Penguin Chicken?

[CHlCK3N]

I have a Golden Sex Link gal that isn't moving much. She waddles when she walks, and is puffed up. When I try to move near her, she shifts away. She isn't laying. I know that she's drinking and eating. She is thin, but, she has always been tiny. Could she be egg bound? Sick?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds more like internal laying or peritonitis, which is often fatal. Sex links are more prone to reproductive cancers unfortunately. I personally would cull her if she doesn't improve in a week or so.

 

[aldarita]

Can you grab her and inspect her? look for a distended abdomen. Usually when they walk like a penguin, it means that they have a distended abdomen caused by accumulated fluid, they are internal layers which means that the eggs are not making it all the way out. There is an infection when the excess fluid cannot be absorbed and more eggs are released. it is a very hard situation because once the infection starts you will have to give her antibiotics, unfortunately the hens that are internal layers will always have this problem and don't live very long.
There could be some other reasons why she is walking this way, an inspection is due. If you don't know how a distended abdomen should feel, grab another hen, specially one that has just laid and feel her abdomen and then make comparisons. I truly hope your hen has some other issue that can be helped.

 

[CHlCK3N]

This is what she looks like. Not much of a looker, she's a little low on the pecking order and we just had a dog attack so everyone is a little beat up.

 

[aart]

Looks like she's molting or severely feather pecked.
Check the belly for swelling(ascites)...could be disease or egg bound.
How old is she?

 

[CHlCK3N]

Looks like she's molting or severely feather pecked.
Check the belly for swelling(ascites)...could be disease or egg bound.
How old is she?

She being bullied just a bit...
She's around 2-3 years old.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I see a molting bird that may have been feather picked by others. I see she's a sex link. Are your others sex links too? They often require a higher protein ration due to all the laying they do. What are you feeding? If a layer I would recommend switching to a higher protein ration, 20-22%. Put out a separate bowl of oyster shells for the calcium needs.

 

[CHlCK3N]

I see a molting bird that may have been feather picked by others. I see she's a sex link. Are your others sex links too? They often require a higher protein ration due to all the laying they do. What are you feeding? If a layer I would recommend switching to a higher protein ration, 20-22%. Put out a separate bowl of oyster shells for the calcium needs.

Yeah, some of them just came out of a molt. I'm feeding them feather fixer and I give scrambled eggs with egg shells in them every now and again. Most of our hens are sex links. Either Golden or Black.

 

[aart]

She being bullied just a bit...
She's around 2-3 years old.

More than just a bit, that looks like long term picking....
.....and I see no new pin feathers emerging on back and wing and tail feathers are tattered down the shaft.

That kind of pecking usually indicates crowding and/or lack of protein, especially animal protein.

How many birds total?
How big is coop and run (in feet by feet)?

 

[CHlCK3N]

More than just a bit, that looks like long term picking....
.....and I see no new pin feathers emerging on back and wing and tail feathers are tattered down the shaft.

That kind of pecking usually indicates crowding and/or lack of protein, especially animal protein.

How many birds total?
How big is coop and run (in feet by feet)?

14 birds in total. We recently had a dog attack so that's why the tail feathers are messed up. I feed them feather fixer, the coop is 8 by 10 with the run being the same dimensions. A few Black sex links are getting their pin feathers, as well as Golden sex links.