Hen not roosting and sitting on haunches

[picklestheduck]

Hey everyone. I’ve been wondering about this hen and am finally making a post about it to see what you guys think. Karen is my golden laced Wyandotte hen that I have noticed within the past few months decides not to roost with the others, and instead sits on her haunches on the floor in the corner. At first I was alarmed but after a while it has become clear that she has no problem getting around and acting normally otherwise. Sometimes she walks a little stiff looking or such but overall she acts just like the others. I think I’ll give her some nutritional yeast in the food, but other than that I don’t know what to do. The roosts are not super high, the lowest is probably a foot high and it goes up to 5 feet, but she doesn’t even attempt anything anymore, she just sleeps on the floor. A bit of some background info on Karen, last year she had an egg bust inside her reproductive tract, and I immediately sprung into action and brought her into my room in a crate and did round the clock rounds of calcium, antibiotics, and refreshing Gatorade, which was the only thing she was drink or eat for days. She finally passed the broken egg and recovered well and returned to the flock. Several months later after we moved to a new house I found who I believe was Karen with a very very minor prolapse and soft shell stuck in vent that I carefully removed. I pushed the prolapse back in and she has been totally fine since. Now a few months later she acts completely normal except she sits slightly odd only at night and doesn’t roost. Any ideas? Is it a concern? She is a bit of a heavier hen compared to her sisters of the same breed, so not sure if that matters at all. I got a few pictures of her legs today. Sorry she’s a bit dirty it’s been super muddy lately.

Yes I know she has a dirty bum, we are fighting mites and I’m treating them

 

[DobieLover]

Is it a concern?

Yes, it is.
Something is wrong with her internally and she is weak and no doubt doesn't feel confident roosting. It sounds like her reproductive system has never been quite right so it is likely related to that.
Have you palpated her abdomen to see if it feels like the others? If she has masses in her abdomen she may have cancer or may have laid internally.
My experience with hens like this has not been good.

 

[picklestheduck]

Yes, it is.
Something is wrong with her internally and she is weak and no doubt doesn't feel confident roosting. It sounds like her reproductive system has never been quite right so it is likely related to that.
Have you palpated her abdomen to see if it feels like the others? If she has masses in her abdomen she may have cancer or may have laid internally.
My experience with hens like this had not been good.

I have felt her before but I will check her more compared to the others today.

 

[picklestheduck]

I apologize for responding so late, I felt her all over, and I don’t feel much difference except for maybe that she’s just a bit heavier and her breastbone feels to have maybe a bit more meat on it than the others? I also have been getting a thin shelled egg everyday recently, and I suspect it may be from this hen so I gave her a calcium pill.

 

[picklestheduck]

Here is a picture of her tonight. She definitely moves a bit stiffer. She’s about two and a half. That is the lowest roosting bar she is under, there are several higher. And there’s room for more on all of them.

 

[picklestheduck]

Hey everyone back with an update. I’ve spent a lot of time watching this hen over the last several days and she definitely seems to gimp and even limp a bit around, but my guess is it is internal and not her legs. Her breastbone feels maybe like it has a bit more meat on it than the other hens, but im not finding any abnormal lumps or bumps. She still lays werid every night, and I’ve gotten a thin shelled egg everyday, but I didn’t know who from, so I set out more oyster shells the other day. They seemed to eat them up within a few days. Tonight I found this odd egg where Karen usually lays, and she has recently switched to sleeping in another part of the coop like many other hens that has more of an “open air” effect since it has been very hot the last two days. This egg I found seems to be oddly shaped, and when I applied the tiniest amount of pressure to the color blotches, it cracked and dented it quickly. I’m not sure what to do about this hen, do I give her another calcium pill or what? I’m thinking it’s a bigger problem but she acts normally otherwise, and eats and drinks etc. I do have a poultry vet but they are far away and pretty dang expensive, so not sure what I can afford yet.

 

[Tookie]

I do think it's most likely internal. I'm not entirely sure what is wrong, but I would give her vitamin E 400IU and a 1/3 of a tablet of B Complex daily for a couple weeks or so, and see if it helps her. Also give her eggs to help her more easily absorb the vitamin E.
For her eggs, I'd give her the calcium everyday. What is the calcium you're giving though?

 

[picklestheduck]

I do think it's most likely internal. I'm not entirely sure what is wrong, but I would give her vitamin E 400IU and a 1/3 of a tablet of B Complex daily for a couple weeks or so, and see if it helps her. Also give her eggs to help her more easily absorb the vitamin E.
For her eggs, I'd give her the calcium everyday. What is the calcium you're giving?

Thank you so much! The calcium I am giving is pictured below. Where can I get the vitamin E and B complex? I have the liquid b complex from when i rehabbed a struggling duckling, but it’s been sitting in the barn for a year now so not sure if it’s still usable.

 

[Tookie]

Thank you so much! The calcium I am giving is pictured below.

Looks good, give that once a day for a couple weeks or so.

Where can I get the vitamin E and B complex? I have the liquid b complex from when i rehabbed a struggling duckling, but it’s been sitting in the barn for a year now so not sure if it’s still usable.

You can get those vitamins at a grocery store maybe, or a pharmacy.

 

[Tookie]

How is she doing?