2 year old hen not acting right.

[barnyardmommy]

I have a 2 year old ee hen that just stopped being broody. She has always been my "Spastic Chicken", running around, jumping fences She now gets picked on by the other chicken, very docile. Has now became the low man on the pole. so not like her. I had to bring her into my garage tonight cause the other chickens were picking on her so bad. She almost act's like she is depressed.
I am really concerned as to what is wrong with her.. Can anyone help me..

 

[mrchicks]

When my Marans went back into the population after being broody she had the same problem. They did sort it out in about a week, and she is back perched with her sisters. But she was pretty darn miserable being the "new hen" for awhile. The funny thing is, that she was right there the whole time, just in a nest box. But they were awful to her when she went out in the run. I would imagine that your poor gal is going through the same thing.

 

[centrarchid]

Feel her breast for weight. How does her feces look?

 

[barnyardmommy]

mrchicks that's just what is happening. She now stays off to herself because the other chickens are so mean to her. When she was broody, she was in the nest box with all the others. It's not like she went away and then came back, she's been there the whole time. I have her in my fenced in pool area. The others can see her but can't get to her. Her poo is just a little watery, but I wander if she wasn't eating enough. I don't think the others were letting her get to the food. Now that she is separated from them she is eating and drinking very well. She doesn't act like she is sick, not fluffed up or anything. But before she was not one to let you pick her up, she would run away from you. Now I can walk right up to her and pick her up, she doesn't care.

 

[centrarchid]

barnyardmommy, hens heavily impacted by worm burden often fail to return to flock following a broody cycle. That and they are slow to recondition as needed to come back into lay. I am tangling with such as hen now and suspect strongly she is very wormy. She is also attacked by other members of the flock and feeds heavily only at end of the day. Going broody is stressful and makes dealing with parasites more difficult.

 

[barnyardmommy]

Centrarchid, thanks for responding. She has started back laying, 3 eggs so far. I wormed them about 6 weeks ago with safeguard. Do you think I should worm her again ?

 

[centrarchid]

If she is back in lay and producing one egg per day then odds are parasite burden is not a problem. Check her weight. Occasionally a hen will not reintegrate into flock beyond what is needed for interactions with rooster. This happens when a hen has a quality territory in distance with respect to flock and flock stays around feeder. Such is risky as hen is more vulnerable to depredation.