Chicken won’t get up. Help if you can.

[debster1556]

If Walter is laying eggs, then Walter is a girl right?
Anyway, my hen, Daisy, went broody. She pecked most of her own breast feathers off down to bare skin, stayed in the nesting box most of the time, would puff up and growl if you tried to grab her and would also sit wherever you put her down at. She would eventually get up and walk around but wasn't too thrilled about it. Is Walter doing any of those things?

 

[ocpoolguy]

Walter Walter Walter….. Ok so I am starting to think and hope broody may be the case. last night I again put him in the unused nesting box in the coop. This morning the other hens came out for food but he just sat there. I pick him up and kinda forced him to need to stand on the concrete patio. He takes a few very ungraceful steps and plops back down in that sitting position as in the pic. well if I had not walked for three days my first steps would be ungraceful to say the least... \ I again put him in the center of the yard. I notice the ants have found the Gatorade on his water dish. I move him to another spot in the grass. I think Hmmmm light bulb goes on. I go turn on the sprinkler they run like crazy from that. I can’t see the yard from the water valve but I turn in on for just about five seconds then off. When I go check on him he moved over about fifteen feet in less than ten seconds. but he is in that sitting position.
After reading some more about chickens I think I am going to get some worming meds for them just incase there are worms pulling his energy.

Another concern I had and haven’t talked about is the possibility I had accidentally poisoned him. We have had a bad year with ants. About six weeks ago I treated the yards with Diazinon granules. in the back where the chickens and dogs rome I was much lighter on the spread than called for and didn’t let the chickens in that area for over two weeks with frequent watering. I really don’t think thats the issue but if any one knows more about that please provide some input. They have been back in the yard for about two weeks before Walter started acting this way. The other chickens are fine.

 

[ocpoolguy]

Yes Walter is a hen. I just call her him. Started as a family joke but she is Him.
His last egg was the day before I found him on the floor of the coop and not willing to get up. My son told me the evening before this he was sitting in the run and wouldn't get up and eat some meal worms he had out in the run.

 

[ocpoolguy]

Huuu

So after figuring broody is the case I put Walter in the run area getting my day started drinking my coffee doing some work on the computer. Hens start squawking like they’re getting attacked. Sure enough one of the other hens an Easter egger is kicking Walters’s *** as he just sits there and takes it. He has always been the DOM one of the three hens. Crap… just put him back out in the grass. More chicken stuff to learn.

 

[toynutz]

Poor little guy! He really doesn't sound broody to me. I think there's something wrong with him... can you bring him inside or isolate him so as not to be picked on? It could be a parasite problem making him weak or he could have something wrong internally related to egg laying. You'll need to assess his physical condition as well as his eating, drinking, and pooping. In the meantime, make sure he gets plenty of vitamin or electrolyte water and food, maybe try some scrambled eggs. I'm definitely not an expert, but I learned more about about chickens when my girls got sick than I ever could've expected here on BYC. Hopefully others will offer some ideas too... if not, grab another cup of coffee and use that search bar. Best wishes to Walter!

 

[ocpoolguy]

Thank You. keeping Walter on the grass for now. Away from the others they can see each other but not get togher due to hardware cloth inclosed run.

 

[ocpoolguy]

Came home for lunch and found Walter sitting by the door to the run like he wants in there. They usualy want out on the run to feed on the grass. He dosn't want to get up.

 

[ocpoolguy]

http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t631/ocpoolguy/IMG_0609_zps93ed5428.jpg

 

[ocpoolguy]

http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t631/ocpoolguy/IMG_0610_zps48f9bc46.jpg

 

[toynutz]

So how is Walter doing?