- Jan 18, 2015
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We have 7 chickens (leghorns). They were born late March so they're about 9-10 months old. Last night I thought I noticed one acting a little funny - kind of almost like she was pushing or straining. But my boyfriend passed it off and we let it be for the night.
This morning when we went into the coop, one was up on the hen boxes and when she saw us come in, jumped down to the ground and seemed to sprain her leg/ankle (whatever they have). Not sure if she had already laid an egg at this point.. 3 eggs were already in a hen box. She started limping around a bit and then sat down and didn't move. We went out a couple more times throughout the day to check on her. She seemed to be hobbling around, she was pecking at the ground, cleaning her feathers. Come to find out, I think it's the same one from last night that seemed to be pushing/straining. The couple of times we've been out there, she would be standing in one spot, all poofed up with her butt pulsing, head retracted like she didn't have a neck and closing her eyes for a few seconds at a time. This would happen for about five minutes, then she would start walking around again (hobbling for that matter), pecking at the ground, pecking at her feathers. And then she would sit idle again and poof up. I saw her poop twice - darker brown clumps but pretty watery. I've seen her peck at some food on the ground, we fed them bread and she ate it up, but I haven't seen her hobble over to eat out of their feeder or water (I didn't stay with them for hours though so she might be). A couple of times, a few of the birds pecked at her which I've read is an indication of a sick/weaker bird.... or that she's just in their way?
Just like the humans we are, we started googling symptoms and came across a BUNCH of things (surprise, surprise). Eggbound chicken? Maybe.. we felt around her vent and didn't feel anything hard. We just went to check on them 30 minutes ago and had 7 eggs in the hen boxes. So they've either all layed, or one layed two and this one didn't lay any? I'm thinking doubtful but I have no clue. This could also mean that our hurt/sick chicken got up on the hen boxes and back down (it's about 2.5-3ft off the ground). I also read somewhere that she could still be eggbound with a second egg?
We found Mareck's disease or something like that... but her eyes are a normal color and it's highly contagious so I have no idea where she would've gotten it from...
I would play it off as a sprained limb if she wasn't poofing up and acting weird - which maybe it isn't weird? Maybe their way of dealing with pain?
Any thoughts or experiences are very appreciated as we're freaking out here! Sprains.. eggbound.. worms? parasites? First time backyard chicken owners and I don't want to see one die
If she's not different by tomorrow I was thinking of taking her to a vet.
This morning when we went into the coop, one was up on the hen boxes and when she saw us come in, jumped down to the ground and seemed to sprain her leg/ankle (whatever they have). Not sure if she had already laid an egg at this point.. 3 eggs were already in a hen box. She started limping around a bit and then sat down and didn't move. We went out a couple more times throughout the day to check on her. She seemed to be hobbling around, she was pecking at the ground, cleaning her feathers. Come to find out, I think it's the same one from last night that seemed to be pushing/straining. The couple of times we've been out there, she would be standing in one spot, all poofed up with her butt pulsing, head retracted like she didn't have a neck and closing her eyes for a few seconds at a time. This would happen for about five minutes, then she would start walking around again (hobbling for that matter), pecking at the ground, pecking at her feathers. And then she would sit idle again and poof up. I saw her poop twice - darker brown clumps but pretty watery. I've seen her peck at some food on the ground, we fed them bread and she ate it up, but I haven't seen her hobble over to eat out of their feeder or water (I didn't stay with them for hours though so she might be). A couple of times, a few of the birds pecked at her which I've read is an indication of a sick/weaker bird.... or that she's just in their way?
Just like the humans we are, we started googling symptoms and came across a BUNCH of things (surprise, surprise). Eggbound chicken? Maybe.. we felt around her vent and didn't feel anything hard. We just went to check on them 30 minutes ago and had 7 eggs in the hen boxes. So they've either all layed, or one layed two and this one didn't lay any? I'm thinking doubtful but I have no clue. This could also mean that our hurt/sick chicken got up on the hen boxes and back down (it's about 2.5-3ft off the ground). I also read somewhere that she could still be eggbound with a second egg?
We found Mareck's disease or something like that... but her eyes are a normal color and it's highly contagious so I have no idea where she would've gotten it from...
I would play it off as a sprained limb if she wasn't poofing up and acting weird - which maybe it isn't weird? Maybe their way of dealing with pain?
Any thoughts or experiences are very appreciated as we're freaking out here! Sprains.. eggbound.. worms? parasites? First time backyard chicken owners and I don't want to see one die
If she's not different by tomorrow I was thinking of taking her to a vet.
