Sickly chicken, perhaps

[froghollowfarm]

I have a two-year-old buff orphington. Over the past few months, she has lost some tail feathers and started to walk a little stiffly. Her comb is slightly paler than it should be and although she eats, she does so without enthusiasm. She seems to be perfectly alert. Our other chickens are fine.

Any ideas about what it is or whether I can do anything about it?

 

[tammye]

is she laying? you may want to make sure she is not egg bound, sometimes a penguin like walk indicates that the hen can not pass an egg. you can feel her belly to see if you can feel an egg in her, if so give her a warm bath to help relax her muscles and apply some lub, like olive oil in and around her evnt. I would get some electrolyte solution and put it in their water, it may help to perk her up a little

 

[Judy]

Besides egg bound or internal layer, mites/lice and worms come to mind as common problems causing a chicken to act sick. Check her at night for tine critters under her wings and around her vent at the base of the feathers. For worms, you can see if your vet will do a fecal test, or simply worm the flock. Also, be sure her crop feels full late in the day and basically empty early in the morning. There are links on the FAQ page about crop problems and egg laying problems. Here are a couple about worms and lice/mites:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=472405

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6006304#p6006304

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5770173#p5770173