Hen will not stand while eating

[dunkziy]

Here we have a buff orpington. She is one of the larger birds in the flock, she's not mean or overly aggressive to the others but she in the top 3 out of 12. During the winter we noticed her comb went very dark but she was eating and getting about like she always had. Once the snow melted away I was able to notice that she doesn't stand well, at first I thought she was offering up herself to the little rooster we had. I've handled her a number of times on a table to see if I could discover any lumps or pain points on her. Since I'm no expert I've not been able to find any. Her vent is clean, she is eating as much as the other hens, she can run when food is discovered or shared in the yard (they all have the full run of 1/2 acre).

I thought maybe she has an injury but it doesn't seem to be healing if it is, I've noticed her difficulty about 5 weeks ago and it seems to be getting worse. I videoed her sharing the morning treats so show her typical stance and awkward movements . The other hens don't bother her and she is able to get to roost branches at night in the coop.

Any ideas after watching the video?

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Could u get a pic of the bottom of her feet have u felt her legs to feel for any broken bones in her legs could u take her to a vet she may have popped her leg out of joint how high is ur roost of the ground of the coop

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is she, and has she been laying eggs regularly? She seems to be walking on her hocks mostly, then sitting down a lot. I would put her on some vitamins in case of a riboflavin deficiency. Internal laying can cause hens to be weak in the legs. Have you added any new birds to your flock recently?

 

[dunkziy]

Could u get a pic of the bottom of her feet have u felt her legs to feel for any broken bones in her legs could u take her to a vet she may have popped her leg out of joint how high is ur roost of the ground of the coop

I felt each of her legs from toes to hip and she doesn't seem to be bothered by it no more than the fact that she doesn't like to be handled. i put her on a bench which was at least 18 inches tall. she jumped off of it without much trouble and landed almost as though there was no problem. she only seems to have trouble when she is leaning forward for food. The roost is about 12 inches from the floor of a very soft wood shavings pile.

 

[dunkziy]

How old is she, and has she been laying eggs regularly? She seems to be walking on her hocks mostly, then sitting down a lot. I would put her on some vitamins in case of a riboflavin deficiency. Internal laying can cause hens to be weak in the legs. Have you added any new birds to your flock recently?

she is about three years old now. I've not been watching to see if she is laying. no new birds, last one was in August when we adopted a hen someone found in the foothills (probably abandoned). They run free in the yard eating bugs, worms and grasses we give them bagged feed for flock and sometimes we give them scratch grains to get them to bed early at night. Maybe I should isolate her with some flock feed only? or are you saying I should give her vitamins in syringe?

 

[Eggcessive]

Poultry vitamins from a feed store are easily put into the water. There are many brands available. Mycoplasma synovitis could also be a possibility with a dark comb, and sitting on hocks. Here is some info about that:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...nfection_in_poultry_infectious_synovitis.html

Here are some links about internal laying:
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/tag/laying-issues/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/639749/timeline-of-internal-laying-update

 

[dunkziy]

Poultry vitamins from a feed store are easily put into the water. There are many brands available. Mycoplasma synovitis could also be a possibility with a dark comb, and sitting on hocks. Here is some info about that:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...nfection_in_poultry_infectious_synovitis.html

Here are some links about internal laying:
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/tag/laying-issues/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/639749/timeline-of-internal-laying-update

thank you. I'll isolate her with some vitamin enriched water see how she does.

 

[dunkziy]

While I was isolating her, we checked her feet and they were swollen and I'm sure it's the pain point. We put her in some deep wood shavings to try and help her to sit comfortably, started her on some probiotics in her water and something else. I'm having my kids read the package and instructions, since they didn't want me to cull her.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Has it been really wet there lastly it sounds like bumble foot

 

[dunkziy]

her feet didn't appear to have any sores or scabs, but they do look puffy and i can imagine they are painful to stand on. she started her isolation with food and enriched water a day ago. she is keeping still and her comb has now got some color back. i hope she can fight off what is ailing her with what we've done. She's a majestic bird normally, though she doesn't like for me to handle her, she will put up with it but never volunteers to be picked up unlike 4 of the others who get jealous over me when I do sit in the yard and have lap with space enough for all 4 to jump up and snuggle up. I have one that is totally a pet. she wants me to pick her up all the time and follows me around the yard, whenever possible and escapes through the fence when i return home in an evening to greet me. She is also the best Mother hen in the flock as she is very attentive to her chicks, more so than any other hen who has raised chicks. We had a hawk harassing our yard and she had chicks, this hawk came down and landed and she was on her in seconds and the hawk barely got away with all of her feathers. Anyway, that is a story for another time.