Hi There Expert Chicken Lovers!
I have a small flock of 6. The four older (approx 8 months old) are all laying well, super social and seemingly healthy. I have one Buff Orpington who is my favorite. She is super sweet and a great layer. She is very silly- ALWAYS eating ... last week she devowed all the parsley in my garden by herself. And she loves to roll around in the dirt - in flowerpots or in the yard. She's a feathered little piggy who follows me everywhere as long as there isn't food or dirt to distract her. Today she was puffing up in a strange way as she walked alongside me in the yard and then laid down on her side by my foot and stretched one wing and leg out. She did this twice and it freaked me out because her position on her side looked unnatural and I thought maybe she is sick, but then she got up and ran after her sister hens as they free range around the yard. She does have a dirty vent today also, but she got into some blueberries yesterday and I thought maybe she has some loose stool from the berries - especially since the messy vent looks like droppings that are dark bluish greenish. Any thoughts? Should I be worried about Coccidiosis or is she just a goofball? Have any of you seen this type of behaviour (puffing up and laying on side) from a healthy but silly chicken? Thank you!!!!
I have a small flock of 6. The four older (approx 8 months old) are all laying well, super social and seemingly healthy. I have one Buff Orpington who is my favorite. She is super sweet and a great layer. She is very silly- ALWAYS eating ... last week she devowed all the parsley in my garden by herself. And she loves to roll around in the dirt - in flowerpots or in the yard. She's a feathered little piggy who follows me everywhere as long as there isn't food or dirt to distract her. Today she was puffing up in a strange way as she walked alongside me in the yard and then laid down on her side by my foot and stretched one wing and leg out. She did this twice and it freaked me out because her position on her side looked unnatural and I thought maybe she is sick, but then she got up and ran after her sister hens as they free range around the yard. She does have a dirty vent today also, but she got into some blueberries yesterday and I thought maybe she has some loose stool from the berries - especially since the messy vent looks like droppings that are dark bluish greenish. Any thoughts? Should I be worried about Coccidiosis or is she just a goofball? Have any of you seen this type of behaviour (puffing up and laying on side) from a healthy but silly chicken? Thank you!!!!
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