8 year old chicken having difficulty walking

[happygirltam]

Hello. I have an 8 year old Americana who can only walk a step or two before laying down.
She is not losing weight, and eats when I put it near her but she has difficulty walking to the food dish and getting in and out of coop.
Old age or something else I can do? I have clipped her claws as that made it difficult for her in the past.
She is so sweet. I hate seeing her go through this.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Even though it sounds like she has pain, does she still have control over her legs... meaning she is choosing not to use them to avoid pain? Can she stand and move a bit? Can she balance herself when standing?

Sometimes if they have difficulty passing an egg it can aggravate a nerve in their pelvis that causes them problems. Or she may have hurt herself jumping down from a roost or something similar. Rest is a good idea, so as long as she is getting food and water and not getting picked on, she may just need some time to heal.

Whether or not to confine her depends on the severity and if you have the time to care for her. Put a box on the floor of the coop for her to sleep in instead of roosting. Sometimes I think they do better in familiar surroundings if their basic needs are still being met.

 

[happygirltam]

Even though it sounds like she has pain, does she still have control over her legs... meaning she is choosing not to use them to avoid pain? Can she stand and move a bit? Can she balance herself when standing?

Sometimes if they have difficulty passing an egg it can aggravate a nerve in their pelvis that causes them problems. Or she may have hurt herself jumping down from a roost or something similar. Rest is a good idea, so as long as she is getting food and water and not getting picked on, she may just need some time to heal.

Weather or not to confine her depends on the severity and if you have the time to care for her. Put a box on the floor of the coop for her to sleep in instead of roosting. Sometimes I think they do better in familiar surroundings if their basic needs are still being met.

I appreciate this advise. She's no longer laying so don't think it's an egg issue. And she can get around some. Thank you for the box suggestion. I'm going to try that. It will make it easier on her if she doesn't have to go up and down into the roost.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

A shallow box or a kennel might work. Something she can easily get out of by herself but has sides and a top to give her some security.

If you notice her getting much worse, you might be dealing with a different problem entirely, so keep a eye on her.

 

[Quaicken108]

It seems that she’s doing fine other than this walking problem. Does her legs have any issues? (Legmite, bumblefoot, etc). Could you post a photo? Sometimes as chickens age, their mobility, (like humans) gets worse and abilities they once had aren’t as prominent.

 

[aart]

Is her belly swollen?
How are her poops?