Chicken pulling to the right

[Fallenone05]

I don't know how else to title this, but today while outside watching the chickens, one of my hens would look down, peck at some forage, then suddenly turn her head right and walk backwards. The best thing I can compare it to is almost like someone took some reigns to her, pulled her head to the side and made her start walking backwards.

Of course she didn't do it while I had my phone and she only did it a couple times. She has a good appetite and is walking normally otherwise, scratching and foraging like usual.

She's super heavy in molt right now, as well.

Her diet, along with everyone else's diet, has been Purina Layena Free Range

https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-layena-free-range

Plus some Game Bird Starter/Grower

https://www.atwoods.com/catalog/product/view/id/17959/category/1554/

due to the heavy molt a few of my birds have been in. Nobody else has this weird walking issue, and this only started today. Should I give her some vitamin E just in case?

 

[Fallenone05]

For more info I didn't think of earlier, she's going to be 2 on either Easter or Mother's Day. She was eating Hearty Hen feed up until I switched to the Purina Layena and I might go back to that.

This is her first molt and she looks *awful*.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She's super heavy in molt right now, as well.

Should I give her some vitamin E just in case?

The actions could be from molting, possibly a pin feather is bothering her when she's pecking/reaching for a piece of food.
I've had a couple of hens that had similar actions for a few short days only during molt, it's like they are trying to back up from something poking them.

Vitamin E and B-Complex for a week wouldn't hurt her. I would give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4-1/2 tablet B-Complex. If you don't have that, then Poultry Cell is a fairly good choice, it doesn't contain a lot of E, but it's something I've used for hens during molt.

Hopefully you will only see the behavior for a few days as she continues to feather in.

 

[Fallenone05]

The actions could be from molting, possibly a pin feather is bothering her when she's pecking/reaching for a piece of food.
I've had a couple of hens that had similar actions for a few short days only during molt, it's like they are trying to back up from something poking them.

Vitamin E and B-Complex for a week wouldn't hurt her. I would give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4-1/2 tablet B-Complex. If you don't have that, then Poultry Cell is a fairly good choice, it doesn't contain a lot of E, but it's something I've used for hens during molt.

Hopefully you will only see the behavior for a few days as she continues to feather in.

Thank you! I got a good look at her when she got close to me. I didn't see any head injury or anything but she's an EE and she shed her beard off and is growing new little feathers there. I wonder if a pin feather on her face is pestering her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you! I got a good look at her when she got close to me. I didn't see any head injury or anything but she's an EE and she shed her beard off and is growing new little feathers there. I wonder if a pin feather on her face is pestering her.

That's a good possibility.

 

[Fallenone05]

That's a good possibility.

I just wanted to let you know that she's grown her feathers back and all of her beard feathers back! She hasn't done that pull thing anymore, especially not after the beard feathers stopped being small pin feathers. Picture of the chunky girl for tax purposes

Thank you so much for your advice!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I just wanted to let you know that she's grown her feathers back and all of her beard feathers back! She hasn't done that pull thing anymore, especially not after the beard feathers stopped being small pin feathers. Picture of the chunky girl for tax purposes

Thank you so much for your advice!

View attachment 2940586

Look at all of her pretty feathers!
Wonderful! Thank you for the update, I'm glad that she's doing well