Have you noticed your chicken shaking or trembling lately? As a chicken owner myself, I know how worrying it can be to see your feathered friends acting strangely. Chickens shake for many reasons – some perfectly normal and others that might need your attention.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the common causes of chicken shaking, help you determine when to worry, and give you practical solutions to help your trembling birds. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced chicken keeper, understanding why chickens shake is crucial for maintaining a healthy flock.
Normal Reasons Why Chickens Shake
Before panicking, it’s important to recognize that chickens naturally shake for several reasons. Here are some normal behaviors that might look like concerning shaking:
1. Preening
Chickens regularly ruffle and shake their feathers while preening. They use their oil glands to spread protective oils across their feathers, making them more water-repellent and insulating. This natural grooming can look like body shaking.
2. Dust Bathing
When chickens take dust baths, they shake vigorously to get dirt into their feathers. This helps remove parasites and keeps them clean. A chicken in the middle of a dust bath might look like it’s having a seizure to the uninitiated eye!
3. Stretching
Chickens often flap their wings and shake their bodies simply to stretch their muscles. This is completely normal behavior and nothing to worry about.
4. Irritation
If something is irritating your chicken – like water in its nose or food stuck in its throat – it might shake its head to dislodge the irritant.
5. Mild Cold Weather Response
In colder temperatures, chickens may shiver slightly to generate body heat. Mild shivering in winter is usually normal and just their way of warming up.
6. Broody Behavior
Broody hens (those wanting to hatch eggs) sometimes tremble while sitting on their nests. This is normal broody behavior and not a cause for concern.
7. Tidbitting
Roosters perform a behavior called “tidbitting” where they repeatedly pick up and drop food while making clucking sounds to attract hens. This can sometimes look like shaking.
8. Feather Ruffling
After dust bathing or mating, chickens often ruffle their feathers to get them back in place. This normal behavior can look like shaking.
Concerning Causes of Chicken Shaking
If your chicken’s shaking doesn’t seem to match any of the normal behaviors above, or if it’s accompanied by other symptoms, it might indicate a health problem. Here are some common health issues that cause chickens to shake:
1. External Parasites
Signs to watch for: Excessive head shaking, irritation, visible parasites, feather loss
Common parasites: Mites, lice, fleas
Solution: Inspect your chicken carefully by parting the feathers, especially around the vent. Treat with appropriate parasite treatments and clean the coop thoroughly.
2. Respiratory Issues
Signs to watch for: Head shaking plus coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, watery eyes
Common conditions: Infectious coryza, mycoplasmosis
Solution: Isolate affected birds and consult a vet for proper treatment, which often includes antibiotics.
3. Crop Impaction
Signs to watch for: Neck stretching, gagging motions, head shaking
Solution: Try massaging the crop to break up contents. For severe impactions, veterinary help may be needed.
4. Ear Infections
Signs to watch for: Head shaking, head tilting, loss of balance
Solution: These require veterinary treatment to clear up the infection.
5. Neurological Disorders
Signs to watch for: Tremors, abnormal head movements, lack of coordination
Common conditions: Marek’s disease, botulism, avian encephalomyelitis (epidemic tremors)
Solution: Isolate the affected chicken and get veterinary help immediately. Some neurological conditions are preventable through vaccination.
6. Extreme Cold
Signs to watch for: Prolonged severe shivering, lethargy, fluffed feathers
Solution: Get chickens out of the cold immediately and provide additional heat sources like a heat lamp.
7. Stress or Fear
Signs to watch for: Whole-body shaking triggered by specific events
Solution: Remove stressors when possible. Adding protein, electrolytes, and probiotics to their diet can help calm stressed chickens.
8. Poor General Health
Signs to watch for: Weakness, lethargy, shivering
Solution: Boost nutrition with supplements and treat any underlying health issues.
9. Toxin Exposure
Signs to watch for: Tremors, unusual behavior, sudden onset
Solution: Remove any potential toxins from their environment and consult a vet immediately.
Can Cold Stress Kill Chickens?
While chickens are generally hardy in cold weather, extreme cold stress can indeed be fatal. Cold stress becomes particularly dangerous when combined with other health issues like:
- Internal parasites
- Respiratory problems
- Diarrhea
- Coccidiosis
- Poor nutrition
A chicken dealing with both cold stress and another health problem may not have enough energy reserves to fight both, leading to death in severe cases.
What to Do If Your Chicken Is Shaking
If you notice concerning shaking in your chickens, follow these steps:
- Separate affected birds – Place them in a warm, quiet area with food and water
- Check for injuries – Gently inspect for wounds or trauma
- Look for parasites – Part feathers to check for mites or lice, especially around the vent
- Take temperature – Abnormal body temperature can indicate illness
- Collect a fecal sample – This can help identify internal parasites
- Inspect the coop – Ensure proper ventilation, no drafts, and dry bedding
- Review diet – Remove spoiled feed and ensure balanced nutrition
- Consider supplements – Electrolytes, vitamins, and probiotics can support recovery
- Contact a vet – If shaking continues or worsens, get professional help
Personal Experience with Shaking Chickens
Last winter, I noticed one of my Silkies was shaking more than usual. At first, I thought she was just cold, but she wasn’t improving even with extra heat. After isolating her and closely observing, I discovered she had mites! After treatment and a thorough coop cleaning, she stopped shaking within days.
Remember, nobody knows your chickens better than you do. If something seems off, trust your instincts and take action.
Preventing Shaking and Trembling in Your Flock
As with most health issues, prevention is better than cure. Here’s how to keep your chickens shake-free:
- Provide proper housing – Draft-free coop with clean, dry bedding and adequate perches
- Maintain good nutrition – Balanced diet with sufficient calcium for layers
- Regular parasite checks – Inspect your flock weekly for signs of parasites
- Quarantine new birds – Keep new additions separate before introducing them to your flock
- Reduce stress – Minimize loud noises, predator threats, and competition for food
- Ensure clean water – Fresh water should be available at all times
- Consider vaccinations – Discuss a vaccination schedule with your vet
- Monthly health checks – Examine each chicken regularly to catch problems early
When to Call a Veterinarian
While many cases of chicken shaking can be addressed at home, certain situations warrant immediate veterinary attention:
- Severe or prolonged shaking that doesn’t resolve
- Shaking accompanied by difficulty breathing
- Loss of balance or inability to stand
- Complete loss of appetite
- Signs of neurological issues
- Multiple birds showing similar symptoms
Chickens shake for many reasons – from normal behaviors like preening and dust bathing to more serious issues like illness or extreme cold. By understanding the different causes and knowing what to look for, you can quickly determine whether your chicken’s shaking is natural or needs attention.
Remember that prompt intervention is key when dealing with health problems in chickens. By maintaining good coop conditions, providing proper nutrition, and being vigilant about parasites and diseases, you can help keep your chickens healthy and shake-free.
Have you experienced shaking in your flock? What was the cause in your case? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below!
Disclaimer: While this article provides general guidance, it’s not a substitute for veterinary care. If you’re concerned about your chicken’s health, consult with a poultry veterinarian.
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. Handled alone, the chicken may have been able to fight the ailment or handle the cold, but when combined, cold stress and another health ailment can really zap the energy from a chicken. 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. Most of the time you will be able to implement preventative measures so that the cold stress levels don’t become fatal.
The most common reason why cold stress causes death is when it is combined with another pre-existing health ailment or injury. Doing a monthly health check on your whole flock is a good idea to give you an assessment of where your flock is at health-wise 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
Why do chickens shake their head?
But if you notice one of your chickens continuously shaking and scratching its head, this can be a sign of an underlying condition. Parasites or infections might be causing the itchy throat, ears, or eyes. Let’s go over them one by one. Chickens shake their head when their throat is irritated. A chicken’s throat is pretty different from our throat.
Why is my chicken shivering and shaking?
They are shivering and shaking their bodies, and you are worried they may be ill or diseased. There are many common characteristics that chickens regularly exhibit that may look like shaking or shivering, such as brooding, sparring, and dust bathing. There are also a few less-common ailments that chicken owners should be aware of.
Is it normal for chickens to shake a lot during winter?
Extreme cold stress is often found in the flocks of chickens during the winter. It is normal for your chickens to be shaking a little during the cold months, as that is how their bodies adapt to the colder temperatures. However, extreme cold stress can become deadly if not properly monitored.
Why do chickens Shiver?
Shivering is the chicken body’s reaction to a significant change from warmer weather to colder. Regardless of their breed, when chickens get cold, they will ruffle their feathers, creating air and space near their skin that traps their body heat, insulating them and protecting them from exposure to the elements.
Why is my chicken ruffling?
Ensuring that your chickens have fresh water and a place to get out of the sun will help prevent heat stress and promote long, happy, healthy lives for your entire flock. Feather ruffling occurs when a chicken shakes out its feathers and puffs up. This is often done after a chicken has just finished dust bathing.
Why do chickens scratch their ears?
Multiple bacteria and fungi can affect the ears of a chicken. Typical examples are infections with the E. Coli or Pasteurella bacteria, responsible for many diseases in poultry. Outer and middle ear infections will cause itchiness, and you will see chickens frequently scratching, rubbing, and shaking their head.
How to calm a chicken in shock?
To help a chicken in shock, first immediately isolate it in a warm, dark, and quiet space to reduce stress. Provide warmth with a heat source like a covered hot water bottle or heat lamp, ensuring it’s not too close. Offer hydration and electrolytes by slowly administering them with a syringe or dropper, and place a sugar solution or glucose in the water to boost energy levels. Address any underlying injuries like wounds or fractures, and if the shock is severe or persistent, consult a veterinarian.