JesseR89
In the Brooder
I took a visit down to the run an hour before sunset where the flock has been kept without free ranging for a few days after a loss to a predictor last week. To set the picture of this evening, the temperature was in the 20’s and winds were sustained 15-20 with gusts up to 30, setting the wind chill somewhere around 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit. This was the coldest day of the year thus far. I noticed all the hens were excited I was approaching besides one who was in a corner, standing with its neck tucked into its feather almost statue like. I approached that hen and it did not attempt to run as it usually would. Instead, after I grabbed it, it attempted to “get away.” I observed it for any clear signs of illness or injury and did not notice any. It’s comb and wattle were the usual red, it’s legs were normal looking and it’s eyes looked normal as well. I checked it’s vent which appeared normal, but it did have a whitish liquid on the fluffy bottom feathers. I placed the hen into the coop where it went over to a corner and stood again, like a statue. I went back down after dark to see if this particular hen had taken its place on the roosting bar to discover it was in a different corner away from the other birds. Basically, this hen is exhibiting lethargy with no other visible symptoms. It should be noted, I did feed them some dairy in the form of cheese earlier in the day, but it was a moderate serving for a treat along with some fruits. Sorry for the book just trying to paint the picture. With all this in mind, does anyone have any initial thoughts on what could be going on with this hen, what I should continue to look for and suggestions on how I should handle the situation further. Thanks in advance.
