Wobbly walk & tail down

[88audrey]

I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure out what is going on with my little Pancake… It has been over a month now that she has been walking unsteadily, keeping her tail down and not participating with the rest of the flock.
At first I thought maybe egg bound, that turned out to not be the case. Then I thought maybe sour crop. So I did a 24 hour fast for her. She seems better since then but still not well.
She is eating and drinking and her crop feels normal.
We had mistakenly bought the wrong food (scratch and peck layer mash) and I thought it would be OK for a week or two. When she started doing poorly, I switched them back to the pellets, thinking it may be a nutrition issue. They have been back on the pellets for about three weeks now. So I'm starting to think maybe it was not malnutrition.
I also got some Nutri-drench and dosed her for a few days and put it in the water for the flock.

I'm lost. Does anyone have any ideas for me?

 

[nuthatched]

How old is she? Why was the scratch and peck wrong? Have you felt between her legs for swelling?

 

[Amity coop]

I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure out what is going on with my little Pancake… It has been over a month now that she has been walking unsteadily, keeping her tail down and not participating with the rest of the flock.
At first I thought maybe egg bound, that turned out to not be the case. Then I thought maybe sour crop. So I did a 24 hour fast for her. She seems better since then but still not well.
She is eating and drinking and her crop feels normal.
We had mistakenly bought the wrong food (scratch and peck layer mash) and I thought it would be OK for a week or two. When she started doing poorly, I switched them back to the pellets, thinking it may be a nutrition issue. They have been back on the pellets for about three weeks now. So I'm starting to think maybe it was not malnutrition.
I also got some Nutri-drench and dosed her for a few days and put it in the water for the flock.

I'm lost. Does anyone have any ideas for me?

Help! I have the same thing going on with one of my chickens. Tail down, loss of balance. Still eating and drinking but generally not participating with the other chickens.

 

[coach723]

@Amity coop , how old is the bird? How long has it been acting like this? If it's a hen, do you know when she last laid? Have you examined her all over, checked for lice/mites, looked for any injuries or wounds hidden in feathers? How is her weight, is the keel well muscled or is it very prominent? Is crop empty, full, hard, soft & squishy, etc? What do droppings look like?

 

[Amity coop]

@Amity coop , how old is the bird? How long has it been acting like this? If it's a hen, do you know when she last laid? Have you examined her all over, checked for lice/mites, looked for any injuries or wounds hidden in feathers? How is her weight, is the keel well muscled or is it very prominent? Is crop empty, full, hard, soft & squishy, etc? What do droppings look like?

She is about 3 years old. I do not know when she last laid. She has been acting like this for about 1.5 weeks. No lice or mites that we see. Droppings were kind of watery but seem to be getting firmer as we started treating for worms. Keel is probably medium, not super prominent but not horribly sticking out. Did not see any wounds in the feathers.

Thank you for any help!

 

[coach723]

Check her crop function, if she's eating and drinking then you will likely feel something in there. It shouldn't be really hard, or very soft and squishy, like it's filled with water, just like what she's been eating. Check again first thing in the morning before she has anything to eat or drink, it should be empty then. Also feel her abdomen, below the vent, between the legs to see if it's bloated at all, either very firm, or water balloon like. Compare with a well bird if you aren't sure.
Some mites only come out at night to feed on the birds, they hide in the coop, so it's a good idea to take them off the roost after dark, and check them with a flashlight or lantern. You can also put some sticky tape around your roosts at the ends, sticky side out, and check in the morning to see if you catch anything in the tape.
Are you treating for worms because you know she has them, or just as a precaution? What are you using and dose?