lethargic, not moving in a usual manner, blind?

birdy_num_nums

In the Brooder
11 Years
May 28, 2008
94
7
39
One year old Buff Brahma hen, two days ago was still on the roost when my daughter let the hens out of the hen house to have access to their run. (Daughter forgot to tell me this [she's eight].) Yesterday afternoon I noticed that hen didn't hunker down as I approached her, just stood there after I picked her up and set her down somewhere else. For a while I was thinking she was blind... I had to put her up on the roost as she was just slowly pacing back and forth sort of looking up towards it, as if she couldn't see it well enough to get up there. She did drink when I set her near the water. This morning she was off the roost (but I don't know if she jumped down or perhaps fell off at some point). She did get a drink, moving around the hen house on her own, but still in a slow, lethargic way, not bobbing her head like birds do. She went out in the hen run, but only after the other 9 hens had chicken-stampeded out the door. Buff Brahma just kind of stood there and then eventually hopped out. She did peck a bit at some green yummies we put out for them, so that seems to discount the suspicion that she's blind. She tried to hop back into the hen house through their pop-out door, but didn't hop high enough, which is not like her. But she was able to hop up onto the step next to it which is almost as high, then in through the popout.

I also noticed her blinking almost like she was trying to clear her eyes at one point.

She just stands in the run or slowly walks, not scratching around like normal.

So it appears she is still drinking and eating, I haven't watched long enough I guess to see if she is pooping and what that looks like.

TIA for any ideas, suggestions, advice!
 

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