Chicken excessively yawning, shaking head and now can’t swallow as well

[georgeg78]

Hi, I feel awful for seemingly only posting ill chicken posts but I can’t seem to get answers elsewhere!

I have a 4 year old rescue chicken. I am in the uK. She was treated for mites 2 months ago (ivermectin x3 and she’d fully cleaned x2). All clear now. However about a month ago she started to do some excessive yawning actions. I unfortunately had to go away, but two weeks later returning, it was still happening, plus head shaking.

I noticed ear crust and pus so took to vets who gave her an anti biotic. I also cleaned her ears. This didn’t do anything but she didn’t get worse. We the. Started her on surolan ear drops. This didn’t help and in last week she’s got worse, lost quite a bit of weight and more head yawning. Outer ears are now clean though. She was getting bullied quite a bit too. Took her to avian specialist who said ears look good but her skin was poor and mentioned the dreaded Meracks disease she’s had bloods taken a skin biopsy and ear swab (I insisted on this as still not convinced it’s not an inner ear infection. Another symptom in last few days Is a difficulty in picking up food and swallowingg it. She has an appetite but will pick food up and sort of throw it side ways. After a few attempts she’ll eat it.

I’m now waiting for all the results. The thing is, her neck yawning just doesn’t feel like it is neurological but lore symporomatic of a reaction to pain. I could be wrong, but gut feeling. (She is on metecam painkiller which seems to help a bit)

I appreciate this looks like it isn’t going to end well but if anyone has ANY insight into this I’d be so grateful as she is a much loved friend. I feel awful about the mites and think this must be all my fault

 

[DLA]

I've not dealt with the issues you described but I'm sure someone with more experience will be able to offer some good advice. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this, that's really tough when it's one that you're really attached to. Please don't blame yourself and think it's your fault. Chickens can get a variety of ailments no matter how much we try to prevent it.

 

[coach723]

The yawning you describe may be her adjusting her crop (can you get and post a video?). They do that when the crop is full to help pass the contents. If that's what it is, along with the weight loss and the flinging of food, she may not be passing food through and it's causing her crop to not empty. Feel her crop, see if it's empty, full, hard, soft, squishy, etc. Feel it again first thing in the morning before she's had any access to food or water, see what it feels like then. It should be empty first thing in the morning if it's normal, and it will fill and empty throughout the day as she feeds. Laying hens, particularly those bred to lay a lot of eggs, have a fairly high percentage of reproductive problems after the age of two. Infections and cancers are not uncommon, and those can slow and stop digestion. Often the first symptom noticed is the crop issue. Also feel her abdomen, below the vent between the legs, see if it feels bloated at all.

 

[SeaEagle]

Hope she's doing ok. Crop issues is what I was thinking as well, although the yawning could also be the ear infection.

 

[georgeg78]

Hope she's doing ok. Crop issues is what I was thinking as well, although the yawning could also be the ear infection.

So it turns out she has both, a crop and digestive impact and likely a middle ear infection. Still waiting for cultures though. It’s not looking hopeful to be honest. She’s very thin and exhausted now and I’m weighing up if it’s cruel to keep her alive. However part of me, now knowing her problems, wants to try and treat it. It’s so hard to know the best option and no doubt I’ll choose the wrong one thank you all for your support so far though, it really is appreciated.

 

[SeaEagle]

It's good to hear that you know what the issue is, although I'm sorry to hear that she's not doing well. Personally, I would attempt to treat her, however that's just me, and I'm definitely not an expert. @coach723 might be of better help?

 

[coach723]

At 4 years old, and being a battery hen rescue, it's possible that she has a reproductive problem. Cancers and infections are not uncommon, and often present with crop problems when digestion slows. There are no real good treatments for those. Sometimes a load of worms can cause a back up and weight loss, so hopefully they did a fecal for that. Whether to try to treat or not is really a personal decision based on the information you get from your vet, and cost consideration, chance of success, undue pain and suffering. Lots of things to weigh. Some people want to try, to give the bird every chance they can, some choose to not treat, and to euthanize once the quality of life is poor. Neither is wrong, it's just whatever you feel comfortable with. If antibiotics are recommended, that is not usually terribly expensive, and sometimes can buy them some time. If they suspect a cancer (imaging will sometimes show it, sometimes not, and may be more expensive), then there really are no treatment options.
When faced with this kind of decision I ask myself if my choice is for me and my feelings, or for the bird and their comfort and quality of life. That question usually leads you to the right decision. So sorry.