Lethargic Plymouth Rock

[Fwoof]

My 4 year old Plymouth Rock Joleen has been acting a lot slower than usual lately. It started last month, and it's only becoming more prominent. She still eats, holds her tail high, and flaps up on top of her coop for the night (where some of my chickens prefer sleeping to inside of their coop, where all the perches are...). She's just been walking and acting very slow.
She's had a limp before (I gave her an epsom salt bath and that helped) which makes me wonder if she's always had bad legs, and it's just really getting to her now. Could she have some form of arthritis?
Thank you in advance!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She still eats, holds her tail high, and flaps up on top of her coop for the night

She's just been walking and acting very slow.
She's had a limp before

Perhaps she's injured her leg from jumping down off the top of the coop?

Sounds like she's doing fairly well if she's eating and able to get on top of the coop.

When was her last egg?

Hot weather, hens can be a bit slow. Not sure what you mean by slow - is she lethargic? Doesn't sound like it if she's holding her tail high and eating/getting on top of the roost.

 

[Fwoof]

Perhaps she's injured her leg from jumping down off the top of the coop?

Sounds like she's doing fairly well if she's eating and able to get on top of the coop.

That's possible. Should I put her in a crate at night so she can heal, or would it be best to leave her in her current home with the flock she's used to?
I might give her an epsom salt bath and see if that helps like it did last time.

When was her last egg?

She hasn't laid for almost a year now. She's pretty much done laying.

Hot weather, hens can be a bit slow.

We don't get very hot weather: usually 75 at the hottest. It's about 65 today, everyone else in my flock is acting normal.

Not sure what you mean by slow - is she lethargic? Doesn't sound like it if she's holding her tail high and eating/getting on top of the roost.

The simplest way to put what she's doing is she's just not interested in moving. She just prefers sitting to scratching, standing to walking... but I guess she's not full on "lethargic", apologies for the confusion before!
She sits or stands in the corner of her run most of the day, and only walks (although slowly and tenderly) when it's feeding time, or when I let my flock out to scratch. But even when I do let them out, she either sits down in the dirt or takes a sun bath. It's like she's trying to use her legs as little as possible.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Photos of her, her poop and legs/feet, bottom of feet too?

If she's still able to get around, is getting to eat/drink is not being bullied or picked on, then I'd let her do her thing.

I know it's hard sometimes, but hens can start a slow decline. They can wax and wane, have good days and bad, just like we do. It sounds like she's still interested in engaging with the flock just a bit, she's still able to roost/fly on top of the coop.

 

[Fwoof]

Photos of her, her poop and legs/feet, bottom of feet too?

Haven't seen her poop yet, but I'll snap a picture once she does.
Her feet have been slightly pinker than usual, and there are these grayish-black spots on her legs that weren't there before. Nothing really out of the ordinary otherwise.

If she's still able to get around, is getting to eat/drink is not being bullied or picked on, then I'd let her do her thing.

I will. She's still eating and drinking, and everybody in my flock is very respectful of Joleen.

I know it's hard sometimes, but hens can start a slow decline.
They can wax and wane, have good days and bad, just like we do. It sounds like she's still interested in engaging with the flock just a bit, she's still able to roost/fly on top of the coop.

Makes perfect sense that they'd have ups and downs like us.
She's still enjoying the company of her flock, and sometimes they even go to check in on her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She's a beautiful hen. Her stance looks really good to me, upright, bright and alert.

The pink flush on the sides of the legs looks normal to me. Often it can indicate hormones/fertility.

The horn colored spots on the legs and feet looks fairly normal for a Barred Plymouth Rock too.

 

[Fwoof]

Joleen has not improved at all.
She is now sleeping inside the coop. She is still more interested in sitting than stranding and walking, and she has poop all over her rear feathers. When I do see her poop it's a foamy light green.
what could be wrong? I hate to see her like this. Please help!
@Wyorp Rock
@speckledhen
@azygous

 

[azygous]

Have you checked her crop overnight to rule out a crop disorder? I've had a hen with a chronic slow crop slowly become so weak from malnutrition that she walked in slow motion dragging each foot in turn. This was long before I had the first clue about what to do with a sick chicken.

 

[speckledhen]

When I see that kind of symptom, my mind goes right to reproductive issues, from more experience than I ever wanted. She may have egg yolk peritonitis, be laying internally, have salpingitis(e-coli infection of the oviduct) or something completely different. All you can do is provide supportive care, good protein levels of food, maybe add some basic vitamins to some plain yogurt or other soft food when she doesn't have to compete for it. Her legs look fine to me, by the way. And as suggested, check her crop to be sure it's emptying overnight.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Joleen has not improved at all.
She is now sleeping inside the coop. She is still more interested in sitting than stranding and walking, and she has poop all over her rear feathers. When I do see her poop it's a foamy light green.
what could be wrong? I hate to see her like this. Please help!
@Wyorp Rock
@speckledhen
@azygous

Sorry she's not making as much improvement as you would like.
I still think you just need to make sure she's eating/drinking, that her crop is emptying, keep parasites (lice/mites/worms) at bay and let her chicken on until she no longer can.

If she's still able to get around, is getting to eat/drink is not being bullied or picked on, then I'd let her do her thing.

I know it's hard sometimes, but hens can start a slow decline. They can wax and wane, have good days and bad, just like we do. It sounds like she's still interested in engaging with the flock just a bit, she's still able to roost/fly on top of the coop.