lethargic wyandotte

[stretchc1]

My 1-1/4 year old Golden-Laced Wyandotte is acting very lethargic. She had a hard time jumping down from her roost this morning, and has been plunked down on the ground sort of resting for most of the morning. She did eat some and has been pecking at the grass near her as she rests. But as the others are roaming around, she's staying still.

I can't tell anything about her droppings. Nothing on the droppings board overnight looked suspicious. I checked them against the images on the Poop page--the one in the BYC archives--and didn't see anything that looked like a warning there.

We have had a week of 95 degree weather here in CT--cleared today thanks to Earl--but all of the other hens (5 total) seem to be back to their perky, misbehaving selves. I kept them as cool as I could, gave them frozen watermelon and lots of cool water. They had the predictable watery droppings, but those seem to have cleared up overnight.

I'm in watch and wait mode, but her behavior does seem odd. Could she be headed into molt? None of them have molted yet.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[dawnchick]

Mine are molting and not at all lethargic. First thing I would do is treat for mites/lice, then for worms, if you do not have them on a preventive program.

 

[gregorypeck]

I am curious, my hens have started molting. They are a month and a half short of two years. Last year they didn't molt until October/November. We did have a battle with Norther Fowl Mites. Production has been down quite a bit and I have one right now that is very lethargic and making strange noises. Are any of these things connected?

 

[dbkc397]

Stretchc1,
We had a silver-laced Wyandotte that had the same symptoms: trouble hopping onto/off of the roost, and just would lay in the grass. And even laying in the grass, she seemed to lean to one side a bit. Healthy otherwise. She was only 6 months old. Took her to the vet, he checked everything and said she seemed healthy, then he figured out that she had some kind of problem w/ her little hip joint. He was feeling around her bones and "popped" the joint back into place as if it had been dislocated or something. She walked much better after that! She was still sore tho, so a little slow, and the tragic part is that a neighbor dog got her before she could fully recover

(like the next day) but I believe that the vet diagnosed /treated her correctly. If your girl seems healthy other than not being able to move easily, it's worth taking her to the vet and have her little joints checked.