Please help!!!

[hummingberd]

I have a 5 year old Golden Seabright named pretty girl. She is a free range bird who has been fed organic feed her whole life. She is no longer laying eggs, but I don't euthanize my birds when they stopped laying. Recently, she has been displaying some behavior that has me so worried for her. She has been rather listless, and having major trouble with her balance. She seems to be having a really hard time getting up on the ladder to roost. Last night I found her on the floor of the coop. I picked her up and put her on the ladder, but she was rocking back and forth, so I put her in a nest, and she immediately fell asleep, I'm sure she was exhausted. She is able to stand, but seems really wobbly. My husband saw her this morning, and she's a little better, but her head is shaking. He described it as what some one with Parkinson's would look like. I haven't seen anything external that makes me think she has been injured, but then again I don't even know what to look like. Maybe she's just getting old. If she's sick I want to treat her so she doesn't suffer and so that the other birds don't get sick. Please, if you have any thoughts or information I'd love to hear from you.

K

 

[Stormhorse23]

Do you know a vet that takes care of that type of animal? Even then, sometimes, sometimes when the time comes...I Hope your pretty girl is doing better and I wish you the best of luck with her.

Thoses sebrights are great aren't they? I love mine. Can't imagine losing them.

 

[Pine Grove]

How does her ears look? sometimes they will get an ear infection or ear mites

 

[DuckLady]

How does her keel bone feel? Is it very sharp? Is her crop hard and compacted? Is she low bird on the totem pole and perhaps the others are not letting her eat?
Five is a good old age for a chicken. She just might be old and on her way out.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Do not make her do anything that will stress her out... stress literally makes a bird ill. fix her up a box on the floor to sleep in or separate her to better monitor her and what she eats...ensure she is drinking enough...

 

[hummingberd]

I checked her crop and ears. They look good. I inspected her physically. Even though I don't know exactly what to look for, I didn't see anything physicaly wrong. I found her in the coop sleeping standing up on the floor. I put her near the waterer and she took a few sips. But then she saw my cat, got scared, and instead of jumpin off the block where the waterer was, she fell off and stumbled sideways. She fell onto her side, but she stood back up. I just feel so badly. I don't want her to suffer. maybe she is getting old, and that's the problem. If this is the case, I will humanely euthanize her, to stop any suffering she might be feeling. This is the hard part about having a pet. When a pets health begins to fail, it's devastating.

On a positive note, thanks for all your help. Keep the ideas coming!

K