I know that a puffed up chicken can mean anything, but... that's precisely why I need your help narrowing it down.
I have a 9-month-old Red Partridge Orpington pullet that was perfectly fine until yesterday, and then yesterday she spent the day puffed up and uninterested in daily chicken life. She sat on the ground a lot, or just stood there, huddled (but without closing her eyes the way very sick chickens do). She pecked half-heartedly at some treats I offered, but was generally uninterested in anything. At bedtime her crop was completely empty. No sign of injuries (the flock of 8 females gets along well, no bullying), comb and face look fine, no discharge, panting or respiratory issues. I'm ruling out egg-related problems because she's not laying yet. Long overdue at 9 months, but her comb and wattles are still small and pale and haven't even started reddening yet (one of her sisters' headgear is quite red already, but she's the only one of the bunch). I saw her poop one normal poop yesterday while I was with her.
The flock doesn't free range and always eats the same feed (Purina flock raiser crumble). With some scratch or mealworms occasionally as a treat. They have eaten nothing new in recent days. No big changes in their lives, except this pullet recently saw her first snow (Friday through the weekend). I cleared their run right away and put down dry leaves I'd bagged in the fall, and the flock has been out and about happily scratching around. The only other big thing is that, coincidentally, yesterday her sick day overlapped with our first serious cold snap of the winter (and first in her life). Single digits the night before, low teens throughout the day. The coop is very well ventilated and I haven't had any cold-related issues yet, with the pullets or the older hens. But it's this girl's first winter, and first temp drop this low. Could it have been the cold? I know chickens are supposed to do fine in this kind of cold, and this girl is fluffy and fully feathered and otherwise healthy... Or did the cold unlock something else? Or maybe it's not the cold?
Last night she went into the coop and roosted for bed, but it was going to be in the single digits again so I took her into the basement in a crate with food and water (with electrolytes/vitamins in it). Figuring she doesn't need cold stress on top of whatever else is going on. And this morning she's looking SO much better!!!!!! No longer puffed up, and looking lively. I brought her a scrambled egg and she devoured it hungrily. She looks alert and is talking and looking around, tried to sneak out of the crate. No new poops yet (maybe because she starved herself yesterday?). I'm so very relieved, but still worried. Do you think it was just the cold? What else could it be that's improving so drastically with warmth, and what else can I do for her? It will climb above freezing mid-day today, so if she's still looking good, can I put her back in the run? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Here's what she looked like yesterday, sitting down looking puffed up (even the feathers on top of her head were standing up!):
And here she is this morning, no longer puffed up, hairdo looking normal, hungrily eating her get-well breakfast and looking to sneak out of the crate again:
I have a 9-month-old Red Partridge Orpington pullet that was perfectly fine until yesterday, and then yesterday she spent the day puffed up and uninterested in daily chicken life. She sat on the ground a lot, or just stood there, huddled (but without closing her eyes the way very sick chickens do). She pecked half-heartedly at some treats I offered, but was generally uninterested in anything. At bedtime her crop was completely empty. No sign of injuries (the flock of 8 females gets along well, no bullying), comb and face look fine, no discharge, panting or respiratory issues. I'm ruling out egg-related problems because she's not laying yet. Long overdue at 9 months, but her comb and wattles are still small and pale and haven't even started reddening yet (one of her sisters' headgear is quite red already, but she's the only one of the bunch). I saw her poop one normal poop yesterday while I was with her.
The flock doesn't free range and always eats the same feed (Purina flock raiser crumble). With some scratch or mealworms occasionally as a treat. They have eaten nothing new in recent days. No big changes in their lives, except this pullet recently saw her first snow (Friday through the weekend). I cleared their run right away and put down dry leaves I'd bagged in the fall, and the flock has been out and about happily scratching around. The only other big thing is that, coincidentally, yesterday her sick day overlapped with our first serious cold snap of the winter (and first in her life). Single digits the night before, low teens throughout the day. The coop is very well ventilated and I haven't had any cold-related issues yet, with the pullets or the older hens. But it's this girl's first winter, and first temp drop this low. Could it have been the cold? I know chickens are supposed to do fine in this kind of cold, and this girl is fluffy and fully feathered and otherwise healthy... Or did the cold unlock something else? Or maybe it's not the cold?
Last night she went into the coop and roosted for bed, but it was going to be in the single digits again so I took her into the basement in a crate with food and water (with electrolytes/vitamins in it). Figuring she doesn't need cold stress on top of whatever else is going on. And this morning she's looking SO much better!!!!!! No longer puffed up, and looking lively. I brought her a scrambled egg and she devoured it hungrily. She looks alert and is talking and looking around, tried to sneak out of the crate. No new poops yet (maybe because she starved herself yesterday?). I'm so very relieved, but still worried. Do you think it was just the cold? What else could it be that's improving so drastically with warmth, and what else can I do for her? It will climb above freezing mid-day today, so if she's still looking good, can I put her back in the run? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Here's what she looked like yesterday, sitting down looking puffed up (even the feathers on top of her head were standing up!):
And here she is this morning, no longer puffed up, hairdo looking normal, hungrily eating her get-well breakfast and looking to sneak out of the crate again:
She preened herself while in my lap, which was another normal activity she wasn't doing yesterday.
