Hen acting weird- please help!

[vossl]

Hi, I am new to BYC and need help!!

This is the second time my 18 week old hen has had an "episode". The first time I witnessed this was about 3 weekend ago. She pooped, then quickly backed up, squawked and then flopped down on the ground and started breathing heavily with her eyes closed. She remained like this for about 5-10 minutes and then started standing up and walking around. I thought possibly she was spooked my a predator but did it again like 30 minutes later without reason. It was a hot day so I attributed it to dehydration and placed a pail of water in their pen because I suspect they aren't using the nipple water feeder.

The same happened again today... She has poop on her backside and her wing and tail feathers look a little rugged. I added the watering pail with ice to the pen again and both chickens immediately drank from it. Both hens are the same age and have not started laying. The other hen is much larger in size and seems totally healthy.

Does this seem like just dehydration or something else? What are your suggestions?? Please help!!

 

[Chicken Girl1]

I think she may just be dehydrated, make sure the water is always cold because the hens won't drink it unless it is. Keep watching her and make sure shes drinking, if she keeps on doing it then be sure to tell us.

 

[lindalouly]

Do you have somewhere they can take dirt baths... It's been super hot here. I have water placed in shady spots around the yard but my girls like to wallow deep in dirt to clean themselves and to cool off. Is there shady spots for the girls?

 

[mirandaleecon]

Hi, I am new to BYC and need help!!

This is the second time my 18 week old hen has had an "episode". The first time I witnessed this was about 3 weekend ago. She pooped, then quickly backed up, squawked and then flopped down on the ground and started breathing heavily with her eyes closed. She remained like this for about 5-10 minutes and then started standing up and walking around. I thought possibly she was spooked my a predator but did it again like 30 minutes later without reason. It was a hot day so I attributed it to dehydration and placed a pail of water in their pen because I suspect they aren't using the nipple water feeder.

The same happened again today... She has poop on her backside and her wing and tail feathers look a little rugged. I added the watering pail with ice to the pen again and both chickens immediately drank from it. Both hens are the same age and have not started laying. The other hen is much larger in size and seems totally healthy.

Does this seem like just dehydration or something else? What are your suggestions?? Please help!!

Do her legs seem rigid? Kind of sounds like a seizure to me, which could be due to dehydration but could be any number of other things. I don't have much experience with seizures in birds, just had a parrot have a couple in a day but that was it. His affected only one side so it was more frantic, but some seizures don't cause all the shaking and whatnot that they show on tv. He had proventricular dialation disease which I don't believe affects chickens...Sorry, probably not much help but will give you something to look into...