Hen moulting

[jobobu7]

My Americana hen is moulting really bad and I noticed her walking sideways. Is this normal and will she be back to normal when all her feathers come back.

 

[QueenMisha]

Molting shouldn't cause any abnormality of gait. I'd recommend giving her a full physical exam to check her for injury. Could you describe the motion more specifically?

 

[jobobu7]

She will start to walk and move side wards then moves the other way side wards.almost shaped like a Z

 

[QueenMisha]

She will start to walk and move side wards then moves the other way side wards.almost shaped like a Z

Sounds potentially neurological. What do you feed your birds? (Be as specific as you can).

 

[jobobu7]

Laying mash, she is the only one affected since she is the only one molting as of right now

 

[Flock Master64]

Looks like your in Queen M's hands so I guess I'm not needed here. My departments are more getting set up with your first flock and dealing with predator issues not very much this sorry but your in some of the best hands BYC can offer. Best of luck

 

[QueenMisha]

Laying mash, she is the only one affected since she is the only one molting as of right now

Honestly, I don't think there's any link between the condition you're seeing and her molting, other than that the stress from molt may have brought on symptoms. My guess would be she sustained a head injury or possibly is experiencing a vitamin deficiency.

My recommendation for treatment would be to segregate the bird from the flock, somewhere warm and quiet (such as a laundry room). You should place her on a high protein diet such as a grower or flock raiser ration (18-20% protein, ~1% calcium). Since head injury has no treatment other than time, you should also treat for vitamin deficiency in the meantime. I'd recommend NutriDrench, which is a supplement that can be added to the drinking water. Coincidentally, some of the vitamins used to treat a deficiency can also be beneficial for head injuries, which is a plus. Be sure to keep her as quiet and happy as possible; avoid feeding many treats at all, as she needs all the nutrition she can get from her main ration.