Stiff, lethargic hen, is it arthritis?

[threeblueducks]

(Also I’m not sure if this is in the right place, please let me know if I should move it)

Cricket, one of my 4-year-old Brahma hens, has been acting lethargic lately, probably for the last couple months. She’s been just sitting around a significant amount of the time, and when she walks around she seems sort of stiff and slow.

I have seen her eating most mornings and drinking plenty, although tonight her crop was mostly empty (but i think that may be because the big coop door was blown shut, and she only uses that one because it has steps). She sleeps on the floor of the coop unless I put her up on a perch, so it seems like she doesn’t want to or can’t jump up well anymore.

I haven’t noticed a limp or bumblefoot, and she doesn’t have any wounds or other injuries that I’m aware of. Also, she definitely isn’t bullied, in fact, I think I could say that she’s the top hen. One other thing is that she has been a bit fluffed up lately, but it is probably due to the frigid weather that we’ve had lately.

So, is it possible that this could be arthritis? Or does anybody know of anything else that it might be?

Thanks. You guys on BYC have been so helpful, and this is by no means an emergency, but if she is in any way uncomfortable or in pain I want to be able to help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she laid eggs in a while? Is her lower belly under her vent enlarged or fuller? What do her poops look like? Pictures are welcome. How do her feet and legs appear? Is there any swelling? I wonder if she is suffering from a common reproductive disorder, and is sore, preferring to lie down and rest.

 

[threeblueducks]

Has she laid eggs in a while? Is her lower belly under her vent enlarged or fuller? What do her poops look like? Pictures are welcome. How do her feet and legs appear? Is there any swelling? I wonder if she is suffering from a common reproductive disorder, and is sore, preferring to lie down and rest.

She isn’t laying eggs right now, she hasn’t laid in a year probably? (Sorry I’m not super great at estimating that sort of thing.) My older girls are pretty lazy.

I had a hen have to be euthanized earlier this year for (assumed) reproductive problems/cancer that showed up as water belly (I brought her to the vet assuming it wasn’t a serious issue but she said that was the best thing to do so that she wouldn’t be in pain, etc). I’m a bit traumatized so I am super vigilant that nobody else has it, especially if they’re not acting normal.

I looked Cricket over this morning, her vent area/belly are normal, she doesn’t have an infestation of mites or lice (a few though, I’m struggling right now with keeping them out of my flock), and her hocks/legs weren’t excessively swollen, however I did notice a bit of redness and inflammation. Also to be clear she is walking around, just a lot less than normal and sitting down a lot — we call it “plopping” and she is known to be a very relaxed/friendly chicken, but it is abnormal for her to be doing it so often. I don’t have any pics of her legs or poo right now, I’ll try and get some later today. Here is one of the way she sits though: