Hen keeps missing food?

[diamondsilkies]

This afternoon, I went out to check on the chickens. The feeder had gotten jammed, so I gave it a wiggle to let more food out. Several of them came running over to eat. I noticed one of my serama girls (who is about a year old) was trying to eat but kept missing the food with her beak. She just wasn't putting her head down far enough. She seemed a little off balance/discombobulated as well. She would get her beak into the food about 1 every 20 tries. I scooped some up in my hand and held it closer to her head, and she was able to get some food about 1 in every 2 tries.

She definitely wants to eat/drink, but just has trouble with the execution. She is the dominant hen in that pen, and was chasing off any of the other chickens that were trying to push her away from the food. She also succeeded in biting one of them on the face (no broken skin though, we're all good there).

Yesterday, she was eating and drinking fine, although she did seem a little light (weight wise). She also laid an egg. I coincidentally gave them all a bath yesterday (they had lice). I've done this several times before with the same product, with no issues afterwards, so I doubt that was it. Just thought I'd add that in. I haven't seen her poop, so I don't know if she is or if it looks normal, but I haven't seen any unusual droppings in the coop.

I mixed up some Nutri Drench with water (followed the ratio on the back of the bottle: 1/4 oz per gallon of water) and dipped her beak in it a couple times. I left her outside for the night with her flock, figuring that the weather is pretty mild and she's definitely not getting bullied. Any thoughts of what this could be or how I could help her?

 

[azygous]

Well, I'd say it's obvious. She's having trouble seeing.

You need to give her eyes a close examination, particularly her right eye which is developed to see close objects such as finding food.

If the right eye is cloudy, a different color from the left eye, and if the pupil is smaller or of an irregular shape, she has an eyesight issue in that eye. Also compare eye to see if the right eye has swollen tissue surrounding it which would indicate an infection.

Feel with your fingers for any protrusions near the eye which might indicate a tumor. I have a hen with a tumor over her right eye, and it's affected her close vision. She has trouble competing for treats, and since she's a dominant hen like your girl, she is quick to punish those who grab what she believe is hers.

A photo of her right eye, and another of her left eye posted here would be a big help to us trying to help you figure out what's wrong and what to do about it.

 

[diamondsilkies]

I did think of that earlier, but her eyes look clear to me. I've had blind chickens in the past, but she's acting a little different. Could just be a different type of blindness, I suppose. I did that test where you slowly put a finger up to each eye, and she flinched away as soon as I got within an inch or two. She also seemed to watch me as I came into the coop, and walked up to me like she usually does, which is why blindness didn't really occur to me. I'll get photos tomorrow and look for any lumps.

 

[azygous]

There is also a possibility she is suffering from a neuro-toxin exposure which affects the nervous system. Sources include molds, insecticides, and petroleum distillates. You might scour the area for such sources such as a compost pile where there's molding food scraps, any recent insecticides that could have leached out of planters into standing water where a chicken might drink, and stored machinery leaking fluids onto the soil.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Are her head and neck maintaining a centered orientation?

 

[diamondsilkies]

Yes, her head and neck are centered, but she will occasionally pull her head back farther than normal. We don't use insecticides, and all oil stuff is pretty far off in the garage. There is a compost pile about twenty feet from the coop, but the chickens and compost have co-existed for years. They will often root through it in search of grubs or roaches, although this girl likes to hang out on the other side of the yard when they free range.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Can you get a video of her and post it?

 

[diamondsilkies]

Can you get a video of her and post it?

Sure. I'll get one tomorrow afternoon, along with the photos of her eyes.