Hen acting strange

[hennotrooster]

So my "evil hen" now has her own little yard and is content to be alone, she is getting fat not having to share her food. As I was headed toward her gate (she was standing near it) she puffed up squatted a bit and spread her tail feathers when I entered the yard she walked away but was walking sort of squatted. I did not pay attention to her as I was there to clean up and change out the straw in her nest. Anyway as I went about my business she stopped doing this but the following afternoon she did the same thing when I went to give her fresh water. Any ideas what she is trying to say? She is laying so she is not bound she eats/drinks well. I do not let her out of her yard to roam around as the other hens are out and about and she terrorizes them.

The others fly out/in at will and fly into the dogs yard to eat the lawn, hubby does not have to mow it.

Rachel's yard is 8' x 10' all to herself, she has 2 old rabbit cages in the yard that have been fixed nicely for her to lay in and to sleep in, she has her own high rise with a small log going across for her to get from one side to the other. She is preferring to sleep in the one that has the stray for her to lay in. She made two nests one for sleeping and one for laying (side by side). She has not gone across to sleep in the other cage, they sit about 4' maybe 41/2 ' off the ground. So I would say she is free range oh and she has a dog carrier with straw in it sitting on the ground as well, she has used this at times to sleep in.

 

[Den in Penn]

She is squatting for the rooster. Since she is isolated from the flock, so now you are her flock. Just scratch her on the back, she'll stand, shake a little and be happy.

 

[hennotrooster]

She is squatting for the rooster. Since she is isolated from the flock, so now you are her flock. Just scratch her on the back, she'll stand, shake a little and be happy.

Seriously? She won't let me touch her she never liked being held or touched, she is mean this is why she is isolated. I do try to touch her or feed her from my hand but she will not take the food. She does however stay closer to me now when I enter her yard which is something she has never done. She took the position of the rooster a bit after we got rid of him. Thanks

 

[Den in Penn]

Isolation can change their behavior. She may not like you touching her, but she could be displaying confused behaviors. Touch me/don't touch me. Who knows what really goes on in their minds.

 

[cravenchx]

How old is she?

 

[hennotrooster]

How old is she?

Rachel is 1 yr. almost 8 mos.

 

[cravenchx]

Rachel is 1 yr. almost 8 mos.

Broody? When Kay went broody, she was very isolated, well at least she thought she was.
But when I put her in isolation, she broke broody and was great after that. Just a thought.
I am NO expert. Good luck!

 

[hennotrooster]

Isolation can change their behavior. She may not like you touching her, but she could be displaying confused behaviors. Touch me/don't touch me. Who knows what really goes on in their minds.

She was put in isolation because she took the position of the rooster and was very aggressively mounting my younger hens. It was a very stressed yard. I put her out of site out of ear shot for 4 days and she went back into the yard as if she never left her position was still there. She is however calmer now that she is alone she still sees the other hens and they will go over and eat out side of her fence I will put out some scratch on her side and theirs so they sorta eat together. She just can not interact with them because she goes on the attack.

 

[hennotrooster]

She is a Sussex she never had interest in sitting on an egg any longer than she had to. No feathers are being plucked she does not sit for more than 10-15 minutes after laying. We also have no roo. Is one needed for them to go broody?

 

[cravenchx]

I don't think a roo is necessary. But, again, I am not an expert by any means. But, you will get the answers here.