Side Stepping Chicken…?

[Wyorp Rock]

The walk is likely due to molting. I've had hens walk a little oddly when their thighs and abdomen was full of pin feathers.

Most hens stop laying during molt, so you generally you have to wait for production to resume after that. Sometimes they don't start back up until after winter solstice depending on their age, this is when days start getting longer again.

She may benefit from some poultry vitamins. I usually just make a wet mash out their feed and add vitamins and little buttermilk, letting the whole flock have it. Some hens need a bit of extra protein during molt, so a treat of egg, fish or meat can be helpful as well.

She's lovely, I would just keep watch on her, see if the walking improves over the course of a week or so as she feathers out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

@Crazy Maizie
No I haven't seen lice, so I'll start the every 3 months treatment.

I wouldn't even do that much. If there is not a known infestation you shouldn't be using permethrin or any other pesticide at all. By constantly using permethrin you may have built up a resistance to it in the pests, so it's no longer killing them effectively, while having the side effect of killing off beneficial insects like bees.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I wouldn't even do that much. If there is not a known infestation you shouldn't be using permethrin or any other pesticide at all. By constantly using permethrin you may have built up a resistance to it in the pests, so it's no longer killing them effectively, while having the side effect of killing off beneficial insects like bees.

Yeah, I don't do it that often either. I just thought if the OP was going to dose once week at least every 3 mo wouldn't be as bad. But, you're right, it's easy for those pests to build resistance.

 

[aart]

I see her left foot is often crossing over the right.
Is the left foot the one with the bumble?
Hard to say exactly what is causing that movement, but as long as she can get around OK and is eating/drinking/pooping/roosting OK, I'd not worry.
I certainly wouldn't jump to the Mareks conclusion.

If there is not a known infestation you shouldn't be using permethrin or any other pesticide at all. By constantly using permethrin you may have built up a resistance to it in the pests, so it's no longer killing them effectively, while having the side effect of killing off beneficial insects like bees.

DITTO DAT!!

 

[628990]

Thanks for everyone’s replies! It’s really appreciated
Upon further examination, I discovered her thighs and legs, keelbone, neck, wings, and even under her wings, covered in pin feathers.

So, I am going to say it is discomfort from the new feathers. I had another hen become especially grumpy and sedentary (not wanting to run around as much) since she had pin feathers EVERYWHERE…And I mean EVERYWHERE. Poor thing, had less than 12 feathers on her body at that time!!

She is acting fine, and her pin feathers have grown out considerably. She is not side stepping anymore

Thanks again for everyone’s help!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad to hear she's doing fine!

 

[maryn7]

My molting bird was doing an exaggerated version of that walk. This post calmed me down.

Someone also suggested some B vitamins, since she wasn't eating a ton and that can contribute to the problem. We gave them to her for a few days and it seems to have helped her get back to (molting) normal.

 

[628990]

That does help me too!

Now, she is not doing that walk at all, since her pin feathers have grown out more (I believe).

However, I have noticed her drinking more water than normal…? Her poos are liquid, sometimes with some excrement in it, but very liquidy.
I have been giving her nutridrench every other day, along with some Durvet poultry vitamins and electrolytes (maybe she needs electrolytes?) for the past two days. The hard part about giving her nutridrench is that I have to hold her, and her pin feathers are sore She has almost no tail feathers now!
I have my hens on 18% feed (they have been for over a month now) give them mealworms and scratch (at bedtime). They free range an acre.

Other than that, she is walking around, scratching, acting normal foraging, eating clover, and I believe eating her feed.

Maybe it’s just the molting? She’s going through a hard one…

 

[aart]

I have been giving her nutridrench every other day, along with some Durvet poultry vitamins and electrolytes (maybe she needs electrolytes?) for the past two days.

Maybe enough of that, see if her poops solid up.
Just one dose is enough for a boost, doesn't need to be given ongoing.

 

[628990]

Maybe enough of that, see if her poops solid up.
Just one dose is enough for a boost, doesn't need to be given ongoing.

Okay I’ll do that then