Buff Orpington "digging" at herself and screeching

[Hensongs]

Hi,
Not sure if this is an illness emergency or a need for an exorcism. Our Buff (in her first laying season) has recently started preening herself all over. If she were a parakeet I wouldn't think anything of it. No feathers missing. We can't find any crawly things on her skin because we can't get to her skin through the fluffy feathers.

At the same time she started puffing out her neck feathers and screeching when one of us walks by the coop/run. She's escalated that to a full-on body puffer fish imitation when one of her other two coop mates walks by. She's not sitting on eggs (so not broody??). She's laying just fine. She dusts like a pro. But she's not hanging out with the other two hens - she's low hen on the totem pole. Sort has a conspiracy theory look in her eye.

Do we need to worry or do we just have a nut case on our hands?

Thanks!

 

[realsis]

sounds like she has gone broody. I think they can still go broody without a clutch of eggs to sit on. the screatching when you walk by makes me think she's broody. hope this helps and best wishes.

 

[Hensongs]

It does help! As I kept reading about bloodiness, the behavior fit her - except for the egg sitting part. Hopefully this will pass soon