Is My Chicken Sick?

[Megan81159]

I have five 3-month old chickens; 4 Silkies and a Polish. We just moved them from the cardboard box in our garage to the coop outside two days ago, and they seemed to be doing fine. Just a few hours ago though, I noticed that my Polish was acting a little off. When I tried to grab her to put her inside the coop, she freaked a little more than usual, ran a few feet, then her leg buckled slightly and she stopped. Normally she would just continue running, so I examined her legs to make sure there was no injuries, and I didn't see any blood or displaced bones; both legs looked the same. However, for the past few hours she's been a bit quieter and less active than normal, sitting down and staying still a lot of the time. In the coop, rather than huddling with the other girls, she was separated and in the exact same spot where I left her. I moved her and the others back inside the garage in case it was the cold outside they weren't used to. She also seems to have lost a few more tail feathers than usual, and she's drawing her neck in a lot and puffing up her feathers. I gave them some water with sugar and cooked egg yolk, but she didn't seem so interested in drinking or eating. Is this normal? Am I overreacting over a small thing? I've had two chicks die in the past and I don't want to lose another; please help me!

 

[Megan81159]

Symptoms:
Fatigue (particularly in the legs)
Loss of appetite? (although she could just be full)
Loss of feathers? (she's nowhere close to being bald, so I'm not sure whether this is a sign of her illness or she's molting normally)
Tremors/shivering (recent development; I've covered her with a thin towel in case she's cold)

 

[Megan81159]

I see no sign of injury, crop feels okay, I'm waiting for droppings to examine, and I've separated her from the flock.

 

[wornoutmomto3]

It doesn't sound like any disease that I am familiar with. Someone with more experience can weigh in on this, in that regard. However, I would suspect stress as the cause for the "symptoms" you are describing. In my limited experience Polish chickens are more flighty than others. The nervousness could be exaggerated by the new surroundings of the outside coop. Don't stress yourself if she misses a meal. She could be too stressed to eat at the moment. Just make sure she stays hydrated, with free access to water.

Since, you have already moved them back into the house I would take introducing them back outside slowly. A few "supervised" hours each day and slowly extend the time until they are out there all day (and night) without issue.