walking like duck

[Joe Pet]

I have a leghorn about a year that has not laid an egg for a few weeks. She squwats walking like a duck when walking. We brought her inside away from the other chickens and noticed she has running green poop. Other old post have said in laying. But, I wanted to start a new post.

 

[Hope Hughes]

I don' have an answer for you but I am sure someone will be here soon to help. Just wanted to say:
Hello
Welcome to BYC!!
So glad to have you here!!
There are many people on here that are ready to help in anyway they can!
The learning center also has alot of great information on it as well!
Enjoy!​

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings Joe Pet,

I think it's good that you want to re-post this issue. Sometimes we miss things that are important, when trying to help.

So, in order to get a better idea of what may be making your chicken sick, can you give more information? Observe the chicken for a few minutes.

Now answer the following questions:

• How old is the chicken? You said one year old.

• Does the chicken stay in the coop a lot?
  
  
• Can the chicken get up on the roost/perch?

• Is the chicken walking normally? You said, "walks like a duck".

• Is the chicken sitting a lot?

• Does the chicken look fluffed up?

• Is the chicken laying? You said, "Not laid in weeks".

• Is the chicken eating?

• Is the chicken drinking water?

Now, examine your chicken:

• What do the poops look like? Watery or mucousy? What color? You said, "green runny poops".

• Feel under her belly, check for blisters or swelling.

• Check the chicken's vent, is it clean and pink? Nothing hanging out?
  
  
• Look at the eyes, are they bright, clear and round?
  

Answer as many of the questions as you can and reply.

The members here at BYC, will do their best to figure out what is wrong and how to help.
I will too!

God Bless.

 

[micstrachan]

Great response by @Hen Pen Jem . Please examine your girl, especially to see if she has dropped weight (check her keel bone), has a crop emptying at night, and if her abdomen is soft and squishy. Is she molting at all? My Leghorn lays well through winter (when not molting), but I am in California. Where are you? If it is not normal for her to stop laying right now, there may be a laying issue. Were there any rubber or thin shelled eggs before she stopped? Does she have access to free calcium like oyster shell or egg shell, in addition to what may be in her feed?

 

[Pegasusi]

I have a leghorn, a breed which lays daily with few exceptions. The only time mine stopped laying was when she went broody (which is rare for the breed). If she isn't broody and isn't laying but is walking funny (bow legged), I would be concerned that she may be egg bound.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would treat her for egg binding with a warm soak for 20 minutes, and trying to massage her belly. Check first with one finger inserted into the vent an inch or two. Lubricate it. If you feel an egg, give her a Tums or calcium tablet whole in the back of her throat or chopped into some yogurt. Get her to drink some water.
It also could be internal laying, and symptoms can include waddling, runny droppings, weight loss in the breast or swelling in the lower belly, poor appetite, lethargy, and preferring to lie down or sit. There is no treatment for that, just to make them comfortable.

 

[Joe Pet]

Here are the answers. We brought her into the house by herself yesterday and put her in a room. During the day we put a heating pad under the bed but turned it off at night. We brought her back outside. I answered the questions but will add to it when I go back outside and observe her again as all the chickens three of them are in the coop.

Now answer the following questions:

• How old is the chicken? One

• Does the chicken stay in the coop a lot? No
  
  
• Can the chicken get up on the roost/perch? Had trouble jumping up back into the coop

• Is the chicken walking normally? Not like a duck as mentioned. Crouching

• Is the chicken sitting a lot? No

• Does the chicken look fluffed up? No. She at the other leghorn are shedding their feathers.

• Is the chicken laying? You said, "Not laid in weeks". 2 weeks.

• Is the chicken eating? Yes

• Is the chicken drinking water? Yes

Now, examine your chicken:

• What do the poops look like? Watery or mucousy? What color? You said, "green runny poops". Green watery

• Feel under her belly, check for blisters or swelling. None

• Check the chicken's vent, is it clean and pink? Nothing hanging out? Clean
  
  
• Look at the eyes, are they bright, clear and round? Yes.

I will update any answers later. I saw some answers about feeding her garlic and kale. Anyone know about this?

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Hello Joe Pet,

Great job, with the information gathering!
I think Eggcessive has good advice for a treatment plan. And, if you didn't see an egg just inside the vent, then, as Eggcessive said, it could be an internal laying issue.

I have treated my hens, with a dose of Nutri Drench vitamin supplement, to give them a boost.

The warm soak will also be helpful, but, I like to add a cup of Epsom Salt (magnisium sulfate) to a tub of warm water. The water level should be up to her vent. Soak for at least 5 minutes, then towel dry, and, may need to use a blow dryer if it is cold where you live. The magnisium sulfate helps the hen metabolize calcium. Also, offering green leafy vegatables (kale, collard, cabbage, chard) and a bit of cold water fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna) will boost internal magnesium naturally. After this, it will be up to the hen to recover.

Sounds like her general health is good, that will give her the edge she needs.


Hope this is helpful.

God Bless!

 

[Joe Pet]

The hens are out of the coop so I will check further. She is very active when I try to handle her. The other hen as a longhorn has the same problem of crouching. I will update.

 

[Joe Pet]

Ok. No egg inside. And, then we gave her a salt water bath which she liked. After more looking around for info. She is molting as is her sister. Losing alot of her feathers. Every once and a while she will lower and walk sideways and criss cross.