- Aug 25, 2011
- 15
- 0
- 22
Hello everybody,
I'm new to the board and have joined because this is my first year with chickens and am having my first real problem. I have one plymouth rock hen who I've noticed is acting a little strange over the last two days - she's almost always got her feathers fluffed up on end and her tail feathers straight up in the air - every once and a while she sort of opens her wings up like a turkey. She's making a pretty consistent clucking sound. Typically my chickens (especially the rocks) run up to greet me when I enter the run, but this hen has not been doing that.
I thought at first she might be broody (and the rooster seems to prefer her, so she seems annoyed). But, shes not spending much time on any particular nest, she's usually wandering around.
Then, I thought she might be eggbound because she does have some messy poo around her vent. But she isnt lethargic (other than not greeting me), and I couldnt feel a lump at all.
Lastly - I found a very soft shelled egg this morning, actually cracked open. I dont know if this was her egg or not, but I thought I'd mention it in case it helps. I've heard hens can lay early after a thunderstorm and we did have the biggest storm of the season last night so maybe that's all the soft egg was (all of the eggs from my 15 other hens have normal shells).
Does anybody have any ideas?
I'm new to the board and have joined because this is my first year with chickens and am having my first real problem. I have one plymouth rock hen who I've noticed is acting a little strange over the last two days - she's almost always got her feathers fluffed up on end and her tail feathers straight up in the air - every once and a while she sort of opens her wings up like a turkey. She's making a pretty consistent clucking sound. Typically my chickens (especially the rocks) run up to greet me when I enter the run, but this hen has not been doing that.
I thought at first she might be broody (and the rooster seems to prefer her, so she seems annoyed). But, shes not spending much time on any particular nest, she's usually wandering around.
Then, I thought she might be eggbound because she does have some messy poo around her vent. But she isnt lethargic (other than not greeting me), and I couldnt feel a lump at all.
Lastly - I found a very soft shelled egg this morning, actually cracked open. I dont know if this was her egg or not, but I thought I'd mention it in case it helps. I've heard hens can lay early after a thunderstorm and we did have the biggest storm of the season last night so maybe that's all the soft egg was (all of the eggs from my 15 other hens have normal shells).
Does anybody have any ideas?