Hen keeps sitting down, not roosting.

[crankycookie]

My 2 year old silkie hen didn't sleep in the coop last night, I only noticed when I went to open the eglu (which is up on a table with a ladder) and she was sitting on the ground by the door of the run. She had laid a thin shelled egg that morning on the floor.

While free ranging she keeps sitting down with slightly spread/splayed legs on the ground rather than standing, which is odd behavior for her. She also don't try to run away when I try to pick her up, which is also unusual. I felt around her vent area to see if she is egg bound but couldn't feel anything. She might also be molting as I see bits of her feathers around the yard and in the nest box, but since she's a silkie you can't really tell. Her appetite seems fine, she pecks at scratch, and she pooped a little (dry rather than runny, not a lot ) so for the life of me I can't figure out what's wrong with her.

Any theories?

 

[RaincoastChickens]

This describes what my chicken has been doing for the last couple days too so I'm quite anxious to see what you all say. Last week I treated her for "poopy butt" by soaking her in a bucket of warm sudsy water and swishing her bottom around until most of it was gone. She seemed to maybe perk up for a day or two, but now is just mostly sitting around. I just gave her some sweetened water with a little olive oil in it and she drank it fine, and ate a bit from her feeder earlier.

 

[nakstk]

Is it hot were you live?

 

[RaincoastChickens]

It's been hotter than usual lately but not like everywhere else in the U.S.... maybe upper 70s low 80s. I went out this morning and she was standing bolt upright next to her feeder.

 

[crankycookie]

I live by the ocean, so it's been warm but not above the low 80s. I was doing some research and some of the symptoms seem like it could be peritonitis but I felt her belly and it doesn't seem swollen at all. I'm hoping that it was just sort sort of weird leg injury but I fear it might be much more serious than that.