP??? what could I be dealing with?

 

[nightowl223]

Just got new chickens from a breeder and one of the chickens in the pen had a closed eye--the guy said "I think she got something in her eye so I wont sell her." I had reservations but bought the other 3; I was gone for 2 days and my husband said one chicken had a closed eye yesterday and is dead today and now I have another with the same symptoms. He noticed nothing else. HELP??? what could I be dealing with?

You need to make a new post of your own, so you can have a better chance at an answer. Label it "chickens close an eye then die - what can it be?" or something like that, and expect to be asked to post pics, because this sounds like something that pics will be needed to identify the problem.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just got new chickens from a breeder and one of the chickens in the pen had a closed eye--the guy said "I think she got something in her eye so I wont sell her." I had reservations but bought the other 3; I was gone for 2 days and my husband said one chicken had a closed eye yesterday and is dead today and now I have another with the same symptoms. He noticed nothing else. HELP??? what could I be dealing with?

Hi @chappelljanet58 Welcome To BYC
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.
Can you post a new thread so questions/answers to you don't get confused with what is going on this thread?
Provide us with photos and a description of symptoms if you can.
See the photo below - go to the ER forums page and click on "post new thread" to start your own.
Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So my bantam Cochin won’t extend her head she isn’t eating a lot or drinking a lot I was wondering if there’s anything that could help her? Thanks

@The chicken whisperer 5 I'm sorry that you girl is not feeling well.
Do you have vet care?
Can you post some photos of her poop?
How long have you had her?
What type of food/treats do you feed?
How long has she been like this?
When did she last lay an egg?

Check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks to make sure it is empty.
Since she's not eating/drinking, getting her hydrated would be the first thing to do. See if she will drink for you on her own. Once she is drinking, offer her a wet mash made out of her food, you can put bits of egg in there to entice her.
Keep us posted.