trouble walking straight--is this serious?

[courtneyq]

I have a one-year-old Rhode Island Red hen who has been a bit off of late. She was huddled up in the coop sometimes during the day, and her poos had a few strange-looking reddish-brown things in them. She stopped laying but is in a big molt. She doesn't seem to be eating much at all now, and when she eats (and when she doesn't), she does this weird walk, where her front chest kind of bows down low and she walks sideways. She sometimes can walk straight, but most of the time it's this weird bowing and sideways movement (both directions). It has been happening for a few days now.

I treated her with Eprinex on her neck (.5 cc) about a week ago. Never saw any worms, so maybe I overreacted. Her one coopmate died about a month ago, and I thought she was lonely, and I got a 4 1/2 month old Buff Orp to keep her company, and so far they've gotten along amazingly well. I felt where I think her crop is, but I don't feel anything hard or bloated. I've served them egg with olive oil topped in cheese, plain yogurt, lots of sunflower seeds, and they always have Layena and crushed oyster shells and water (which now has some vitamins in it). This morning I tried to give bread soaked in olive oil but they weren't interested. She didn't eat much of the yogurt yesterday, which is out of character.

I saw a couple of threads on here where hens in a big molt were doing a circling walk, so I was hopeful that was the case, but now she isn't eating much, and that concerns me. She still has a bright look, red comb, clear eyes, and her feathers are growing in strong, but she looks kind of uncomfortable (maybe I'm projecting). Not much poo to analyze since she's cut down on eating.

Any ideas what is wrong with my girl? Any other ideas on how to help? Thanks!

 

[courtneyq]

Update, my one hen is still doing this weird walk, where she lowers her chest down and walks kind of sideways. Sometimes she walks normal, and she scratches back debris and pecks like normal, and she preens like normal. Very odd. I've been giving her Polyvisol each morning as advised on other threads here, followed by cheese and black-oiled sunflower seeds for treats. Her poo seems almost back to normal. Maybe these are all just symptoms of a hard molt? Hope so.

 

[greyfields]

I have no idea, except that generally when animals start walking sideways or in circles it's from brain damage caused by toxins, poisoning, some parasites, etc. Could she have gotten into anything funny? The Eprinix is worrying, too. I avoid the whole avermectin family on poultry unless instructed specifically by a vet. It's way too easy to miss a decimal point and kill your whole flock.