Chicken standing vertically. Thoughts?

[Bonwell]

Ok so I have a almost 5 Y/o hen, and for the last 2 months, she has been standing at a almost upward angle. I was super concerned at first and tried to find out what it was. Everything I read pointed to her being egg bound, but I couldn't feel one, and she was still acting completely normal otherwise. Good amounts of energy, eating, drinking etc. So eventually I stopped worrying about it because she was literally acting completely fine. As I said its been a little over 2 months at this point but now she has finally taken a turn for the worse, still eating and drinking, but has low energy, seems alot weaker, and now she's Almost standing completely vertically and now the majority of her weight is toward her bottom. I've now separated her from the flock. I should also add, her feet and legs are normal, no issues there either. Any ideas?

 

[azygous]

Your hen is standing like that because she's in a lot of pain. If you look at her eye in the photo, it has the "look" of a chicken who is feeling extremely unwell, as compared to the bright eyed look of a normal chicken.

Compare her stance with another chicken. Do her legs appear to be wide apart in comparison? Is her abdomen in front and between her legs very swollen? When she walks does she "waddle"?

What does her poop look like? Photo?

 

[Eggcessive]

That type of posture looks like a hen who has been laying internally with salpingitis. I would try to make her comfortable and try to get her eating. Antibiotics may be too late. If she gets to a point of no eating or getting picked on by others, I would think about putting her down.

 

[LaFleche]

Tbf, she wasn't suffering until very recently. as I said, she was standing at a slightly abnormal angle before, but was a completely normal chicken in every other way. Today was the first day she's been fully vertical and appearing in pain. But if she doesn't improve super soon, I'll have to probably do that.

As a prey animal, chickens hide their unwellness for a long time. So by the time we finally notice that something is wrong, they are usually too far gone.

Sadly, there will be no improvement for this kind of problem (internal laying/salpingitis/reproductive cancer), and layer hybrids like her are prone to all kinds of incurable reproductive issues.

 

[LaFleche]

For a layer hybrid hen like her to reach 5 years, is more than double of their ususal life span. So you must have provided very good living conditions and care.

 

[LaFleche]

silver laced wyandottes who were over 10 years old

The last of my silver laced Wyandottes is 7 years old now and just started to lay again after molting. I am waiting for her to go broody again and this year raise some more Wyandottes and Amrocks for me.

She really is a character and a pet also.

Edit: And she absolutely loves raising chicks every year!

 

[LaFleche]

At 5 years old and already more than two months of suffering, I would put her out of her misery today.

 

[Bonwell]

As a prey animal, chickens hide their unwellness for a long time. So by the time we finally notice that something is wrong, they are usually too far gone.

Sadly, there will be no improvement for this kind of problem (internal laying/salpingitis/reproductive cancer), and layer hybrids like her are prone to all kinds of incurable reproductive issues.

Yeah I suppose that's true. Thanks.

 

[Bonwell]

*Update* Well I never put her down, and despite it taking quite some time, and having quite a long and probably lonely stay in our garage, She's doing a lot better. Walking almost normally at this point, still some swelling but same appetite, same attitude etc.

Oh, and now She's got some company while she stays in the garage since it's still freezing outside! Today we got 8 Silver laced Wyandotte chicks!

 

[Bonwell]

At 5 years old and already more than two months of suffering, I would put her out of her misery to

At 5 years old and already more than two months of suffering, I would put her out of her misery today.

At 5 years old and already more than two months of suffering, I would put her out of her misery today.

Tbf, she wasn't suffering until very recently. as I said, she was standing at a slightly abnormal angle before, but was a completely normal chicken in every other way. Today was the first day she's been fully vertical and appearing in pain. But if she doesn't improve super soon, I'll have to probably do that.