I am in need of some advice. I have a 10 month old Australorp mix hen who is acting funny. I just went out to the coop and she was setting in front of the chicken door (it's the door they use to go out and it's open). It just struck me funny. So I pick her up -- this is unusual again. I bought her at three months old and she's always avoided me. She's has her beak open slightly -- like they do when it's hot out. They normally free range, but have been in the coop and run for two days because hubby planted grass seed up by the house. So she couldn't have gotten into something. I looked her over and can't see anything. She acted fine this morning and has laid an egg today. I do have a pile of older cedar planks sitting by the coop -- could that be bothering her? The planks have been there for a week. They have plenty of water and are fed a locally made feed (from the grain elevator). The feed has 18 % protein in it. I am always looking them over for lice and mites. I felt her body and she feels normal. I looked her over again and see nothing. I do have a roo -- I saw no scrapes from him -- his spurs are not that big yet (11 months old). No sneezing, coughing, watering eyes, rattley breathing, and I haven't seen any funny looking poops. I haven't added any chickens for the past two months (and they were little six week old EEs from a NPIP breeder). No problems with anybody else and again she was fine this morning. Any ideas?
