Chickens are acting STRANGE!

[nemoandrunt]

My chickens are approx. 3 months old and have recently started acting so weird. They are starting to go to the bathroom SO MUCH when before it wasnt that often, they are pecking at the back door to come in the house, perching on random things (pool gate, fences, yard lights, etc.) They have also started to seperate from each other (2 of them). Also, they are eating so much more! What could be going on? Are they old enough to lay? Im concerned for them! Any help would be much appreciated!! Thanks!

 

[Chickmate]

It would help to know how you house your chickens, what and how you feed them, etc. You obviously free range them if they are roosting on the pool gate, fence and yard lights, and the fact that they do roost in those places is not wierd at all, for a chicken. They will perch/roost anyplace they can reach. They will also fall in a pool and drown if there is nothing keeping them out.

Chickens like human company, especially if they associate you with food and treats, so for them to peck on the door for you to come out (not because they want to come in) is not weird either.

Chickens are pooping machines, so when you say they didn't used to poop that often, I'm wondering if you just didn't notice it as much as you do now? Maybe they are not pooping more, but it's just bigger poops because they are getting bigger. Do you close them up in a coop at night? Are you noticing more poop in there?

When you say they separate from each other, how do you mean? How many chickens do you have? It's not unusual for a flock of chickens to split up and go in different directions within their ranging area. Eventually they'll all come back together again to roost for the night.

Are you sure the chickens are eating so much more food or do you have rodents and or raccoons eating some of it? They are not old enough to lay at 3 months, they won't start laying until they are between 6 and 9 months.

So you see? You have perfectly normal chickens!!

 

[nurseshelly]

Quote:
Hi,
They are probably just eating more, then pooping more now that they are older. I think they just try to perch on the highest thing they can. Mine sometimes flock together by color, which is funny. Oh, have you found the Arizona thread? There are a bunch of us from AZ on a really nice thread. If you look under "where am I, where are you" in the index then look down the thread until you find Arizona.
Oh, I'm in Gilbert

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

Quote:
??? Where is the strange behavior you're concerned about? *reviews title of thread*

All reads "normal" to me.

 

[okieinalaska]

Quote:
??? Where is the strange behavior you're concerned about? *reviews title of thread*

All reads "normal" to me.

Especially the pooping part, LOL.

 

[MetalSmitten]

sounds to me like they're just growing up

 

[sheaviance1]

I remember when mine were little! They were so cute and sweet. Then they became teenagers!

They definitely go through a "stage" where their behavior is just plain weird. Or, at least mine did. I always used to tell people that their children becoming teenagers is God's way of helping you want them out of your house. I guess the same applies to the chickens.

All of the behavior you described sounds pretty normal to me. Mine peck at any speck they see. Sometimes what I see as a speck is actually ants.

When they are getting closer to laying, you should start to see them squat when you walk up to them. Their wattles and combs will turn a bright red. In my flock, it was the squat that was the best indicator. Some of them squatted one day, layed an egg the next, but for the most part, they layed within two weeks of squatting. I remember the first time I saw one of the girls dustbathing. I thought she was dead. I jumped up and ran over there, and she gave me the stinkeye.

I would definitely see about their feed though, make sure that nothing is getting in it. It sounds like you are letting them free range quite a bit. Mine eat less feed when they free range. It seems a little weird that they would be eating more.

 

[nemoandrunt]

Thank You Everyone! I Cant Get Over All The Help That I Get Here!!!! I Am So Glad My Chickens Are Ok, And The Behavior I Am Seeing Is Just Them Growing Up!!!