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pepperer

Stretched chicken neck

pepperer
16 years ago

Just noticed one of my Dominique hens has her neck bent over walking around looking at the ground, looking listless. The neck looks kinda stretched out, like a goose neck. She has drank some water but I haven't noticed her eating. I picked her up, which they normally don't let me do. Didn't feel anything abnormal up and down her neck, just longer compared to the other chickens. No animals have gotten to the chickens. Our only rooster is small. Anyone ever hear of such a condition? I'll post a picture as soon as I can.

Comments (12)

  • Maggie_J
    16 years ago

    I don't know what the problem may be, but I suggest segregating her until you figure it out. If it is something contagious, you don't want to give it time to spread. Practice good biosecurity... Care for the main group first, then the sick hen. Thoroughly disinfect your hands and wrists after handling her, change clothes that she may have touched, shoes if you walk where she has walked.

    It may not be a serious problem, but better to err on the side of caution. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about chicken diseases because my birds have so far been pretty healthy... but I'm sure someone will recognize the symptoms you describe and offer help.

  • woodyend
    16 years ago

    Is she gapping? If so could be gape worms.

    Gapeworms are a round red worm that attach to the trachea of chickens and other fowl, causing a gasping for breath. The term (Gape) describes the open-mouth breathing characteristic of gapeworm-infected birds. Heavily infected birds usually emit a grunting sound because of the difficulty in breathing and many die from suffocation. The worms can easily block the trachea, so they are particularly harmful to young birds.
    Most common way chickens become infected with Gapeworms are from eating earthworms.

  • velvet_sparrow
    16 years ago

    Yes, A picture would help...any other symptoms?

    My first thought was Crookneck/Limberneck or Stargazing/Twirling. These conditions have two main causes, head injury and nutritional deficiencies.

    Sometimes birds take a nasty peck to the top of the head--which is the primo spot for teaching other birds in the flock their place. When a crested bird, for example, suffers a 'Head Boink' (my technical term for it), it can cause brain injury and swelling (also commonly called Crookneck or Limberneck) and sometimes death. Head injuries can also happen during shipping of birds or if the bird is startled and bumps it's head, a nasty respiratory infection such as a head cold can also cause the brain to swell.

    Symptoms are the birds' inability to stand properly or lift it's head, backing up constantly, tucking it's head between it's legs, a drunken stagger, dragging it's head from side to side on the ground or flipping upside down. Crookneck/Limberneck can also be caused by a nutritional deficiency, but in these days of balanced nutrition chicken feed it doesn't happen very often--and then usually it's because someone has raised a chicken on a diet of just bird seed, for instance. There are home treatments for Head Boinks that work well most of the time, but they can be lengthy and the bird takes a lot of care and maybe some handfeeding. Happily, I have successfuly used a Vitamin E/Selenium treatment on birds with this condition due to a head injury.

    If you think this description matches your problem, let me know and I'll post the Vitamin E/Selenium regimen.

    Velvet ~:>

  • pepperer
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Well, I took some pictures last night, but I can't find the camera's cable to upload them. So as soon as I find the cable or get a memory card reader I will upload then.
    The hen is looking 100% better. Eating and drinking like normal. I wonder if she just had something stuck in her throat and the stretching of her neck was a natural reflex? It was pretty weird looking though.

    velvet sparrow: My chickens eat Layena feed and have fresh vegetables everyday from the garden. So nutritionally they are well off. Spoiled actually. Quite possibly a "tug of war" went on for some of them veggies yesterday and she received the stretch then. They do fight over them.

  • velvet_sparrow
    16 years ago

    I'm glad she's doing better. :) Yeah, I kinda figured the nutritional deficiency was an outside chance, but better to mention it just in case, like if you suspect that for some reason she wasn't absorbing certain nutrients in her feed.

    Velvet ~:>

  • pepperer
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Found the cable, better half placed it in with the 35mm camera supplies. Here is one of the better pictures of the hen with the strange neck. She is doing just fine. Thanks to all who tried to help out.
    {{gwi:40131}}

  • velvet_sparrow
    16 years ago

    That's a thumbnail pic, can't make it bigger to see it properly. Can you repost?

    Glad she's better, though. :)

    Velvet ~:>

  • pepperer
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    These look better. Strange looking!
    {{gwi:40132}}
    {{gwi:40133}}

  • velvet_sparrow
    16 years ago

    No pictures, all I see is the dread empty white box with a red dot...

    Velvet ~:>

  • pepperer
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Velvet, Did you try to right click over the dreaded empty white box with the red dot and then click on "view image". That worked for me.
    I don't know why the pictures do that.

  • pepperer
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Velvet, Were you able to view the pictures?

  • HU-756837920
    2 years ago

    MY CHICKEN IS DOING THE EXACT SAME! I'm so worried! Yawning can be a sign of gapeworm and I have seen her do that but she doesn't have the other symptom of a full squishy crop. her crop is empty throughout the day. SHe doesn't seem to want to eat much and I just don't know what to do!