Help! Think my chicken is sick!

[jbieware]

I have a little banty hen (not sure how old....older one I think) that has dug a little nest in the dirt but is shaking, laying kinda on her side and drawing her feet up! Does anyone know what could be wrong? I'm worrried she's dying or something....

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Don't worry, she is just fine. That's what they do when they take a dirt bath. On their side, all weird and shaky. They love it.

 

[speckledhen]

Could she be taking a dustbath? Sounds like what you describe.

 

[jbieware]

HAHAHAHA...Thank ya'll. I think she is taking a dust bath! Can you tell I'm a new chicken owner!!! She is rolling all in the dirt and acting all crazy...

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Chickens are strange creatures. They seem positively in a trance when doing a dirt bath. Here is a pic, not a very good one, of two of my girls. Grace looks like she's been shot.

 

[d.k]

* Mine was doing that just a couple days ago. Only problem was that it was like close to 95 degrees and she was working at it so hard, she got a bit overheated, AND got a gob of damp sand in her eye besides.

 

[jbieware]

Thank you...that pic is just how she looked. I thought I was gonna have to do CPR.

 

[d.k]

* I sometimes wonder how the poor c-x's can live through doing it ONCE!