Dorky chickens sunbathing?

[Whoops]

So, I was watching my chickens this last week. They come out of their run, gorge themselves on the proffered mealworms, then wander around, pecking a bit. Then they come over, near me, squat, sort of stretch a wing out and roll onto their side, with their hackle feathers fluffed up.

I wondered if they were having a seizure or developing some weird chicken disorder or something.

But, I think the blasted things are just reveling in the sun and dirt. It's not quite dust bathing, but all their feathers are fluffed up.



They look rather like the have been stomped on and squashed flat. Weird chickens.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

they are trying to take a dust bath but the ground looks too hard. a small kiddie pool with sand in it lets them do their thing and helps keep mites off. mine always pick under my trees where the mulch is and ends up leaving the roots of the trees exposed. need to take my own advise!

 

[Blue Roo]

My chickens do the same thing in the sun so I just thought they where sunning they have a place to take a dust bath so if they aren't sunning I don't know what they are doing

 

[Whoops]

Hmmmm - this isn't their normal dust bathing spot. They have several dusty spots, but they aren't going to those.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

well, you may be right , it might just be an, I FEEL GOOD moment or something in their normal spot they dont like

 

[jsmith2952]

One of my chickens is famous for her "flop over in a sunny spot and stick one wing out at a weird angle where it looks like it's broken and she's having a seizure at the same time" thing. She's done it since we first got her. I don't think she's trying to dust bathe, as they have many spots in my yard for it. Typically when she does the weird flop thing, she does it on my cement pool deck, in the sunniest spot she can find. My best guess is she's sunning herself like a dog does. She gets all ruffled and looks quite content.

Hope that helps!

 

[Chickens R Us]

Sunbathing would be my guess it is quite comical to watch them.