- Nov 1, 2009
- 63
- 1
- 39
Hi everyone, I have a fairly young hen, probably 2 years old that I got a few months ago. I have noticed over the past week that she isn't really travelling with the rest of the flock (6 other hens and 1 rooster) like she used to. I'll notice her at the slider door watching me and just sitting there on her own. Usually the rooster will round them up, but he hasn't been doing this either. I've also noticed that when I put them into bed for the night, she isn't on the roosting pole like normal, now she is in the bottom level nesting box, while the others are on their perch. I have also noticed that when she is walking, she walks almost like how one would walk if they were in the saddle for like 10 hours!!!!!!! Because I have the 7 hens, with the exception of about 4 of them, I know which hens are laying which eggs by the colors. Unfortunately with Maria, my hen in question, I have never seen her nesting to see if she is laying and although my hens have 12 nesting boxes, they seem to all lay in the same one. She does roam with the others, she is eating the goodies I throw their way, as well as their normal scratch and pellets and drinking water. She isn't resting more so than normal and I don't know if I'm just being paranoid. Could she be egg-bound? How do you know? Is there a way to check if I examine her duct? I'm new to chickens, I have my flock about 3 years now and any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to figure out what could be wrong before I make an appointment with the vet. Thanks in advance.
