What is she doing?!?!

[Meagan83]

I've seen twirling in all stages and because she can pick her head up and keep it straight up I just can't see that it is twirling yet. Plus she can stay on the perch - a real twirler can't keep their bodies on the perch like that.

Yeah, she still has perfect balance. She does not do that head motion all day either. She flies perch to perch and clings to the side of the cage to try and look at other birds and still get in and out of her nest to feed her babies. Stuff like that.

[MLaRue]

Does it always start out where they can't keep their head straight or stay on the perch tho? I would think it can be progressive..
I should stay out of it cause I've never had to deal with Twirling :\
I just thought the behavior looked neurological moreso than neurotic-al

Yes - the slight head tilt is the dead give away you need to act fast or it will turn into full blown twirling. I've had at least 4 that I can think of it has happened to in the past 9 years. Two were mother and son - so I always thought it might be a genetic fault. Because the two sons that were sold to someone else at different times many years apart all twirled. The two sons were sold not from me but from another breeder to a breeder her locally and after talking to that breeder about the two birds I had that did it - the bands told us I was sold the mother after the person knew the sons were twirlers - so I had the mother and the other son and both twirled. I was so upset to think a breeder would knowingly sell a bloodline that might have problems. It is one thing if she didn't know but she did. Either way - it starts the same and the full blown twirling will look like the bird in the video.

This hen reminds of a parrot that scrapes his beak across the bars constantly out of boredom or that Pekin that flew from perch to perch frantically. Or a horse that paces his stall or even monkeys at the zoo that thrash across the bars and grab them and shake them out of frustration.

[Meagan83]

This hen reminds of a parrot that scrapes his beak across the bars constantly out of boredom or that Pekin that flew from perch to perch frantically. Or a horse that paces his stall or even monkeys at the zoo that thrash across the bars and grab them and shake them out of frustration.

Yeah, we had a conure once that did a lot of repeat motions throughout the day. It made me think of that as well.

So you are saying it is for sure twirling ? Can it be cured? What do I give her?
...And she has two babies...

[MLaRue]

I can't say for sure it is or isn't. Only because I can't see her in person to see how she is all day. Does she really do this all day? Or for short periods of time?

Twirling in my case was never cured. I had two that lived long lives after showing symptoms - very sad - but I couldn't put them down because otherwise they were healthy.

If her head shows a small or slight tilt all thru the day - then it is starting and I would treat her with Baytril or Tri Meth Sulfa. I've heard others catch it early and the bird stops and is actually cured. I just haven't had that luck even with the one that I took to the Vet because I was so tired of not knowing why or how they got this - even went to a Avian Vet - spent big dollars for them to send me home with Baytril and no hope of it stopping but to clear the infection but the damage was already done. The Vet told me the infection damages the ear and then equilibrium.

If you have the means you might want to take her to a Vet to get their opinion. It maybe something different like a bad habit. Did she ever do this around her babies?

[Finch Fry]

My vote is that its star gazing. If so, not much you can do but give her a larger environment to really spread her wings and enjoy life a bit more.

[Meagan83]

Does she really do this all day? Or for short periods of time?

No, not all day. She does it for a few minutes then goes and does something else.

If her head shows a small or slight tilt all thru the day - then it is starting and I would treat her with Baytril or Tri Meth Sulfa.

I have not noticed any tilting of the head unless she does that weird motion.

If you have the means you might want to take her to a Vet to get their opinion.

Our vet is a country vet, and an older gent. I don't think he could help with something so avian specific honestly.

Did she ever do this around her babies?

Do you mean does she do it in the nest? I'm not sure. Their babies are only about a week or so old.

[MLaRue]

True twirling is all day - even the slight tilt of their head.

Does she show this behavior around her mate or the babies or only since you put her in this cage? Or is that why she is in this cage because she started doing this?

[Meagan83]

Her and her mate have been in this cage for about two months. She has only started doing this behavior the past 3 days. She does this both when her mate is in the nest and out. I have not seen if she does it in the nest... but I doubt it.

[MLaRue]

I don't know Meagan I hate to tell you she has it or not. From my own experience if she isn't doing it all the time or doesn't have a slight head tilt now all the time - I wouldn't think it would be twirling.

I also hate to have you treat her with something while she is with her babies. And, then they would be treated with a medicine and might not need it either.

It is one of those things it is 50/50 - to treat or not to treat. Since ear infections start as a bacterial infection I would go to my Essential Oil's before I tried a medicine just because she is with her babies. Do you have any medications on hand? Or essential oils?

[Domenic]

It's also slightly strange that each head motion begins on the perch, almost as if she's rubbing her face repeatedly. Has anyone else noticed this?

[L in Ontario]

It's also slightly strange that each head motion begins on the perch, almost as if she's rubbing her face repeatedly. Has anyone else noticed this?

Yes - I did notice that.

Did you give them anything different or new to eat within the last 3-4 days? Anything at all that they didn't have before?

[Meagan83]

It's also slightly strange that each head motion begins on the perch, almost as if she's rubbing her face repeatedly. Has anyone else noticed this?

Yes - I did notice that.

Did you give them anything different or new to eat within the last 3-4 days? Anything at all that they didn't have before?

Well, the only thing would be eggfood. I was giving it to them way before the eggs hatched but they never touched it. Now they are eating it up. But I would not think it would make her act that oddly. It's the dried kind.

Good news is I observed her for about 25 min when I got home this evening and she only did it once and it was only like 2 repetitions this time. Then she ate, flew and hopped around the cage, and went back into the nest.

[Nagdabit]

Sorry to chime in late to this. We've dealt with a couple of hens that had symptoms similar to twirling but weren't the full blown stargazing. Their actions were mostly likely the result of a brain infection of some sort. None of the girls ever recovered. Antibiotics did help to control the symptoms but once we stopped administering the medication, they'd return. Eventually the infection grew resistant to the drugs and the girls passed.

That being said however, they did not behave like your hen. All of our girls could not keep their balance and would fall of their perch. On one hand I'd hate to delay at all for fear that if it is an infection that it'd set it too deep and prove to be untreatable. On the other hand if she is improving as you say, it wouldn't be an infection cause they don't just clear up on their own

Don't know much actual help this is to you, but just wanted to share our experience in the hopes that it will help you determine how best to assist your little girl

[jamezyboo21]

I had a female that i bought a while back that had twirling really bad and she looked bad because she was stuck in a molt. I started treating her with a antibiotic and she got better and actually finished her molt and had her own clutch. I think she had ear infection but you definently want to get that checked before it gets worse because i've seen it really bad and its not a pretty sight. I seen it to the point where she would fall off the perch and sometimes couldnt even stand.

[Meagan83]

Everyone keeps suggesting medication. Can someone tell me what kind and where I can order it?