Fluffed up pullet

[gmachicken]

Okay I have one BO who I observed today walking about like a turkey! All her feathers were fluffed out and she strutted about and clucked somewhat quietly. Any thoughts?s She seems ok otherwise.

 

[heatherkh]

How old is she?? Sounds broody to me. Was she making a cluck-cluck-cluck as she walked around?

edit to add - ah, I missed where you said she was clucking quietly. My Australorps acted the same way when she was broody. Has she been hanging out in the nesting box longer than usual?

 

[gmachicken]

Well that could be though I haven't seen her hanging about the nests. Maybe she's just heading there. I'm used to the bantams always being broody and the big girls I've never seen in such a state. New girls so new behaviors I'm sure.
Thanks for the thought. That is probably what it is.
She is either just turned 21 weeks or is one of the older ones at I think 36 weeks.
Do you know what color Barred Rocks lay. We had one before who's egg was almost the same color of our BO. I have a mixed group and the BRs have been laying a while now but, if it is them, the eggs are a much darker color.

 

[msviolaceous]

My flock just turned 21 weeks on Monday, and one of my BO's just gave me her first egg yesterday. The same pullet freaked me out a week or two ago by being all fluffy one afternoon. I was scared she was sick or injured and her vent looked red. After I started prodding her and examining, she made a really nasty noise to warn me, shook it off and was acting normally from then on. I have since decided (without any evidence except that she was close to laying and has been fine since) that she just had a hormonal spell that made her briefly act slightly broody, since BO's have so much of that instinct left.