Chicken stumbling and puffing out chest

[willfarrer]

I have an Australorp pullet who has been acting strange since the day it laid its first egg ever.

It moves around very slowly, mainly rests. Until recently it has been flying up to the roost as normal, although now it just sleeps on the floor of the coop. The strangest behaviours are as follows:

1. It often stands up tall, puffs its chest out and pushes its neck way back, slightly to its right
2. If I approach it, it typically stumbles back very clumsily

I held it and felt around its whole body and didn't feel anything strange.

Can anyone help me?
View attachment 2284518

 

[LaFleche]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

What you describe might be a case of crop issue. The puffed out chest and strange neck movements sounds like it.

There are different kinds of treatment depending on the underlying problem. Here is some reading:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[LaFleche]

How is your Australorp pullet doing?