We have a miserable looking chicken...

[tigana]

She is an ex batt we have had for 4-5 weeks. Yesterday afternoon we spotted she was looking unhappy, head scooched down into neck, drinking but not really eating, eyes looking a bit hooded. Comb has gone floppy.

Have squished her crop - soft. Checked vent - nothing dodgy. Squished her back, rear and underneath - no obvious hardness or lumps, but bit of a dirty bottom.

Could she be upset by us moving from crumb to pellet? what else is it likely to be?

Could be so many things - I would suggest ABs and worming.

Sadly some of the ex batts just don't make it. they have been on antibiotic feed all their lives and therefore have little immunity to disease. try the worming etc but might be best to isolate her from the rest of your flock if poss until you know what is wrong with her. good luck

Sorry to hijack but i've got a miserable looking chicken too - not an ex-batt, she's about 18months old. She's not laying and I noticed this monrning that she seems to have something wrong with her leg/foot. Can't see anything obviously wrong. She's definitely drinking and I saw her eating yesterday. Any advice?

Has she lost weight? What are her droppings like?

Might be bumblefoot, so you're either looking for a cut/lesion on the foot which might be infected or a injury to the ankle probably caused by jumping off the perch i.e a swelling.

If it's an infection clean the wound and give ABs, if it's a swelling, lower the perch and the leg should get better in time although the swelling might not reduce.

Has your ex batt got a swollen abdomen? Could be peritonitis, which affects hybrids, particularly ex batts.