Guess this isn't an emergency, as it's been going on now for a few months, but...
We have a Barred Rock type hen that started sort of weaving around acting sort of drunk about three months ago. It has gotten somewhat more pronounced. She acts as if her feet are sore and lately has been sleeping under the roost rather than hopping up on it.
Her feet don't look swollen and she doesn't seem to be tender to the touch. She's eating & drinking well and has good poop. The others (four of them) show no signs of this problem and don't pick on her at all. They are all getting along well as they always have.
I've looked at photos of Bumblefoot and it doesn't appear to be that. She's a young hen, we got her last summer and she was probably around 12 weeks old.
This started late in the winter and doesn't appear to be frost bite. We did have a rather prolonged winter with more snow than usual, but it wasn't unbearably cold for long periods of time. We live in NW Arkansas so we aren't talking about sub-zero for days on end.
My husband wants to cull her, but I really hate to because other than sleeping under the roost, she seems to be happy enough and doesn't appear to be in pain, she just acts drunk.
When you reach down to pet her, she squats and holds her wings away from her body slightly.
Any ideas what might be her problem. I have been giving all of them electrolytes and vitamins in their water for a few days every two or three weeks. She is not egg-bound and her craw isn't distended.
Any input would be appreciated. I don't think what she has is infectious because the others all seem to be fine.
We have a Barred Rock type hen that started sort of weaving around acting sort of drunk about three months ago. It has gotten somewhat more pronounced. She acts as if her feet are sore and lately has been sleeping under the roost rather than hopping up on it.
Her feet don't look swollen and she doesn't seem to be tender to the touch. She's eating & drinking well and has good poop. The others (four of them) show no signs of this problem and don't pick on her at all. They are all getting along well as they always have.
I've looked at photos of Bumblefoot and it doesn't appear to be that. She's a young hen, we got her last summer and she was probably around 12 weeks old.
This started late in the winter and doesn't appear to be frost bite. We did have a rather prolonged winter with more snow than usual, but it wasn't unbearably cold for long periods of time. We live in NW Arkansas so we aren't talking about sub-zero for days on end.
My husband wants to cull her, but I really hate to because other than sleeping under the roost, she seems to be happy enough and doesn't appear to be in pain, she just acts drunk.
When you reach down to pet her, she squats and holds her wings away from her body slightly.
Any ideas what might be her problem. I have been giving all of them electrolytes and vitamins in their water for a few days every two or three weeks. She is not egg-bound and her craw isn't distended.
Any input would be appreciated. I don't think what she has is infectious because the others all seem to be fine.
