People who keep chickens in the winter often forget to worry about cold stress because chickens usually do better in cold weather than in warm weather. However, cold stress is almost always present in the flock during the winter, it’s just a matter of determining when that stress becomes detrimental to the health of your flock. Recognizing cold stress in chickens is important for monitoring the health and comfort levels of the homestead flock this winter. I am always on the watch for these signs and symptoms that tell me how well my flock is enduring the northern Michigan winter.
As a chicken owner, you may notice your birds shaking or trembling at times. While chickens naturally shake themselves for various reasons, excessive or abnormal shaking can indicate an underlying health issue
What makes chickens shake and tremble? This article will explain, plus give you some advice on how to deal with it.
Normal Causes of Chicken Shaking
Chickens shake and tremble for natural reasons you shouldn’t worry about:
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Preening: Chickens ruffle their feathers and shake themselves while preening with their oil glands. This helps spread oils over their feathers.
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When chickens take a dust bath, they shake their feathers very hard to get rid of dirt and dust. This helps remove excess dirt and parasites.
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Stretching: Flapping their wings and shaking their bodies helps chickens stretch their muscles.
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Irritation: Chickens may shake their heads to get rid of water in their noses and faces or to move food around.
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When it’s cold outside, chickens shiver to make body heat that keeps them warm. Slight shivering in winter is normal.
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Broodiness: Broody hens may tremble and shake while sitting in the nest.
As long as shaking is occasional and your chicken otherwise acts normal, there’s no need for concern. But frequent, prolonged, or severe trembling can signal an underlying issue.
Abnormal Causes of Shaking and Trembling
While occasional shaking is expected, watch for these issues if your chicken shakes frequently or vigorously:
Parasites
External parasites like mites, lice, and fleas can cause irritation, itchiness, and excessive head shaking as chickens try to dislodge them. Check for evidence of parasites like tiny black dots or red irritation. Treat infestations promptly.
Respiratory Issues
Diseases affecting the respiratory tract like infectious coryza or mycoplasmosis can cause facial swelling, sinus irritation, and lots of head shaking. Other symptoms may include coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and watery eyes. Seek veterinary treatment.
Crop Impaction
When items like long grass or feathers get stuck in a chicken’s crop, it can cause neck stretching, gagging motions, and head shaking as they try to dislodge the blockage. Massage the crop to break up stuck contents. Seek veterinary help for severe impactions.
Ear Infections
Bacterial or fungal ear infections can cause irritation, itchiness, and head shaking. You may also notice head tilting, loss of balance, or wry neck. Get veterinary treatment to clear up the infection.
Neurological Disorders
Diseases affecting the nervous system like Marek’s disease or botulism can cause tremors, shaking, and abnormal head movements. Isolate and get veterinary help immediately.
Extreme Cold
While mild shivering keeps chickens warm, extreme cold can cause prolonged, severe shivering, lethargy, and fluffed feathers. Get chickens out of the cold immediately and provide extra heat like a heat lamp.
Stress or Fear
Stress from predators, loud noises, or other frights can cause a chicken’s entire body to shake in fear. Remove or mitigate stressors. Extra protein, electrolytes, and probiotics can help calm stressed chickens.
Poor Health
General illness, malnutrition, dehydration, parasites, or other health problems can leave a chicken weak, lethargic, and shivering. Boost nutrition, electrolytes, and probiotics while identifying and treating any underlying issue.
Toxins
Ingesting toxins like certain plants, lead, or chemicals can potentially cause tremors or shaking. Remove any toxins and call your vet.
What to Do If Your Chicken is Shaking
If you notice prolonged, frequent, or severe shaking in your flock:
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Separate any severely affected chickens to prevent further stress or injury. Place in a warm, quiet area with food and water.
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Check for signs of injury or trauma. Gently inspect your chicken’s body for any wounds or source of pain.
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Look for external parasites. Part feathers gently and check for lice or mites, especially around the vent area.
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Take the chicken’s temperature. High or low body temperature can indicate illness.
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Collect a fecal sample. Parasites or unhealthy droppings can point to a problem.
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Check the coop environment. Ensure proper ventilation, lack of drafts, dry bedding, and no signs of stressors.
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Review diet. Get rid of any spoiled feed. Ensure a balanced diet with oyster shell for calcium.
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Consider supplements. Electrolytes, vitamins, probiotics, and antioxidants can support health.
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Contact a vet. If shaking continues or you see no obvious cause, a vet can diagnose and properly treat the issue.
With observation and prompt care, many causes of chicken shaking are treatable. But left unchecked, ongoing shaking and tremors can progress to more serious illness. So stay vigilant for abnormal shaking in your flock.
Preventing Shaking and Trembling in Chickens
While some causes of shaking like cold weather are unavoidable, you can take proactive steps to keep chickens healthy and minimize conditions that lead to trembling:
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Provide a draft-free coop with clean, dry bedding and adequate perches.
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Maintain a balanced diet with sufficient calcium for egg-layers.
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Check for parasites weekly and treat promptly if found.
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Quarantine any new birds before introducing them to the flock.
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Reduce stress by minimizing loud noises, predators, and competition for food.
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Ensure fresh, clean water at all times.
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Administer routine flock vaccinations and probiotics.
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Get veterinary care for any sick or injured birds immediately.
With good nutrition, low stress, and proper care, you can help prevent health issues that cause your chickens to shake. But be vigilant for any signs of trembling, as prompt treatment leads to the best outcomes.
While the occasional head shake or feather ruffle is perfectly normal for chickens, ongoing or severe trembling is cause for concern. A variety of parasitic, respiratory, neurological and other health conditions can lead chickens to shake. Careful observation, isolation, veterinary care and treatment of any underlying issue can help get your flock healthy again. With good coop conditions, balanced feed, and proactive care, you can minimize controllable factors that may cause your chickens to shake. Getting to the root of any abnormal trembling quickly will give your birds the best chance of recovery.
Can Cold Stress Kill?
First, let’s answer this important question, can cold stress kill a chicken? Yes, it can. Chickens can freeze to death. Stress levels can become so high that the body focuses on trying to stay warm instead of other important functions. Other health ailments combined with cold stress can tax the body too much and result in death. If the chicken only had one illness or cold, it might have been able to deal with it. But when cold stress and another illness are added together, they can really drain a chicken’s energy. So, yes, cold stress can become fatal.
That being said, fatalities often occur only under extreme conditions. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of cold stress in your chickens is essential to knowing how much cold stress your flock is dealing with at any given time. You can usually take steps to keep the cold stress levels from getting too high, which can save lives.
The most common reason why cold stress causes death is when it is combined with another pre-existing health ailment or injury. Doing a health check on your whole flock once a month is a good idea because it lets you know how healthy they are every month. During the winter, watch out for these issues that can compound the affects of cold stress:
- internal parasites
- respiratory issues
- diarrhea & pasty droppings
- coccidiosis
- improper diet
Keeping a healthy flock is one way to prevent cold stress from becoming fatal. The other way is being able to recognize different levels of cold stress in your flock.
Chickens shaking their heads (RESOLVED)
FAQ
What causes trembling in chickens?
Avian encephalomyelitis is a viral infection affecting the CNS of several species of birds. Signs include tremors, ataxia, and weakness that progresses to paralysis. To make a diagnosis, doctors look at the patient’s medical history, their symptoms, the virus’s genome being found by RT-PCR assay, and the virus’s isolation.
What does it mean when a chicken vibrates?
A chicken vibrating can indicate a few things, most commonly shivering due to cold, but it can also be a sign of illness, stress, or even a neurological issue.
What does it mean when chickens shake?
Stress or Fear: New environments, loud noises, or the presence of predators can cause chicks to shake. Ensure they feel secure. Health Issues: Shaking can indicate illness, such as respiratory problems or a neurological issue. Look for other symptoms like lethargy, loss of appetite, or abnormal droppings.
Why is my bird suddenly shaking?
Birds shiver when they are cold and need to warm up, when they are scared, nervous, or sick, or when they are really interested in or excited about something.