1 year old chicken puffing up neck feathers

[Tulips08]

My 1 year old olive egger is walking around like a grouch.
She's still laying, eating, drinking, acting like a normal chicken, coloring looks good, hanging out with the flock, but if one of the other chickens looks at her straight on or gets too close, she puffs up her neck feathers and makes a sound that I can't really describe (it's like a low mumble/growl) and jumps at them. They back right off. She's also doing a lot of preening.

They've had a little jockeying for pecking order position after one got lice (I treated everyone last week with permethrin- still have to do the second treatment). Could this be related to that? She's not being picked on. I looked her over completely to check for injury and bugs (of which I saw neither).

Any ideas? This just started today. I mean, maybe she's grumpy about the constant wet weather like I am...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

It may be she is contemplating going broody. That behavior is often a sign of that. If so, she'll also begin to get very cranky at the nest box. Whether she goes into full brood is anyone's guess. Some simply contemplate with with a good sulk while others soon go into full blown brooding drama queen.

The other time I've seen chickens not wanting any other bird around them is when they begin to molt. The pin feathers are prickly, and they don't like being brushed up against. Did you notice any signs of pin feathers? (I'll assume not).

So my best guess is contemplating brooding.

LofMc

 

[Tulips08]

It may be she is contemplating going broody. That behavior is often a sign of that. If so, she'll also begin to get very cranky at the nest box. Whether she goes into full brood is anyone's guess. Some simply contemplate with with a good sulk while others soon go into full blown brooding drama queen.

The other time I've seen chickens not wanting any other bird around them is when they begin to molt. The pin feathers are prickly, and they don't like being brushed up against. Did you notice any signs of pin feathers? (I'll assume not).

So my best guess is contemplating brooding.

LofMc

She's full broody today! I've never had anyone go broody before. Totally puffed up, sitting in everyone's favorite nesting box, growling, looking like a total grump. Now I need to figure out what to do with her... that'll be a separate post. Thanks!

 

[aart]

that'll be a separate post.

Can go here.

You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
-Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
-Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
-Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
-If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.

It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/broody-hen-thread.496101/


When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.



If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[Tulips08]

Can go here.

You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
-Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
-Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
-Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
-If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.

It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/broody-hen-thread.496101/


When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.



If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.
View attachment 2119211

Thank you so much aart! I should probably break her unless you think I could get her to take some day-olds (she's a first-time broody, though). I have a couple (sexed) day-olds coming this week from a friend and I could separate her for that, but don't want to hatch out eggs. I can't have boys. I doubt she's been broody long enough to be "tricked" into mothering those babies.

 

[aart]

I doubt she's been broody long enough to be "tricked" into mothering those babies.

Agrees.