Anyone have a slow chicken?

[Sinadrea]

Willow is a Cr. Legbar.
I received this hen from a family member. She's about 20 wks old. She is my rooster's favorite because he is young and she doesn't fight. After he mounts her, she'll stay in squatting position for a few minutes.
She lays eggs every day. I heard her egg song this morning, and it's a lot slower than the others. She also has had a hobble gait since I got her and she likes to hide under things a lot. Other than that she's eating and drinking fine so I'm hoping she's okay. Should i give her something like a supplement or medicine?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I have a 7 month old Buff Orpington. Needless to say, she's not particularly athletic, although she can move pretty quickly in response to food being brought out or a perceived predator. She rarely clucks, except during egg laying; instead, she murmurs, the same note (D) in a slightly calypso rhythm, go figure. She doesn't really hide, but she certainly loves to take her siestas under the rhododendron.

I'm guessing that since yours eats, drinks, and lays ok, she's probably ok. The hobble is interesting - from birth? After a minor injury? You do want to look out for neurological issues, possible indicators of Marek's. Was she a member of your family member's flock? Do you know anything about where she came from and how healthy the flock appeared to be?

She's lovely!

 

[Sinadrea]

She's been with us since about 7 or 8 weeks old. I'm not sure if she was vaccinated. The hobble was since we had her so I suspect from birth but I'm not 100% sure. My sister in law's flock is ultimately healthy and mine have been healthy also. She hides mostly under our heat pump or the coop and when she's out, she's always with my rooster. Maybe she likes the protection.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

She's been with us since about 7 or 8 weeks old. I'm not sure if she was vaccinated. The hobble was since we had her so I suspect from birth but I'm not 100% sure. My sister in law's flock is ultimately healthy and mine have been healthy also. She hides mostly under our heat pump or the coop and when she's out, she's always with my rooster. Maybe she likes the protection.

Do the other hens/pullets accept her? Just ignore her? Pick on her? If she was a solo chick joining an established flock, which is almost always a tough situation, she might not have fully integrated.

Just guessing here.

 

[Sinadrea]

Do the other hens/pullets accept her? Just ignore her? Pick on her? If she was a solo chick joining an established flock, which is almost always a tough situation, she might not have fully integrated.

Just guessing here.

Could be that too. I had her in a brooder pen for a few months with the others, I even added 2 chicks that were 2 weeks under. I'm not sure because the others integrated fine but i can see her not because of being raised with a different flock originally.

*She also is able to roost at night with the flock and I don't see them picking on her. I'm not sure how to tell if they ignore her though.

 

[Mrs. K]

IMO, any bird that is bright eyed, eating well and laying daily or nearly daily is perfectly fine. No need to worry unless a lot more is wrong.

If you think the limp is genetic, don't hatch her eggs.

Mrs K

 

[Just2chickens]

Could it be that because of the hobble gait she is feeling vulnerable, and that's why she's hiding more? Maybe her hobbled walking costs more energy than normally, she could be needing to rest more often? Maybe because of her hobble, it takes a while before she can get up after squatting.
I have two greeneggers, both have a cream legbar mum, they both like to hide under bushes, chairs, tables, me... and the youngest (Lisa) is a bit slow too, like she is in a whole other world, takes her forever to notice her flock has moved on, then screams bloody murder and runs like hell to get to them, only to get sidetracked;
¨Oeh, a Bug!¨