Possible throat injury

[Bindaasd]

one of my hens is not squaking as usual. Is shaking her head as if to clear something, and opens her beak as to make noise and nothing comes out. She is more docile than normal and not showing energetic behavior. Thy have been in the yard all day and there is nothing for them to peck that is hazardous.

When I pick her up she allows me to hold her, and open her beak to inspect as well which is unusual.

Any thoughts?

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC.
Sometimes chickens yawn just like people, dogs yawn as well. In this instance, perhaps she is adjusting her crop as chickens do on occasion in which symptoms can be mistaken as gapeworms, choking, or a respiratory disease.
How old is your hen and has she been eating and drinking normally?

 

[rebrascora]

Can you see any yellow plaques in her mouth. Can you feel her oesophagus (gently palpitate her throat and neck) and see if there is anything obviously stuck. What does her crop feel like? Is it full and hard or soft and squishy or soft and pliable. Does it look like her respiratory system is compromised? ie Is she open mouth breathing or wheezing? How is her body condition? Is her breast bone reasonably well padded or quite sharp under the skin?
The commonest cause of yawning and shaking the head or snaking the neck is an impacted crop but it sounds to me like your girl may have swallowed something a bit too large and it got stuck higher up as that would cause her to lose her voice, in which case you should be able to feel it by gentle palpitation. Compare with a healthy chicken if you find something and you are not sure.

 

[Bindaasd]

Welcome to BYC.
Sometimes chickens yawn just like people, dogs yawn as well. In this instance, perhaps she is adjusting her crop as chickens do on occasion in which symptoms can be mistaken as gapeworms, choking, or a respiratory disease.
How old is your hen and has she been eating and drinking normally?

Oh has been back to water for a few weeks now and at five months old perhaps this is normal

 

[Bindaasd]

Can you see any yellow plaques in her mouth. Can you feel her oesophagus (gently palpitate her throat and neck) and see if there is anything obviously stuck. What does her crop feel like? Is it full and hard or soft and squishy or soft and pliable. Does it look like her respiratory system is compromised? ie Is she open mouth breathing or wheezing? How is her body condition? Is her breast bone reasonably well padded or quite sharp under the skin?
The commonest cause of yawning and shaking the head or snaking the neck is an impacted crop but it sounds to me like your girl may have swallowed something a bit too large and it got stuck higher up as that would cause her to lose her voice, in which case you should be able to feel it by gentle palpitation. Compare with a healthy chicken if you find something and you are not sure.

I had massaged her neck and held her and checked her out and seem like she’s breathing OK and wasn’t in any distress or pain from my prodding so I let her be and after a few days she seemed all back to normal. It’s been a few weeks now and she seems comfortable healthy with the other two

 

[rebrascora]

Good to hear that she is feeling better.