Change in Behaviour in 4-year old hen

[Cantona 7]

I only keep a few hens and no cockerel. 'Little Pea' is 4 years old and has been a lively, plucky bird and an excellent egg-layer. She went through a moult in November/early December and hasn't resumed laying. She used to be the matriarch but a younger hen has gradually taken over. While Little Pea gives way to the younger hen, she is not bullied. Although she free ranges happily with tail up during the day and appears perfectly healthy, she has recently started a strange habit. Instead of entering the house at night, she no longer goes in with the others, as she used to do. Instead, she perches on top of the hen house, 'fluffed' up, tail lowered, and would stay there is I didn't pick her up when I get home from work and put her inside. She then settles down as normal. It's hard to tell which droppings are hers but the ones on top of the house appear normal. Her eyes are bright, her comb and wattles are red and healthy-looking, I can detect no scale or mite conditions and she has no problem with mobility. I don't understand why she is doing this now.

I wonder if anyone has any ideas about her change in behaviour? I know she is getting older but this is baffling me.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unfortunately that's the first sign a bird is not doing well. They will isolate themselves, while trying to act as normal as possible because sometimes other chickens will attack them. Probably in an attempt to drive out a sick bird.

Lots of things can cause what you are seeing. Mostly internal stuff. Have you caught her and given her an all over exam? Checking for weight loss, empty or full crop, wounds, external parasites?

What are you feeding? Many hens over 3 or 4 shouldn't eat a layer anymore because they don't need that extra calcium. Another big problem can come from a chicken being too fat, so limiting extras is a good idea. A poor diet can shorten a birds life.

Most of my chickens live 4-8 years with a few living longer or dying sooner. Your girl is getting up there, but she's not ancient.

Hopefully others have a better idea than me.

 

[Cantona 7]

Thanks for your post - Outwardly, she looks healthy. However, I examined her yesterday. I saw no sign of mites or parasites, and what I think are her droppings look ok, although there's a few 'liquidy' ones in the run. However, her vent area is clean. Although never a heavy bird, I'd say she's lost a little weight and her crop felt empty. I will have a more detailed look today.

One of my main problems is that I live on a small Greek island, and although there are two 'pet food' stores, there is only ONE general feed store for all the island's livestock. They have no choice - only what they have at the time, which is corn, grains and sometimes, protein pellets. Nothing else. I feed a wet mash, with cooked egg shells for calcium and occasionally tiny scraps of cooked meat and crushed walnuts for protein, although they do free-range during the day. They have Vermex pellets once a month and a sprinkling of a mineral supplement once a week with probiotics and seaweed which I order from the internet. Is there a specfic food you would recommend that's available in Europe? I'm happy to order anything from the internet that would help my girl. Alas, there are very few of us here on the island who look on our birds as anything other than producers of food.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Well you gotta feed whatever you can. Sounds okay to me. Unfortunately I have seen the same thing in my birds before they pass. They stop eating and I can never seem to fix it. I always suspect something internal has gone wrong.

@Eggcessive or @Wyorp Rock May have some ideas on what to try. Hopefully they pop in.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would suspect some type of reproductive disorder. Those can include internal laying, salpingitis, egg yolk peritonitis, ascites (fluid in the abdomen,) or cancer. These reasons are many times a cause of crop problems, and a common cause of death for laying hens.

You can feel of her lower abdomen for enlargement, or tightness. Many times they will lose weight which you can notice by feeling of the keel or breatbone. Some affected hens will waddle, walk more upright, have runny poops, decreased appetite, crop impaction, or may separate themselves from others.

I would try to rule out lice or mites, or something in the coop bothering her, such as a bully or small predator. It might be good to bring her in for a day or two in a crate, and offer her some food and some chopped egg or tuna. Worming with Valbazen or SafeGuard, or having some droppings checked for worms might be considered. That will five you a chance to monitor some droppings and see how well she is eating and drinking. If she eats great and feels better, she might just be kept from food.