Chicken problem/illness?

[Jlgonzo]

I have a leghorn, who is 2.5 years old. She had a fairly hard molt in terms of feather loss compared to the year before. She was my last one to molt, which started in late October. She now seems to have all of her feathers back but over the last few weeks, I have noticed her distancing herself from the other chickens. She also started roosting on the landing of the ramp up to the roost for a bit but now sleeps on the floor of the coop tucked in a corner next to the nest box. I think she moved there as she likes to go to bed before the others and they were disrupting her on the ramp making their way up to the roost. I have also noticed that if she gets bumped by another chicken, she looses her balance and sits down. She is eating, drinking, grooming normally and her poop looks normal. Her comb is shrunken and pale but it did this last year when she molted and so did my other leghorn. The other leghorn molted a little before her and fairly hard compared to last year and her comb is just starting to get color and growing larger. The one that is having issues has been the top chicken in the pecking order. Any suggestions would be great.

 

[azygous]

My first impression after reviewing her symptoms would be weakness from her hard molt. Have you given her a close inspection for weight loss and other symptoms? Looking into eyes, ears, inside of mouth and throat and crop check? Check the latter first thing in the morning to be sure it's emptying properly.

If her keel bone is prominent and sharp, weight loss and weakness from molt may be behind her lethargic behavior. Treating her with sugar water to give her glucose a quick boost would be a first step. The second would be a few days of Poultry Nutri-drench to infuse her quickly with nutrients. Then finally, a program of high protein feedings to restore her weight.

There's a last possibility. She may have reproductive cancer. There wouldn't be anything you can do about that.

 

[Jlgonzo]

Thanks for the info. I will give her a better look over this morning. From what I have been able to see so far is that she looks fine and eats and drinks well to where her weight seems good. She will walk around in the run and eat and drink with the others. She just tried to keep her distance. She even holds her tail feathers upright and they seem full.
I try to look at her compared to my other leghorn who is doing fine and she looks the same. Thanks again.