Hen with weak legs

[davel4wa]

I have a 2 yr. old RIR that I noticed was not roosting at night but sitting in the bottom of the coop. Two days ago she was walking with her tail end down like her legs were not able to support her. Yesterday she looked better but today this condition persists. She is eating normally and gets about though it seems her feet are pointing in. I did take a close look at her two days ago and it looked like she had been plucking her feathers out near her back end. There was a fair amount of poop on the feathers that remained. I washed the area with warm soapy water to remove most of the poop. She has not voided in my presence although it seems like she is trying to void and nothing is happening. Could this be an intestinal or ovaduct blockage? If so, is there a way to check and to clear it?

 

[Eggcessive]

Does she normally lay eggs? Has anyone been laying soft or shell-less eggs lately? You may want to insert a clean or gloved finger into her vent an inch or two, to feel for a stuck egg. Has it been hot, and do you know if she has been drinking enough fluids and getting food? If you suspect that she has a stuck egg, you can try giving a human calcium citrate with vitamin D3. Other calcium or Tums is okay until you get more. I would look to see if her lower belly between the legs looked enlarged or swollen. Hens with internal laying can walk with a wide gait, and may sit a lot.

 

[davel4wa]

Does she normally lay eggs? Has anyone been laying soft or shell-less eggs lately? You may want to insert a clean or gloved finger into her vent an inch or two, to feel for a stuck egg. Has it been hot, and do you know if she has been drinking enough fluids and getting food? If you suspect that she has a stuck egg, you can try giving a human calcium citrate with vitamin D3. Other calcium or Tums is okay until you get more. I would look to see if her lower belly between the legs looked enlarged or swollen. Hens with internal laying can walk with a wide gait, and may sit a lot.

Does she normally lay eggs? Has anyone been laying soft or shell-less eggs lately? You may want to insert a clean or gloved finger into her vent an inch or two, to feel for a stuck egg. Has it been hot, and do you know if she has been drinking enough fluids and getting food? If you suspect that she has a stuck egg, you can try giving a human calcium citrate with vitamin D3. Other calcium or Tums is okay until you get more. I would look to see if her lower belly between the legs looked enlarged or swollen. Hens with internal laying can walk with a wide gait, and may sit a lot.

I had a long reply ready but it vaporized somehow. She does normally lay and yes I have had 'wind eggs' that appear periodically. I never suspected her of this but I suppose that us possible. I did probe her vent but I did not detect anything other than she enjoyed as much as I enjoy visiting the proctologist. Her belly does seem a bit enlarged. I tried some crushed Tums on her but I think she was too upset at the time to show interest even though I mixed it with some dried meal worms. I have added a calcium supplement to the flock's food from time to time. She continues her duck walk but otherwise is eating and drinking normally. I observed her eliminating yesterday and she seemed struggle with it a bit. This was before I violated her vent. Perhaps that will help her elimination. We did have some uncharacteristic very hot weather although she was already showing symptoms before the heat.

 

[Eggcessive]

The calcium tablets can be just placed into the beak to swallow. They can help with muscle contraction if there is a stuck egg or mass. If she is not egg bound, the waddling could be a sign of internal laying (masses of egg material inside the abdomen.)