UPDATE Don't Use Hay/Grass Bales for your Chickens (Possible Tumor?)

[riversanctuary]

My chicken has not eaten feed for over a week, she does graze eating a small amount of worms and grass. She does something weird with her head like she has a abstruction. She keeps stretching her neck along with moving her head. I have been treating her with antibiotics along with another med in the water. Her droppings started to look semi normal. Kept her separated while giving her the medicated water, but she isn't any better, it's been over a week, so yesterday I placed her with the other 4 chickens. She is only a year old. Today she seems worse with the weird head stretching behavior I am at a loss don't know if she is suffering. I got my flocks poop tested no worms or parasites so that was ruled out. Has anyone had this happen? I would love any suggestions or feed back. I am tempted to bring her to the vet where they tested the poop, but it's a chicken! It already cost me $47.00 having their poop checked, but I sure am attached to her!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The poop check was a very good idea. Trouble is, it's very difficult to find a good avian vet with chicken experience.
I know we sometimes grasp at straws but I can't think of anything that could cause her condition that could be treated with antibiotics.
My first thought was gapeworm.
A chicken not doing well can be further compromised by giving medication that doesn't treat the problem.

Did the fecal sample turn anything up?

 

[Nambroth]

Have you checked her crop? It is located on her right side, at the base of the neck. Does it feel overly full, tight, like a hard ball? Squishy like a water balloon? Or as if it is empty, nothing there? The neck wiggling you are describing is something chickens often do if they need to adjust their crop. In a healthy bird, they do this once in a while, but if the crop is blocked or soured, the chicken may do this often as there is a problem and they are trying to work it out.
If it is a crop problem, it needs addressed quickly, or she may starve.

Other reasons for this behavior are respiratory distress... does she have any labored breathing, bubbling, discharge from her nostrils, nose, or mouth? Can you peek inside her mouth and throat with a flashlight and see if she has any growths or obstructions, discolorations, etc?

 

[heartsizedfarm]

You mentioned her eating worms and I think gapeworm is something a hen can get from eating soil. I had a hen with that condition and the vet recommended a dose of Safeguard wormer. There's YouTube videos of gapeworm affected chickens so you could see if your hen's odd stretching motions looked like that. But I agree a full close inspection of her crop and throat is necessary first.

 

[riversanctuary]

No it didn't. Everything was normal as far as they could tell.

 

[riversanctuary]

She doesn't show any signs of breating or cold problems. The weird thing is I just saw her eat her feed for the first time, but she continues to head wobble. I will try to check her crop this is my first time raising chickens.

 

[riversanctuary]

If it is a crop problem what can do? I do have a vet, who tested the poop, so I could take her on Monday if this continues.

 

[riversanctuary]

If that was the case would't that of showed up when I got the poop checked?

 

[riversanctuary]

Have you checked her crop? It is located on her right side, at the base of the neck. Does it feel overly full, tight, like a hard ball? Squishy like a water balloon? Or as if it is empty, nothing there? The neck wiggling you are describing is something chickens often do if they need to adjust their crop. In a healthy bird, they do this once in a while, but if the crop is blocked or soured, the chicken may do this often as there is a problem and they are trying to work it out.
If it is a crop problem, it needs addressed quickly, or she may starve.

Other reasons for this behavior are respiratory distress... does she have any labored breathing, bubbling, discharge from her nostrils, nose, or mouth? Can you peek inside her mouth and throat with a flashlight and see if she has any growths or obstructions, discolorations, etc?

I'm trying to get a neighbor over to help me check her crop. I can't do it myself she just won't cooperate. If there is something in there that we can see what should I do?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'd stop all the other meds because you have no idea what you're treating.