What's wrong with my Chicken?? Help!

[CE -4545]

I don't know what is wrong with my chicken. But think she may have Arthritis I am not sure what does everyone think? She has been acting very strange lately, she is not cleaning her bottom so it is covered in diarrhea, she is also a lot less active and seems to be in pain when walking. She also seems sadder; she doesn't follow me around the yard anymore. I give her a large amount of food 4 times a week, but there is a bush turkey that might be stealing all her food, well I think so at least. I only noticed that she was unwell a few days ago, I thought she was just tired. Sometimes she just lies down when she's usually very active. When I went to feed her, she was behind the door of her house and she never does that. By the way she is 4 years old.
Thanks for the help,
CE-4545

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I don't know what is wrong with my chicken. But think she may have Arthritis I am not sure what does everyone think? She has been acting very strange lately, she is not cleaning her bottom so it is covered in diarrhea, she is also a lot less active and seems to be in pain when walking. She also seems sadder; she doesn't follow me around the yard anymore. I give her a large amount of food 4 times a week, but there is a bush turkey that might be stealing all her food, well I think so at least. I only noticed that she was unwell a few days ago, I thought she was just tired. Sometimes she just lies down when she's usually very active. When I went to feed her, she was behind the door of her house and she never does that. By the way she is 4 years old.
Thanks for the help,
CE-4545

Welcome to BYC.

Can you post some photos of your hen, her vent, her poop and her legs and feet (the bottom of the feet too)?

What do you feed her?
You only feed her 4 times a week? Does she free range the rest of the time?

If a Bush Turkey is stealing her food, then it would be best to feed her inside a coop/run or other enclosure to ensure she is getting enough to eat.

With more information and photos hopefully we can help you better.
Gather her up, if her bottom is messy, give her a clean up. While you're at it look through her feathers for lice and mites. Feel her abdomen for swelling/bloat/fluid. Check her legs really well for any scabs, cuts, scrapes, swelling (on the bottom too) or raised scales. Feel her crop - what is that like?

Report back to us with your findings and let us know how she is.

 

[ChickenLeg]

Look up symptoms for coccidiosis and check out her poop.
If you think it sounds like coccidiosis treat with Corid (I prefer liquid)
heres a link to proper dosage. If shes getting weak you'll need to give some directly into her mouth several times a day. I'd also cage her up away from the other chickens and treat all the other chickens as well. Change out their water and remediate daily.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/updated-corid-and-amprol-amprolium-dosing.818879/

 

[CE -4545]

Thank you all for your help I will post photos of her hut and herself at around 4pm Aus time. I will also feed her 7 times a week and change her water regularly. I may buy the treatment.

 

[CE -4545]

This is what type of food we feed her and sometimes as a treat we give her bread

 

[CE -4545]

 

[CE -4545]

 

[CE -4545]

 

[CE -4545]

Sorry it is a bit blurry she wouldn't sit still

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the photos.

Her legs look to have Scaly Leg Mites. Give them a clean up and apply some type of oil to the legs (coconut oil, vaseline, A+D ointment, castor oil, Nu Stock cream). The oil will smother the mites. Re-wash and apply the oil at least once a week until the legs look healed.

I would also give her rear end a good cleaning up. Give her a soak and get those clumps of poop off her. For hard balls of poop stuck in the feathers, you can crush them with pliers to break them up - careful not to pull, you risk ripping her skin. Alternatively you can trim out really stubborn clumps.
While you are giving her a soak to clean up her bottom, feel the abdomen for any bloat/swelling or fluid . Her posture looks like she may be having some reproductive problems - when was the last time she laid an egg?

Can you get a fecal float to check for worms?