Is my hen sick or in shock?

[meags163]

I went to check on the chickens tonight and one of my buff orpington hens was laying on the floor while everyone else was on the roost. I thought she might be broody but there was no egg under her. I've brought her into the house and she's in a box eating and drinking which is good. I can't find any parasites on her and the only possible problem I can detect is that she can't stand, although her legs are under her so it seems like she has some control over them. Her back looks like it may have been pecked at so maybe she got in a scuffle and is in shock? Any ideas?

 

[Miss Lydia]

If she has been pecked on the back they could have hit a nerve? you've done the right thing by bringing her in, just keep a close eye on her and see how she is in the morning.. could she have fallen off the roost and injured herself that way? how does her back look?

 

[meags163]

Her back is kind of bald....looks like a lot of fluffy down but she always looks like that. There is one spot that has blood which makes me think there's pecking going on. The good news is she stood up on her own for a minute and now she is resting comfortably after drinking a good amount of water and eating some food. Hopefully she'll be back to herself in the morning! Maybe she did get knocked off the roost in the dark and couldn't find her way back up.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If your roost is high, you might want to check the bottom of her feet for bumblefoot (look for a dark swollen spot on the sole of her foot). Orpingtons are so heavy. High roosts can be hard on their feet as they fly down.