I got 3 new chickens last week,2 hens and 1 rooster all 3 are Buffs.The hens are right at 6 months old and 1 has already started to lay.The hen that is laying is acting normal eating right.On the otherhand the other hen is just standing around,and hardly moves and when she does she moves in slow motion.I have watched her and she slowly tries to eat but only wipes her beak on the ground.She trys to drink,she gets alittle water and just stands there.You can tell she just don't feel well.Even if I get some green grass for her she dosent eat it just pecks it and rubs her beak.The day I got those chickens all 3 were really Healthy and out going,but the next day she was like that.I have a nice large pen they are in,and they have it all to there self....Thanks for any advise..
You are right, for her to be acting like that, she is pretty sick. By the time birds start to act like that, they are generally pretty ill. Are these your first chickens? When you brought them home, did you quarantine them from any other chickens you might have? You may need to bring her indoors and monitor her. See if she seems thin, does her crop seem hard and full, or empty? How are her droppings? Does she have any other symptoms, such as discharge, bubbling, wheezing? How old is the hen, is she laying?
