We have a hen who began hanging out in the coop all the time just a few days ago. She's always on a roost, not in a nest box like a broody. She's also been sleeping on the lower roost by herself even though there's plenty of room on the high roost where she typically sleeps. We didn't pay much attention and figured she was being picked on by the others. Tonight I went out to close them up for the night, and she had climbed underneath the coop for bed! I pulled her out, and couldn't see any injuries or anything wrong. I put her in a nest box, because I was so confused that I didn't know what to do with her. She settled into the nest box, and as far as I know she's still there. Does anybody know what might be going on or what I should do?
As a sidenote, we had a kind of similar situation about a month ago with another hen. She was our oldest chicken, so when she started laying down in the middle of the yard in the middle of the day, we just thought she was getting old and nearing the end of her life. After a few days, she stopped leaving the coop. We found her dead after the second night of sleeping on the floor. As far as I know she wasn't sick - just old.
Could the two be related? Should I be concerned about my other birds?
Thanks for any help or advice.
As a sidenote, we had a kind of similar situation about a month ago with another hen. She was our oldest chicken, so when she started laying down in the middle of the yard in the middle of the day, we just thought she was getting old and nearing the end of her life. After a few days, she stopped leaving the coop. We found her dead after the second night of sleeping on the floor. As far as I know she wasn't sick - just old.
Could the two be related? Should I be concerned about my other birds?
Thanks for any help or advice.