Need emergency advice! I have a 15 month old Golden Comet acting very strangely. She just starting the symptoms today and I am leaving for vacation tomorrow! Plus, she is my favorite hen, so I'm a bit upset. Here's the situation:
She has been a faithful layer (lays every morning almost without exception since the day she started) and second in pecking order. Always active and quite assertive and independent.
This afternoon I let the flock out to free range in the yard and she waddled out like a penguin, then promptly sat down in the middle of the lawn and seemed to have no balance even doing that. She ate from her sitting position.
This alarmed me so I checked her as thoroughly as I knew how. No oozing, no foot or leg problems. No swelling anywhere. One thing I did notice is that her tail is way up in the air and her vent is spasming.
She did pant for a few minutes, but then stopped. She continues to eat and drink. In fact, she seems quite hungry and thirsty. Poop looks fine as far as I can tell. She's lost some feathers.
I am 90% sure she laid an egg this morning. The eggs have been perfectly fine.
Is there anything I can do?????
She has been a faithful layer (lays every morning almost without exception since the day she started) and second in pecking order. Always active and quite assertive and independent.
This afternoon I let the flock out to free range in the yard and she waddled out like a penguin, then promptly sat down in the middle of the lawn and seemed to have no balance even doing that. She ate from her sitting position.
This alarmed me so I checked her as thoroughly as I knew how. No oozing, no foot or leg problems. No swelling anywhere. One thing I did notice is that her tail is way up in the air and her vent is spasming.
She did pant for a few minutes, but then stopped. She continues to eat and drink. In fact, she seems quite hungry and thirsty. Poop looks fine as far as I can tell. She's lost some feathers.
I am 90% sure she laid an egg this morning. The eggs have been perfectly fine.
Is there anything I can do?????
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