Hen standing funny - bad sign or just being moody?

[aart]

But my wife cooks them dinner every night from combinations of eggs, oats,apples,tomatoes,basil,and other things.

I would knock all this off and just feed the chick starter and fresh plain water to all.
And give the older bird some calcium as @Wyorp Rock suggests.

This is what I do when I have a bird that is acting off:
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.
Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.


Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[Jiodi]

I would knock all this off and just feed the chick starter and fresh plain water to all.
And give the older bird some calcium as @Wyorp Rock suggests.

This is what I do when I have a bird that is acting off:
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.
Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.


Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

haha the girls will not accept not getting their nightly home cooked meal XD

Thankfully she seems to be on the up and up now. She also does get plain food and fresh water every day, which she's been eating pretty well this morning (including her layer feed)

 

[Jiodi]

This morning she was back to her normal self eating and stuff. I'm wondering it it's the claw her broken toe scratching her that's causing discomfort. I noticed she has a lil bald spot now where she scratches her head that lines up perfectly with the angle her broken toe claw comes out.

That or some sort of behavioral issue that has to do with pecking order.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This morning she was back to her normal self eating and stuff. I'm wondering it it's the claw her broken toe scratching her that's causing discomfort. I noticed she has a lil bald spot now where she scratches her head that lines up perfectly with the angle her broken toe claw comes out.

That or some sort of behavioral issue that has to do with pecking order

Glad she's bounced back for a while.

I've seen this in laying hens, they can wax and wane for months or longer. I'd just keep up with seeing that she's eating/drinking, her crop is emptying, check for lice/mites, deworm (get a fecal float), etc. etc. Treat symptoms and offer supportive care as symptoms occur.

Let them chicken until they can't chicken anymore, then let them go.

Hope all continues to go well for you and her.

 

[NanaK]

Let them chicken until they can't, then let them go.

Love this! Best advice ever!