Tripping, unbalanced hen

EMS83

Songster
9 Years
Dec 19, 2013
70
24
127
Georgia
I have a 2 1/2 year old Barred Rock who just tripped and did a full somersault. She sat on the ground for a minute before getting up and rejoining the flock (had just tricked them back into the run with some grit). I picked her up to look her over, and nothing obvious seemed wrong, but when I put her down, she seemed to need a moment to get her balance. She didn't fall over again, but seemed a little unsteady. But after both of these instances, she went on to do normal pecking. I'll admit I haven't observed her for very long--this just happened and I came here to see if anything jumped out immediately at anyone. The only other "odd" thing she's done this week is she has sat at our back door pretty consistently, whenever she's out of the run. But that's not completely unusual--they all tend to come visit and see if anyone will come out and offer something tasty.

This is still our first flock. For what it's worth, they're all on a mix of 22% layer feed, forage, and food scraps. Their waterer is a 3 gallon up on a pallet in the run. It's not changed daily, admittedly. We check the rim for debris, and then clean and refill it when it's empty. They're in a hoop coop on deep bedding; the front is totally open and the back open at the bottom; sides are fully covered. Their roost is 3 feet off the ground. Thanks for any ideas or advice!
 
Not closely. There was nothing glaringly obvious when I looked her over, which might be a good thing. I'll do a more thorough check. That seems the likeliest culprit, though?
 
Ok, here are photos...
IMG_4147.JPG IMG_4141.JPG IMG_4142.JPG
 
It's muddy in our run, so that's the likely cause, if this looks like the beginning of Bumblefoot. Those black spots are worrisome, too. :(
 
I would just keep a watch on the black spot on the feet, could be some mild injury there, if you notice limping, swelling or redness, those would need to be addressed.

At 2 1/2 yrs old, is she molting or did she molt already?
When was the last time she laid an egg?

I would check her over for any bloat/swelling of the abdomen, look for any lice/mites and make sure the crop is emptying completely overnight.
If she continues with the wobbly behavior, watch to see that she is drinking and eating. I would also get some poultry vitamins into her for a couple of days, look for one that has Vitamin E and B Vitamins.
 
Thanks!
They've all molted; we re-clipped their wings a few weeks ago.
I'm not sure about eggs. It's been a wet fall, and they still get out a good bit and end up laying around the yard (gates mysteriously don't close properly around here :D). And I don't have a good way to tell who's laid where, unfortunately.
 

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