Hello, I have 6 backyard birds. I have a broody cochin (exactly one year old and her first bout of being broody). I came home today and found her doing the STRANGEST thing. When i opened the door to the nest box, she was kinda looking skyward....like backwards at the roof, it was not too crazy. However, when I encouraged her to get up and take a walk on the lawn with the others, she did, and went in down the floor area. She shares her quarters with her "surrogate" banty OE momma that raised her from purchased egg (along with her 2 sisters a silkie and a mille fleur d'uccle).
When she went down she was very interested in eating and ate her Nutrena layer pellets, tackled the fresh treat corn cob, and drank water....BUT she kept bending her neck back and looking at the skyreally fast, and sortof movin it back and forth in the bent-back position quite rapidly. She almost lost her balance. Then she didnt do it again for 5 minutes and foraged on the lawn nicely. She keeps repeating it!
My first thought is that she isnt getting enough good nutrition (the others throw and waste and eat lots of food which i refill daily). I know she must have access to food, but she is eating---she makes the big poop of a broody. Maybe such a long brooding period (now a MONTH) has caused her to fall behind on vitamins or other nutrition needs? Would an elctrolytes drink be in order? Never had a sick bird before---if this is even sick? Its not normal.
Other info about her: lays regularly, not vacinated, generally well adjusted bird but at the bottom of the totem pole, skittish, poop perfect, wood frame coop 6ftx6ftx5fthigh, bedding is woodchips in floor and nest box, no sign of injury or trauma, and i plan to treat her myself as far as is reasonable for a person to do.
When she went down she was very interested in eating and ate her Nutrena layer pellets, tackled the fresh treat corn cob, and drank water....BUT she kept bending her neck back and looking at the skyreally fast, and sortof movin it back and forth in the bent-back position quite rapidly. She almost lost her balance. Then she didnt do it again for 5 minutes and foraged on the lawn nicely. She keeps repeating it!
My first thought is that she isnt getting enough good nutrition (the others throw and waste and eat lots of food which i refill daily). I know she must have access to food, but she is eating---she makes the big poop of a broody. Maybe such a long brooding period (now a MONTH) has caused her to fall behind on vitamins or other nutrition needs? Would an elctrolytes drink be in order? Never had a sick bird before---if this is even sick? Its not normal.
Other info about her: lays regularly, not vacinated, generally well adjusted bird but at the bottom of the totem pole, skittish, poop perfect, wood frame coop 6ftx6ftx5fthigh, bedding is woodchips in floor and nest box, no sign of injury or trauma, and i plan to treat her myself as far as is reasonable for a person to do.
