Chicken stumbling when walking and overall very weak

[Vasicos1]

Hi all. This is poppy, one of my bantam hens and unfortunately over the last couple weeks she has started to go downhill. She was still doing normal chicken things but also sleeping a lot more. Today She’s still eating and drinking but every time she tries to get up and walk she’s just stumbling over. She has very little balance now. I have added vitamins to her water every day for the last few days incase she was deficient but she just seems to be getting worse. Anyone know what could be causing this? She’s been housed with her young one for the last couple of months and the little hen is completely fine.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hello! What are you feeding her, pictures of her poop? Where is she housed?

 

[Vasicos1]

Hello! What are you feeding her, pictures of her poop? Where is she housed?

The last few days her poop has not been normal. It’s definitely more runny than I’d like but not completely liquid if that makes sense. She sleeps in a wooden coop with one other hen. I replace her bedding weekly which is wood shavings. I feed her high quality pellets and fresh veggie scraps every day.

 

[Vasicos1]

The last few days her poop has not been normal. It’s definitely more runny than I’d like but not completely liquid if that makes sense. She sleeps in a wooden coop with one other hen. I replace her bedding weekly which is wood shavings. I feed her high quality pellets and fresh veggie scraps every day.

She also free ranges all day and only comes back to the coop to sleep at night

 

[coach723]

How old is she? Do you know when she last laid? Have you checked her for molt, any pin feathers coming in anywhere? Have you ever wormed your birds or had a fecal test done? Pictures of droppings would be helpful. Is her crop functioning properly? Feel it, see if it's empty, full, soft and squishy, hard, etc. Check it first thing in the morning before she has access to food or water, it should be empty then, if not that can indicate a problem. Do they have access to poultry grit? What vitamins are you giving, can you post a picture of the label? Feel her abdomen, below the vent, between the legs, is there any bloat or swelling? Also, is her keel bone well muscled, or is the bone very prominent? Sorry, lots of questions, but need to know as much as possible to help you narrow it down. With nothing else to go on, for now I'd get a super B complex tablet or capsule (human ones) and give her one of those daily (just put it in her beak, she'll swallow, or empty/grind it and mix it in a bit of moistened feed if she'll eat that.

 

[Vasicos1]

How old is she? Do you know when she last laid? Have you checked her for molt, any pin feathers coming in anywhere? Have you ever wormed your birds or had a fecal test done? Pictures of droppings would be helpful. Is her crop functioning properly? Feel it, see if it's empty, full, soft and squishy, hard, etc. Check it first thing in the morning before she has access to food or water, it should be empty then, if not that can indicate a problem. Do they have access to poultry grit? What vitamins are you giving, can you post a picture of the label? Feel her abdomen, below the vent, between the legs, is there any bloat or swelling? Also, is her keel bone well muscled, or is the bone very prominent? Sorry, lots of questions, but need to know as much as possible to help you narrow it down. With nothing else to go on, for now I'd get a super B complex tablet or capsule (human ones) and give her one of those daily (just put it in her beak, she'll swallow, or empty/grind it and mix it in a bit of moistened feed if she'll eat that.

I appreciate your help. I have no idea how old she is as we bought her at a poultry auction a couple years ago. She had done a little molt but doesn’t seem to have any more pin feathers coming in that I can see although her tail feathers do look a little thinned out. I do worm them regularly and they have been done in the last couple months She hasn’t laid an egg for a few weeks as she was clucky and raised a chick. I expected her to start laying again by now but she hasn’t. I’ve had an egg bound chicken before but I can’t feel an egg in her abdomen like I could with that one. She is also pretty thin, her keel bone is pretty prominent but she is still eating well. Crop was very full and firm when I checked last night. This morning it still seems very full but not as chunky. I can’t feel the pellets as prominently as I could yesterday. They do have food and water in their coop though so I don’t know if she’s just eaten already this morning.They do have access to poultry grit which is mixed with their pellets and I also feed them back their eggs/ shells. I have attached a photo of her poops. As you can see there is quite a bit of liquid as well as some more firm bits. Also the vitamins that I gave her. They’re all I had on hand.

 

[Vasicos1]

I appreciate your help. I have no idea how old she is as we bought her at a poultry auction a couple years ago. She had done a little molt but doesn’t seem to have any more pin feathers coming in that I can see although her tail feathers do look a little thinned out. I do worm them regularly and they have been done in the last couple months She hasn’t laid an egg for a few weeks as she was clucky and raised a chick. I expected her to start laying again by now but she hasn’t. I’ve had an egg bound chicken before but I can’t feel an egg in her abdomen like I could with that one. She is also pretty thin, her keel bone is pretty prominent but she is still eating well. Crop was very full and firm when I checked last night. This morning it still seems very full but not as chunky. I can’t feel the pellets as prominently as I could yesterday. They do have food and water in their coop though so I don’t know if she’s just eaten already this morning.They do have access to poultry grit which is mixed with their pellets and I also feed them back their eggs/ shells. I have attached a photo of her poops. As you can see there is quite a bit of liquid as well as some more firm bits. Also the vitamins that I gave her. They’re all I had on hand.

After assessing her. I definitely feel like she has an impacted crop.

 

[coach723]

I see a lot of green fiberous stuff in her droppings. Is the grit you are giving a crushed granite poultry grit, or a crushed oyster shell? They are very different and have different purposes. The granite grit is needed for digestion particularly of fiberous materials, without enough in the gizzard it can lead to impactions. If it is the granite grit then I would not mix it with the feed, I would offer it in a separate feeder. If you haven't been giving that I would get some right away.
The oyster shell is needed for calcium for egg shell quality, but does not aid digestion.
Try to check her crop early tomorrow morning before she's had anything, if you can take her off the roost before light, see if it's empty then. If it's not then yes, I would start to treat for that. Give coconut oil (you can refrigerate or freeze it and break it into small pieces to put in her beak, they usually like it), try to get a tsp to a tablespoon into her each time do several times a day) and do crop massages to try to break up the mass, if there is one, and get it to pass. You may need to give fluids as well, make sure they are room temperature to slightly warm, that can help break up the stuff in the crop also. Make sure to go slow so she doesn't aspirate. Link below applies to fluids also.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/
Give nothing but water soluble things to eat until it clears, her regular feed made into a mash by adding some water is good, works with crumbles or pellets. Nothing fiberous or hard to digest. You may need to crate her for now so you can monitor and make sure she's not eating more grass or plants.
The vitamins you have should be OK for normal usage. they cover the majority, the only caveat is whether she's drinking enough to get enough. If she's not digesting then she may be deficient. In that case you need to give higher doses to correct the deficiency. The b's are very safe and no risk of overdosing so I'd still recommend the super B complex daily. Deficiency in the B's can cause balance issues and other neurological symptoms. If she's not digesting and that is why she's losing body condition, she may be deficient and getting weak from weight loss. I'd start weighing her regularly (an inexpensive digital kitchen scale works well) while you try to get the crop to clear so you can tell if she's gaining, losing, or just maintaining.
Good info on crop issues here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Vasicos1]

Okay. I’ll grab some supplies and get started today. Thank you for your help!