chicken squatting

[ruth]

How is she this morning? If she is still squatting and straining she could be in real distress.

 

[MissPrissy]

If she is not egg bound or laying and she squats only when you are around her she is telling you that she is submissive to you. You are her 'roo' so to speak. You are the boss and she knows it.

I, too, am waiting for your morning update.

 

[lilshadow]

Good morning everyone,
Thank you all so much for all the information each of you have given me. I am sorry that it has taken me so long to post. I have had one heck of a morning. A sick kid in the ER all night(he has Mono). Just got a speeding ticket violation 5 miles over, but that is costing alot. Now on to Bella. She seems to be doing great. She is eating and drinking. Walking around. She is still squatting, but she isn't pushing anymor. Her tail feathers are up now. I felt her abdomen, and it is soft, I don't know what I felt last night, but she doesn't look like she is in any distress. I did notice that when I walked up to her and called her name she squatted, and came right to me. I hope these are good signs. I will continue to watch her through out the day. I wish that I could just sit and watch her all day. I have grown very attached to that hen. Thanks again from the bottom of my heart for all of your concerns, and helpful information.
Veronica

 

[MissPrissy]

It sounds to me like she is being submissive and squatting for you, her 'roo'.

 

[ruth]

Glad to hear she seems better. Yes, the squatting when you approach is a "greeting" - all of my black sexies do that and I can reach down and pick them up - rarely do any of the EEs or Buffs do that. It's the straining, acting as if constipated, tail going up and down that had me concerned. If she is over a year old and you've had her a month and she hasn't laid any eggs - that also concerns me. Is she in molt or just finish brooding a bunch of eggs for last owner? Did they say if she was still laying daily or if there was any problem?

 

[lilshadow]

The previous owners didn't tell me anything about them or her. As far as molting that is a possibility, she had no feathers when I got her. I noticed when I got the chickens she was the only one without feathers, so I watched her in the coop, and the others would peck at her really bad so I took her out, and she has been living in her own small coop in my heated garage, and now she has all of her feathers back. I thought she was featherless because the others were beating her up, I never though that maybe she was molting...Here is a pic of what she looked like when I first picked her up.

Big difference from today, she has all of her feathers back, and doesn't look diseased anymore..This is Bella

 

[lilshadow]

this is bella today

 

[MissPrissy]

She is lovely.

 

[lilshadow]

Quote:
Thanks Miss Prissy, pretty soon she will be the bell of the ball...lol

 

[lilshadow]

Update on Bella,
I wrote some time ago, thinking that Bella was egg bound because she was squatting alot. Well, she did it finally laid her first egg. I went out to say hi and put her back in her little house, and there it was still wet and very fresh. I am so proud of her. It is the biggest egg I have gotten from any of my girls. I also check to make sure she hadn't damaged anything. I am very excited about this one egg...