Opening mouth and shaking head! HELP!

[awwoltz]

5mo cream legbar hen. Started laying 3 weeks ago consistently every other day.

She hadn't laid this week. Went go go check for eggs, went to the coop and found blood on roosting bar, egg on poop shelf.

Also noticed her face was pale. She seemed to have a small limp and would stand with one foot to her chest at times.

Isolated her over night and this morning I've noticed her starting to shake her head randomly and then lift her neck and open her mouth. I can't hear any wheezing or noice when she does it.

I have started her and the rest of the flock on fenbendazole.

What else can I do!

*she laid an egg today and is still eating and drinking* *no more bloody stools*

 

[ChickenChick46]

That looks like a lot of blood. Could she have coccidiosis? I'm very new to chickens and tend to jump to worst case scenario, but I would start Corid ASAP if she was my bird. I'm sure someone else will chime in to tell you if it looks like coccidiosis or something else, though. Good luck to you!

 

[awwoltz]

That looks like a lot of blood. Could she have coccidiosis? I'm very new to chickens and tend to jump to worst case scenario, but I would start Corid ASAP if she was my bird. I'm sure someone else will chime in to tell you if it looks like coccidiosis or something else, though. Good luck to you!

That was one thought but that was the only bloody stool which happened almost 2 days ago? She laid an egg today, is eating and drinking. Her poop now looks like this.

Why would she be opening her mouth and shaking her head?

 

[ChickenChick46]

That was one thought but that was the only bloody stool which happened almost 2 days ago? She laid an egg today, is eating and drinking. Her poop now looks like this.

Why would she be opening her mouth and shaking her head?

That poop, best I can tell, looks pretty normal to me. I'm very new to chickens, so I have no expertise to offer. Could the blood maybe have been more egg laying related, since you found the egg there at the same time? I honestly don't know if that's possible, but I'm trying to brainstorm ideas.

Opening the mouth and shaking the head makes me wonder if she's got something stuck in her throat that isn't comfortable and maybe she's trying to get it out. I'm sorry, I wish I was more help!

 

[alinas2010]

Welcome to the site, sorry to hear about your chicken.

Can you check the inside or her mouth, do you see her tongue? Is there anything blocking her throat? Any yellow or white crust anywhere? How about the slit at the roof of her mouth, anything in that?

Same with her ears, check those for foreign objects, discharge, swelling, crust.

Now her foot, you said she was holding it up. Is that the source of the blood? Check it well.

Check her combs and wattles those tend to bleed a lot if pecked.

Check her vent for pecking or prolapse. Also check up and down her legs and under her feathers for an injury that could cause the limping and/or blood.

Let us know what you find.

Also, if she is gaping or panting, is it due to heat, or is she acting as if she is having a tough time laying? You mentioned she hadn’t laid in a week. Do they have access to oyster shell? In your picture of her, her wings look slightly lifted. She may be hot. Sometimes body temperature does rise when it is time to lay an egg or it could just be warmer outside.

It isn’t a bad idea to administer her a dose of 300mg of human vitamin calcium citrate plus d3. This is incase she is having a tough time laying or has something reproductive going on. Pull her wattles down and pop the pill in whole. Let go of the wattles and she should swallow it. Seems daunting and like a large pill, I know. But, remember they can swallow mice whole.

 

[awwoltz]

Welcome to the site, sorry to hear about your chicken.

Can you check the inside or her mouth, do you see her tongue? Is there anything blocking her throat? Any yellow or white crust anywhere? How about the slit at the roof of her mouth, anything in that?

Same with her ears, check those for foreign objects, discharge, swelling, crust.

Now her foot, you said she was holding it up. Is that the source of the blood? Check it well.

Check her combs and wattles those tend to bleed a lot if pecked.

Check her vent for pecking or prolapse. Also check up and down her legs and under her feathers for an injury that could cause the limping and/or blood.

Let us know what you find.

Also, if she is gaping or panting, is it due to heat, or is she acting as if she is having a tough time laying? You mentioned she hadn’t laid in a week. Do they have access to oyster shell? In your picture of her, her wings look slightly lifted. She may be hot. Sometimes body temperature does rise when it is time to lay an egg or it could just be warmer outside.

It isn’t a bad idea to administer her a dose of 300mg of human vitamin calcium citrate plus d3. This is incase she is having a tough time laying or has something reproductive going on. Pull her wattles down and pop the pill in whole. Let go of the wattles and she should swallow it. Seems daunting and like a large pill, I know. But, remember they can swallow mice whole.

Thank you for the reply.

-Both feet look fine
-No prolapse/ injury to vent
-She's currently getting Kalbach feed
-Has access to oyster shell and grit
-She's been getting electrolytes until noon when I started the fenbendazole
(also started on whole flock in case)
-the gaping is different than when she pants due to heat. It's at any time and she shakes her head before doing it. (reason why starting fenbendazole in case in gape worms)
-here's most recent picture of stool. I keep getting from people to start corid but I really don't want to if it's not that. They were in medicated feed until 5 weeks ago when I transitioned to Kalbach.

I'm at a loss. It doesn't seem she's getting work (so far) but also don't want to be masking anything either.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Thank you for the reply.

-Both feet look fine
-No prolapse/ injury to vent
-She's currently getting Kalbach feed
-Has access to oyster shell and grit
-She's been getting electrolytes until noon when I started the fenbendazole
(also started on whole flock in case)
-the gaping is different than when she pants due to heat. It's at any time and she shakes her head before doing it. (reason why starting fenbendazole in case in gape worms)
-here's most recent picture of stool. I keep getting from people to start corid but I really don't want to if it's not that. They were in medicated feed until 5 weeks ago when I transitioned to Kalbach.

I'm at a loss. It doesn't seem she's getting work (so far) but also don't want to be masking anything either.

It may be worth mentioning that mine were on medicated feed as well. Actively, and I exposed them to our soil in their brooder before they could even go outdoors. When they were old enough to go outside, they did so daily, for several hours. Despite all of that, we're currently dealing with coccidiosis.

I'm not saying that's what you have going on. I don't know that the head shaking and all goes along with coccidiosis, and mine definitely are not doing that. I just wanted to share my experience, since medicated feed won't necessarily prevent them from getting sick.

I hope the fenbendazole does some good and your girl is all back to normal soon!

 

[alinas2010]

I will say that at her age I wouldn’t expect coccidiosis to be the culprit if they’ve been outside exposed to the soil they’re on since being out of their brooder, but it isn’t impossible. Treating the flock with corrid will not hurt them if they aren’t sick. But you cannot treat them with vitamins at the same time you are administering corrid treatment so just be aware of that.

Did you check her mouth well? I only ask bc I’m the picture I cannot see her tongue. Sometimes something like string can get stuck around their tongue and they can swallow the string and it pulls their tongue back. That could make her shake her head perhaps.

The photo of her poop didn’t seem to attach, but deworming is always a good idea.

Has she been eating and drinking alright? Any lethargy? How is her crop frost thing in the mornings? It should be flat.

One more thing for you to check: how is her abdomen in between her legs sort of, below her vent. Is it bulgy at all? Compare to another hen if you need to. She may have something reproductive going on. It’s a bit odd she didn’t lay for a week, but she is a new layer, so she may be glitchy. The blood could be from some sort of reproductive issue. A vessel bursting perhaps.

 

[awwoltz]

It may be worth mentioning that mine were on medicated feed as well. Actively, and I exposed them to our soil in their brooder before they could even go outdoors. When they were old enough to go outside, they did so daily, for several hours. Despite all of that, we're currently dealing with coccidiosis.

I'm not saying that's what you have going on. I don't know that the head shaking and all goes along with coccidiosis, and mine definitely are not doing that. I just wanted to share my experience, since medicated feed won't necessarily prevent them from getting sick.

I hope the fenbendazole does some good and your girl is all back to normal soon!

What signs did you have for coccidiosis? I did buy some today just in case! Here is her most current stool. And what she looks like when she gaps.

 

[awwoltz]

I will say that at her age I wouldn’t expect coccidiosis to be the culprit if they’ve been outside exposed to the soil they’re on since being out of their brooder, but it isn’t possible. Treating the flock with corrid will not hurt them if they aren’t sick. But you cannot treat them with vitamins at the same time you are administering corrid treatment so just be aware of that.

Did you check her mouth well? I only ask bc I’m the picture I cannot see her tongue. Sometimes something like string can get stuck around their tongue and they can swallow the string and it pulls their tongue back. That could make her shake her head perhaps.

The photo of her poop didn’t seem to attach, but deworming is always a good idea.

Has she been eating and drinking alright? Any lethargy? How is her crop frost thing in the mornings? It should be flat.

One more thing for you to check: how is her abdomen in between her legs sort of, below her vent. Is it bulgy at all? Compare to another hen if you need to. She may have something reproductive going on. It’s a bit odd she didn’t lay for a week, but she is a new layer, so she may be glitchy. The blood could be from some sort of reproductive issue. A vessel bursting perhaps.

I will have to check her mouth! Thank you!
Yes shes grown up with the rest of my flock since chicks and have been on ground since out of the brooder. I let them out daily From the run when we're home to free range.

What is the dosage for corid? I can start that. I just worried it would cause more harm if they didn't have it.

Current stool and gaping picture below