Can a Hen be "crazy"

[mickk]

I purchased a dozen lil babies 6 months ago, a mixed lot. Ive only had chooks for 5 years, had 5 fox attacks in this time at two different locations. It breaks my heart each time, but the yard looks lonely without them...... but you cant outsmart a fox.
Mine have the best life, eat nothing but the best, fresh everything, no pellets spoiled rotten, it shows in their beauiful condition and eggs they lay.
This lot, one died the first night, it was too small to be sold IMHO, one ran away. 3 have turned out to be roosters, the one crowing at 3.30am had to go. The other 2 arc up at 6am, are friendly and one is dominant.
Hes the problem.
One hen, its always been a bit nuts, it wanders around, making BAK BAK noises, jumps in the air, as if a ghost is chasing it, its always been this way. It vanished for a few days, came back, ran away again, came back and I caught the dominant rooster trying to mate with it and its having none of that and ran away again.
So the rooster is the cause of it running away, It can come and go, I dont care but I dont want it to get eaten by a fox. I dunno what it is, its got a fluffy head so it looks different to the rest. Its always been odd compared to all the others I have had, could it actually have brain damage is my question. Its just very odd.
BAK BAK, jump in the air, run around go mad, repeat. Crazy.
Crazy chook on the left, rooster on the right. They got on fine until I imagine, its become fertile.
Should I get rid of the rooster or just live with the situation? All the other girls like him and he doesnt blue with the other rooster. Im only keeping the roosters because they too have a right to life.
They free range all day on an acre of gardens, get locked up at night, lay in the sun basking and bathing, have a great life, come when they are called, love a cuddle but this one chook, its just never seemed right in the head to me.

 

[Tonyroo]

Not sure what constitute crazy behavior, the bak bak is a sound that a hen has laid an egg or fake laying. Her running away gives me the impression she at the bottom of the pecking order.

I'm thinking her behavior is strongly influenced by the way the flock interacts with her. Every chicken has there own personality and behavior. They are ruled by repetitive reactions.

 

[mickk]

Nah, I know the noise they make when they have laid an egg, this thing, walks, stops, goes BAK BAK, two short cries that sound exactly like that, then it leaps in the air likes its being chased by a ghost, trust me, theres no other chook near it when it does this. It almost sounds like a sneeze, its not a cluck cluck come here and lay eggs with me.

 

[Tonyroo]

Nah, I know the noise they make when they have laid an egg, this thing, walks, stops, goes BAK BAK, two short cries that sound exactly like that, then it leaps in the air likes its being chased by a ghost, trust me, theres no other chook near it when it does this. It almost sounds like a sneeze, its not a cluck cluck come here and lay eggs with me.

Post a video of the chicken in question. Maybe it can be of interest in terms of behavior for others viewing it.

 

[aart]

eat nothing but the best, fresh everything, no pellets

No pellets or chicken feed at all?

 

[mickk]

Well there has been some action, I looked for this chook everywhere, I knew it was somewhere, the dogs were sniffing around Yesterday I found it, under a lavender bush, the same bush I had almost stood on top of. She was so well camoflaged I just could not see her. She was obviously sitting on eggs, so I left her alone. When I got up this morning, there she was having a feed, good chook.
Then joy of joys, there came 5 chicks trotting along behind her, 4 dark and one yellow. My first chicks and an accident at that. I had a look, there were another 27 eggs she had been sitting on, and one dead chick. 10 of the 27 had well developed embryos in them, but quite cold and shes not interested in going back to them so I removed the lot.
I did not know that chooks raised eggs at 5/6 months of age. I will cook up the stale eggs and feed them back.
She just wants to be left alone to do her own thing, I cant coax her into a box etc.
A race to get some starter food tomorrow, the 5 are eating crushed wheat and drinking water OK for now.
It was a great thrill for me, now the worry starts.

 

[Buckingham Palace]

Well there has been some action, I looked for this chook everywhere, I knew it was somewhere, the dogs were sniffing around Yesterday I found it, under a lavender bush, the same bush I had almost stood on top of. She was so well camoflaged I just could not see her. She was obviously sitting on eggs, so I left her alone. When I got up this morning, there she was having a feed, good chook.
Then joy of joys, there came 5 chicks trotting along behind her, 4 dark and one yellow. My first chicks and an accident at that. I had a look, there were another 27 eggs she had been sitting on, and one dead chick. 10 of the 27 had well developed embryos in them, but quite cold and shes not interested in going back to them so I removed the lot.
I did not know that chooks raised eggs at 5/6 months of age. I will cook up the stale eggs and feed them back.
She just wants to be left alone to do her own thing, I cant coax her into a box etc.
A race to get some starter food tomorrow, the 5 are eating crushed wheat and drinking water OK for now.
It was a great thrill for me, now the worry starts.

awwwwww. well that explains why she was running off. What a lovely surprise. I’m sorry about the one chick. I hope you enjoy your lovely mew babys.

 

[mickk]

No pellets or chicken feed at all?

10 types of grain, fruit and veg and shell grit and lots of greens, scrambled eggs and the odd treat of meat and my special cooked loaf which is like dog food minus the meat. My old Isas used to lay 100gm eggs, I was told to stop feeding them so much or they would get egg bound. 140gm was my record but I learned thats not a good idea.

 

[neo71665]

Feeding them has nothing to do with a hen becoming egg bound.

 

[mickk]

The 5 chicks are going strong, growing well, they actually know who I am. I am amazed they are doing so well, in winter shes a good mum. I have anther Hen who is sitting on 5 eggs, three will hatch, 2 wont as they are a week older than the three. She collects the eggs laid each day, but I remove them. I marked the original three and the other two, so I know whats going on. I am enjoying having a Rooster, but its a COWARD, see my latest post for details.
I appreciate all your interest and support,