I have an ex-battery rescue chicken (Mildred) who I got in February 2020, so I would guess she is a little over 3 and a half. She will be a commercial hybrid - a Rhode Island Red crossed with a Lohman Brown, Goldline, Hyline or Isa (you don't get those specifics when you get a rescue).
She was pretty skinny and lacking in feathers when we got her, but in the last two years she has thrived. She gained weight quickly, grew her feathers in and has looked glossy and healthy ever since. However, within the last week we have noticed that she has been waddling when she walks and moving quite slowly. She also had a lot of poo stuck around her bottom feathers. Tonight we gave her a bath and cleaned her up and checked her over. I couldn't feel any sign of an egg inside her, but she does seem very bloated and heavier than normal. She was also very subdued, but we did the bath in the evening, so that might have been the case anyway. I couldn't find any other signs of anything wrong. The only other thing I noticed was that there was a kind of bubbling sound inside her - I have no idea if that is normal, as I don't usually listen so intently to my girls!
She is definitely still eating. Her feathers and comb look normal. I'm not aware of anything having happened to her and the rest of the girls seem normal. Due to a local outbreak of avian flu all my girls have been in their run for some time and not free ranging. We would like to treat her ourselves if possible.
Does anyone have any idea what may be wrong or what we can do for her?
She was pretty skinny and lacking in feathers when we got her, but in the last two years she has thrived. She gained weight quickly, grew her feathers in and has looked glossy and healthy ever since. However, within the last week we have noticed that she has been waddling when she walks and moving quite slowly. She also had a lot of poo stuck around her bottom feathers. Tonight we gave her a bath and cleaned her up and checked her over. I couldn't feel any sign of an egg inside her, but she does seem very bloated and heavier than normal. She was also very subdued, but we did the bath in the evening, so that might have been the case anyway. I couldn't find any other signs of anything wrong. The only other thing I noticed was that there was a kind of bubbling sound inside her - I have no idea if that is normal, as I don't usually listen so intently to my girls!
She is definitely still eating. Her feathers and comb look normal. I'm not aware of anything having happened to her and the rest of the girls seem normal. Due to a local outbreak of avian flu all my girls have been in their run for some time and not free ranging. We would like to treat her ourselves if possible.
Does anyone have any idea what may be wrong or what we can do for her?
