I have a Buff Orp hen that is not moving very well the past 2 days it seems like her balance or leg strength is off, also today at one point she was twitching her head, almost like a nervous twitch but then she seemed to stop doing that. I have checked her eyes, mouth, ears, nose, vent, feet, legs. All look good, no mites or lice, no runny nose or anything else weird. She is eating and drinking well and has a very sweet personality. She has not started laying yet but her hips are 2 fingers apart so she is close. I have been giving her a mix of oatmeal/yogurt/garlic/vitamins the past two days to see if it is a vitamin deficiency or something. Yogurt because her butt is getting dirty, I believe because she is laying down so much. I originally thought she was having a gut problem but I saw her poo today and it was totally normal.
My new guess is: I have a rooster that has recently figured out the mating process and is horrible at it, I saw him pecking fairly hard at the back of another girls head in the process today. I am thinking now that maybe he hurt her head or back and now she is having trouble moving, otherwise is totally healthy? Is there something else I should check for or do you think that is reasonable explanation? I am thinking I need to cull him from the pack and see if she shows signs of improvement. Any thoughts?
I thought I would also mention, all my chickens have been vaccinated for mareks and cocci. Their feed is the same as it always has been, and they use chicken nipples so always clean water. I cleaned out the coop two days ago, but put down the same straw bedding I always use.
My new guess is: I have a rooster that has recently figured out the mating process and is horrible at it, I saw him pecking fairly hard at the back of another girls head in the process today. I am thinking now that maybe he hurt her head or back and now she is having trouble moving, otherwise is totally healthy? Is there something else I should check for or do you think that is reasonable explanation? I am thinking I need to cull him from the pack and see if she shows signs of improvement. Any thoughts?
I thought I would also mention, all my chickens have been vaccinated for mareks and cocci. Their feed is the same as it always has been, and they use chicken nipples so always clean water. I cleaned out the coop two days ago, but put down the same straw bedding I always use.
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