Hen Walking Around Poofed Up

[ClaraCluckChicken]

Hi All!

Occasionally my 2yo buff Orpington (I think she is technically a “buff rock”..she came from TSC and always had different colored legs than the rest) has been walking around puffed up and will stop and make this weird screaming type noise. It’s not the normal hen noise and is not a crow. She started it after her hen friend died. We thought maybe she was looking for her..? But now it’s been five days and she is still randomly doing it. Any ideas?

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

Is she spending any time in a nest box? Sounds like she’s become broody.

 

[ClaraCluckChicken]

Is she spending any time in a nest box? Sounds like she’s become broody.

I was wondering if this could be a broody thing. But she is doing it while walking around…do they ever do that before going to a nest?

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

I was wondering if this could be a broody thing. But she is doing it while walking around…do they ever do that before going to a nest?

From what I have seen is that they spend a lot of time on the nest and will puff up and make a particular cluck and squawk if disturbed then when they get off of the nest they walk around puffed out and making that distinctive cluck. Could just be an individual thing, and she hasn’t quite got it all figured out.

 

[aart]

Hi All!

Occasionally my 2yo buff Orpington (I think she is technically a “buff rock”..she came from TSC and always had different colored legs than the rest) has been walking around puffed up and will stop and make this weird screaming type noise. It’s not the normal hen noise and is not a crow. She started it after her hen friend died. We thought maybe she was looking for her..? But now it’s been five days and she is still randomly doing it. Any ideas?

Is she the only bird you have left?

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I lost a hen (Martine) to a predator bird. Starting later that day and for a long while afterwards, the others would randomly call out to her several times a day. As though they thought she was lost and they could call to her so she could find her way home. Sometimes (months later) one of them will go out near where she was taken and just scream out to her. I have to go out and get the hen when one does that. They are making themselves vulnerable to having the same fate. They are smarter than we realize and do care about we each other. There is one hen (Blueberry) who never exhibits this behaviour, Martine use to terrorize Blueberry and I don't think she misses her bully.

By the way Budgies will do this too. If a budgie gets out of the cage the others call him and he comes back to them. If you take one to the vet the others get upset and if one dies the others need to see the body or they will keep calling out to the missing bird.