About five days ago, I discovered one of my hens walking strangely. Her backside seemed bloated and swollen, and she was waddling with her feet turned in. Her posture was like that when laying an egg or pooping. Initially, I was afraid she was egg bound, and caught her to try to treat this. Unfortunately she is very skittish and she did her best to resist, and I thought I might injure her more by forcing her into confinement or trying to give her a bath. She does not at all seem lethargic or sick in any other way than her bloated underside and posture. She has a harder time walking than the other hens, but still runs away from me, comes for treats, and behaves pretty normally. Her condition has stayed the same for the week since I first noticed it, and I don't think she's laid an egg within that time. Also, the day before i noticed the problem, a neighbor's small dog got in the yard and chased the hens a bit, frightening them, and I'm unsure if that has anything to do with this. The same hen also had egg yolk peritonitis about a year ago, but the symptoms of that don't seem like what she's experiencing now. Thank you for your help!
