Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[MaxBaz]

Little Caroline is being very odd at the moment - for one thing she has lost weight (she was always the fattest chook of the four) and had very liquidy poo.

 

I thought at first she needed worming - which I duly did - but she has this weird walk. Remember John Cleese when he did the "Minister of Funny Walks" and he lifted his legs up very high?

 

She does the same with one leg - almost as if she is pushing her crop up. Most peculiar. She doesn't do it every step - just every now and then - it would be extremely comical if it wasn't worrying me.

 

I have massaged her crop and doesn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary although occasionally it is a little hard first thing in the morning.

 

She is also very dusy - when she ruffles her feathers it is like a dry skin fall out. I can't see any evidence of mites - but she is the worlds most nervous chicken.

 

In herself she appears to be fine - it is just odd. The liquid poo is very dark - but not necessarily every day. I think that happens when she escapes into the vegetable garden and eats the worms/bugs she adores.

 

Thoughts?

[Plum]

Perhaps the leg raising is to scratch if her skin is dry and dusty Is she growing new feathers? they have a sheath over them which looks like dandruff when it falls off and the new feathers can be quite tender and irritable.

 

The weight loss and liquid poo could be worms but you have wormed her. It may be worth using a different type. Vermex isn't always effective if you used that. Otherwise I think a trip to the vet might be worth doing in case she has an infection or something else.

[francesca88]

One of my hens is doing exactly this at the moment, and she is moulting. I just assumed that she was walking funny because the new feather spikes were making her uncomfortable!

Have a look under her feathers and see is she has some new feathers coming through