Hen falling over! Lethargic and can’t keep balance

[izzyrose]

Hi, please comment if you have an idea of what could be wrong!

Just this morning I noticed my hen struggling to walk. She is falling over and loosing her balance. I examined her feet which both look healthy and she didn’t seem to have any foot or leg pain as I touched her.
- 2y6m hen
- lives in enclosed run with free range time daily
- she is currently molting
- eats layer feed
- upon examining her crop does feel slightly hard and not empty in the morning

I fed her a scrambled egg with Nutridrench solution. Her appetite is good.

Could this be a vitamin deficiency?

Should I separate her?

Thank you so much for the help!!

 

[izzyrose]

I also got her from a farm store that vaccinates for Mareks

 

[izzyrose]

I see what looks like it could be a foot injury in this picture, but I do not think that would cause the falling over to this degree.

 

[LaylaDSmith]

If her crop was not empty in the morning she may not be actually digesting any food she is eating. I would bring her inside where you can closely watch to see if she is pooping normal. Continue to offer feed and make sure she is eating. Does she have a flock? Any bullying? Has she been hiding from others? Balance problems can be a vitamin deficiency which is also why I wonder if she is digesting. Do your birds have grit available?

 

[izzyrose]

If her crop was not empty in the morning she may not be actually digesting any food she is eating. I would bring her inside where you can closely watch to see if she is pooping normal. Continue to offer feed and make sure she is eating. Does she have a flock? Any bullying? Has she been hiding from others? Balance problems can be a vitamin deficiency which is also why I wonder if she is digesting. Do your birds have grit available?

Thank you for the response. She has been having poop on the runny/ watery side. She’s in a small flock of 5, no bullying. She’s actually one of the top hens. I do have grit and crushed eggshells available