hen walking side-ways, please help!

[Lady Badlands]

Omigoodness, I was just about to post the EXACT same thing. I have a two-year old Black Star, one of 27 varied breed hens, who is in moult (as are many of the other hens who show no symptoms like this one). She is crouching and walking sideways, as if drunk. But not always. I picked her up the other day, when I saw this, so I could get her some kitten food (high in protein) and she made an incredible fuss about being picked up. Like I was going to hurt her or something. Some of my hens may fuss a tiny bit when I pick them up, but certainly not the hysterics that came from this one. Anyhow, I couldn't catch her this morning, when I noticed it again, but I'll pick her up when she's roosting tonight, and get her some more protein. But I'm not sure that's what the problem is. Sure wish someone here had experience with this symptom.

I sent a PM to roxy just now, thinking she'd posted this in July, asking how it resolved. But now that I look closer, I see that it was posted yesterday (I think). Anyhow, hope someone has some answers.

 

[Lady Badlands]

I was just watching her in the yard and noticed that she also moves backwards a little, almost squatting. And she tends to lean over to her left a bit. In addition she walks while squatting rather low. Tonight, I'm going to check her vent.

 

[5Leepy!]

It's from her moult... try doing a search on the forums for moult and walk and you can see some other posts about it. Nothing to worry about. Just give her tons of extra protein to help her regrow the feathers.

Good luck!
5Leepy!

 

[jjthink]

Yup, the molt. Hen Ellie does this when she has a hard molt. They need extra TLC at such times, great nutrition, extra protein, hand feeding in the event they are too loopy to eat enough (during the worst days Ellie would be too loopy to eat on her own), warmth, comfort, ..... - once the majority of feathers that are going to drop drop, and the porcupine quills sprout, improvement should be noticed.
JJ

 

[5Leepy!]

also, her fussing like that was probably because of her moult as well. Sometimes their skin and/or feather quills make them super sensitive. I try to refrain from picking mine up when she's in a hard moult and acting like this. If I do have to pick her up (sometimes to help her get into the coop if she's super drunk-walking) I pick her up from underneath her wings. I slide my hands under her wings and pick her up by cupping her body on both sides. She seems to be much better about it then and doesn't flap around or anything.

5Leepy!

 

[henney penny]

I just read the other day that when they are growing their feathers back that it is painful for them to be picked up and nver new that,you learn something new all the time.

 

[roxyblue]

Oh my goodness thank you soooo much everyone!
I am so releived right now to hear all of this. This morning I gave my hen some scrambled eggs and brought her inside, she didn't like it very much so I brought her back out to the coop. I plan on taking her inside tonight.
To: Lady Badlands,
I'll keep you updated if you would like, But it seem that all it really is is the molt.

 

[Lady Badlands]

That is such good news. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm now taking a deep breath and relaxing.
What an experience for these little sweeties to go through. You helpers just totally ROCK!!!

 

[roxyblue]

update:

Roxy is acting even more loony...

. I brought them in to sleep in the mud room tonight. I fed them another scrambled egg, and plopped them on the radiator to roost (they found it quite comfortable). Before, when she was walking around in the coop, she began crouching down and could barely walk strait....
I hope she is ok... I've never seen anything like this before...
-roxyblue

 

[Lady Badlands]

And I just brought mine in to give her some protein and she took one bite and wouldn't eat any more. I just have to let this go and let her natural processes move through on their own.