11week pullet tail drooping, trouble walking

[ErvinFlock]

11 week old, pullet, from our mutt roo who I’ve owned for about 12 mos with Vaccinated (Mareks)Hen from Myers, hatched here with 20 other chicks from our flock (31 total) she looks most like mom a Brahma buff light
-noticed slight limping about 5 days ago, now more intense, and tail drooping, sitting more frequently, resting
Still moving with younger flock
-no other birds with symptoms
-looked her over, felt nothing, saw no discolored feathers, none missing
-nothing to note happened at all, just about 5 days prior I mentioned to my husband I thought she was limping a little
-drinking water, flock raiser, and grazing like normal
-poop very normal looking picture perfect brown and white combo

-No treatment so far

-Treatment intent: keep flock healthy, spend little to no money on vet costs, I’ll cull if I have to

-Free range chicken 1 of a total 31, housed at night in barn with natural (tree) roosting poles
She was roosting up with the other birds about 3ft high tonight when I locked them up.

 

[ErvinFlock]

 

[ErvinFlock]

Also easier to catch just today and much less skittish as others her age. Normally she would be running from me and the camera unless food was around and she was distracted.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Is she still roosting? Can you feel her crop in the morning before she has access to food or water and describe how it feels, if it's empty? If not empty, how does it feel, squishy, doughy, liquid, hard, soft, etc.? Is there any odor to her breath? Also feel her crop at bedtime and describe.

 

[ErvinFlock]

Is she still roosting? Can you feel her crop in the morning before she has access to food or water and describe how it feels, if it's empty? If not empty, how does it feel, squishy, doughy, liquid, hard, soft, etc.? Is there any odor to her breath? Also feel her crop at bedtime and describe.

This afternoon when I took the video it felt normal. I will update tomorrow morning / evening.
This evening she still was roosting as normal.

Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Possible injury(?) Could be some type of genetic or spinal deformity.
I would try giving her 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily to see if that helps.



https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-chicken-not-walking.1311848/

 

[ErvinFlock]

This afternoon when I took the video it felt normal. I will update tomorrow morning / evening.
This evening she still was roosting as normal.

Thank you.

This morning her crop was empty.

 

[ErvinFlock]

Is she still roosting? Can you feel her crop in the morning before she has access to food or water and describe how it feels, if it's empty? If not empty, how does it feel, squishy, doughy, liquid, hard, soft, etc.? Is there any odor to her breath? Also feel her crop at bedtime and describe.

Hi yes, she’s still roosting. This morning her crop felt empty. The description is hard, it didn’t feel doughy, more squishy and soft. No breath odor. Last night it felt full but normal similar to other chickens I put away that night.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This morning her crop felt empty. The description is hard, it didn’t feel doughy, more squishy and soft.

So it was or wasn't empty this morning? Soft and squishy is not empty.
While a crop problem is not likely the reason for her walking and standing that way, it would be good to monitor the crop for several days to see if it's empty/flat in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink.
I would still try the vitamins as I suggested in the previous post and consider that she has a developmental/genetic issue. Possible it could be disease like Marek's, but the only way to know would be to have testing if you happen to lose her.

Possible injury(?) Could be some type of genetic or spinal deformity.
I would try giving her 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily to see if that helps.

Bird with spinal issues
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-chicken-not-walking.1311848/

 

[LaFleche]

This looks like what happened many years ago to one of my young cockerels that gained too much weight for his still soft and weak bones.
He walked and sat like a penguin for about a week and seemed to be in pain, but then the treatment showed effect:
More vegetables, calcium + VitD3 + K, less carbohydrates and protein.

He recovered but I culled him two months later, as this is a genetic predisposition I don't want in my flocks.

He hatched from shipped eggs I bought from a reputable breeder.