Please Help Betsy is acting so weird!

[KluckmoorManor]

Ok, this morning Betsy my 10 week old Polish Pullet was fine! She got out of the coop, played with her sisters and brother. Then today around 3 pm she started making this sound and walking around without straightening out her hocks. She is weight bearing, no pain or discomfort when I straighten her legs. She prefers to sit, she hates being alone but her buddies keep running to their favorite spots in the yard. We put some fresh food and water out for her. We started feeding them Layer feed since Frankie the cockerel has started crowing, all the pullets keep quiet. She is eating and drinking. I mixed up some chicken electrolytes and gave them their favorite treat - watermelon rind.

I finally found a local veterinarian who will see Betsy. The thing I worry about is We are going out of town next week on a trip that has been planned for a month. I feel so overwhelmed. I want to go get some yogurt to feed her too.

 

[Kiki]

Layer feed isn't needed until they lay an egg.
HE doesn't need layer food ever.
Is anyone picking on her?

 

[KluckmoorManor]

Maxine my 2 y/o gold laced wyandotte is a bit of a jerk but they mostly stay separated. Even at night in the coop everyone willing goes in with no fuss.

We started feeding layer feed because we thought you did that when they start clucking? If we have chick crumble I worry my laying hens (4 y/o Orpington and 2 y/o Wyandotte) will just eat all the chick crumble. We didn't know the sounds we were hearing were baby crows. We can't keep the roo but he is so sweet at protecting his little ladies.

 

[Kiki]

Clucking? Do you mean crowing?
Layer feed is for hens that are laying eggs.
It has nothing to do with the sound a chicken makes, as far as what feed they need.

 

[KluckmoorManor]

Ok thanks KikisGirls...

But why would all 3 of the other chickens be fine and Betsy is sounding/walking like this? Will chick feed magically help her or should I bite the bullet and go to the vet? Despite all of my plans and responsibilities over the next few days or are there home remedies?

 

[Kiki]

Layer feed has more calcium.
Too much calcium can cause problems. (give me a few mintutes to find the articles for you)
If a vet is possible then I would say that is the best thing to do.
The feed may not even be the issue ....you may want to read this real quick:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

 

[Kiki]

Could she have been injured?

 

[Kiki]

@aart what would you suggest here.

 

[KluckmoorManor]

I thought maybe she could have been injured but she seems okay with me manipulating her legs, palpating her hips, crop and belly. No bumble feet, no visible Injuries, nothing in her legs pop slide or move around. She walks almost runs she is just acting so weird. We had a chicken die from possibly Marek's earlier this year in Jan. But I bought betsy from the Co-Op so she should be vaccinated.

 

[aart]

I don't see in vid that she's moving that weirdly, but if she's not moving right(you know your birds better than I) than maybe she should be looked at by a vet if that makes you the most comfortable.

I would observe and maybe isolate for a couple days to rest a possible leg injury.

The layer wouldn't be causing problems so quickly I don't think...
.... that can take months to manifest, if it's going to happen.

Ahh...just saw that Mareks is a possibility...but you're not sure you actually had it and aren't sure if she was vaccinated against it.