Disoriented Hen

[Gategitter]

First time posting so howdie! I have a hen, (salmon favarolle) I have had her and her sister for a couple months now. Sister has laid a few eggs. However this hen is acting very disoriented. Barely eating and drinking but does if i put her in front of it.. She travels the run and will go to "bed" at night. She sleeps on the floor. Yesterday I saw her try to fly to the top of the coop (3 feet tall) and she jumped and flipped over and landed on her back. She doesnt breath funny and seems to know when I walk in and pick her up..... I have had chickens all my life and this is a totally new one for me. Any ideas or advice...... Thanks !!

 

[Debbie292d]

I have one that acts like that when she's molting. You'd swear she was drunk as she zig-zags through the yard sitting down every so often. This lasts for a month or more with that one.

Sometimes it's hard to know if a chicken is molting as some do it more passively than others.

If you're absolutely sure she's not molting, then it could be a vitamin deficiency. I'd try give her some B1 or a B-complex, if you happen to have either one. If you don't, you can pick it up at any pharmacy, Walmart, etc. Break it in half and half again to give her a 1/4th of one or if she's larger sized, 1/2 of one. You can grind it up and put in something she'll eat all of, like a small amount of scrambled eggs, a tblsp of yogurt, etc. You just have to make sure she's getting all of what you're trying to give her.

I'd do that for a week and see if you start seeing any improvement. If so, Poultry Cell water has the B's in it so may want to start putting that in their water a couple times a week.

I hope this helps and that she recovers!

 

[Gategitter]

I have one that acts like that when she's molting. You'd swear she was drunk as she zig-zags through the yard sitting down every so often. This lasts for a month or more with that one.

Sometimes it's hard to know if a chicken is molting as some do it more passively than others.

If you're absolutely sure she's not molting, then it could be a vitamin deficiency. I'd try give her some B1 or a B-complex, if you happen to have either one. If you don't, you can pick it up at any pharmacy, Walmart, etc. Break it in half and half again to give her a 1/4th of one or if she's larger sized, 1/2 of one. You can grind it up and put in something she'll eat all of, like a small amount of scrambled eggs, a tblsp of yogurt, etc. You just have to make sure she's getting all of what you're trying to give her.

I'd do that for a week and see if you start seeing any improvement. If so, Poultry Cell water has the B's in it so may want to start putting that in their water a couple times a week.

I hope this helps and that she recovers!

Thank you !!! Thats very interesting. I have the b vitamis soI will give her some this evening. She does seem a little more "with it" lately. She isnt molting unless they can do this without loosing a feather. lol Thanks again !!! baawk baawk !!