Silkie hen wants to throw up??

[WatkinsCluckers]

I believe I read that chickens don’t actually throw up. But I’ve noticed that one of my hens stays still while her head is scrunched up to her body and she does a little bit of a shimmy shake and elongates her neck up. It almost makes it look like she is coughing or throwing up, though she doesn’t make a noise. I do see that she walks and eats fine. Scratches around and eats grass. I did feel her crop and it was large and soft. I picked her up to message it and to feel if she had anything caught in her throat, but didn’t notice anything off. Anyone know or seen something like this? It was all evening today.

 

[ValerieLovesChickens]

I believe I read that chickens don’t actually throw up. But I’ve noticed that one of my hens stays still while her head is scrunched up to her body and she does a little bit of a shimmy shake and elongates her neck up. It almost makes it look like she is coughing or throwing up, though she doesn’t make a noise. I do see that she walks and eats fine. Scratches around and eats grass. I did feel her crop and it was large and soft. I picked her up to message it and to feel if she had anything caught in her throat, but didn’t notice anything off. Anyone know or seen something like this? It was all evening today.

Does she fluff all of her feathers up too, when she does this? Mine all do the same thing from time to time, and fluff their feathers out at the end of the neck stretch. I think they are just like us humans, and need to just stretch sometimes and rearrange all those feathers back into place.

 

[Eggcessive]

Could she be adjusting her crop? It would be good to feel of it in early morning before she has eaten or drunk anything, to see if it is empty, full, hard, or soft.

 

[WatkinsCluckers]

Does she fluff all of her feathers up too, when she does this? Mine all do the same thing from time to time, and fluff their feathers out at the end of the neck stretch. I think they are just like us humans, and need to just stretch sometimes and rearrange all those feathers back into place.

That's a good thought. I don't think she's doing that. I looked at her today and it was almost like she was twitching and shaking. It was pretty alarming looking, but you can tell it's not quite serious like a seizure. I can't tell what she is trying to accomplish.

 

[WatkinsCluckers]

Could she be adjusting her crop? It would be good to feel of it in early morning before she has eaten or drunk anything, to see if it is empty, full, hard, or soft.

I wonder if that could be it. I didn't wake up early enough to see if I beat her to the food/water yet. It was big as if she had already got to it. It was soft and squishy. This is my first time ever having chickens and it just didn't look quite normal. I wonder if I can video it and post it on here?