Is this pre-laying behavior?

[CurrieChicken]

My girls are about 20 weeks and one of my cochins is being strange. We figure she is about to lay but none of the others are doing anything like she is. She is constantly laying around in the yard and in the coop like she is nesting and she drops her wings low. She seems to be walking a little funny and sometimes will drop her tail before she plops down. While she is laying there she continues to peck at grass, so she is eating. She has a little poop on her butt feathers but isn't pasted up and her vent looks fine so she seems to be pooping fine. When I pick her up she will sit in my lap which isn't too unusual, they are used to that, but she seems to really enjoy having her rump pet and lifts her tail high when touched, so I figure mating behavior? Does all this seem like normal first egg behavior or should I be concerned about anything weird?

 

[Y N dottes]

Hi, Welcome to BYC.....
Im not 100% sure, but i think everything is fine w/ ur hen.....probably just getting ready to lay one of these days.

 

[theoldchick]

Some of what you describe sounds like a broody hen. However, they usually lay eggs before going broody. Nevertheless, she is at the age to start laying. So long as she is eating, defecating, and is alert, I wouldn't worry. If she starts acting depressed, she needs a closer exam.

 

[DanEP]

Sounds like she's starting to squat for the rooster if you have one or not, if not your it. squating is most often followed by laying fairly soon but could still be a couple of weeks off.Some girls act pretty weird at point of lay some don't, as long as she seems healthy and is eating well don't worry about it.It just takes some chickens longer to figure out what's going on than others, either way it sounds like you'll be getting breakfast soon.

 

[CurrieChicken]

Thanks every one. I think you're right that I am the rooster, I was starting to feel a bit dirty that she likes to have her butt pet. She otherwise seems fine, so hopefully she is just getting ready to lay, but these are my first girls so we have no clue.

 

[CurrieChicken]

She still hasn't laid and is still walking around with her tail down and same symptoms. Eats a little and my huband saw her poop, but I'm really starting to worry she may be egg bound or internal laying.

 

[theoldchick]

Time to pick her up and look her over.

 

[CurrieChicken]

She looks alert, eyes bright. comb red, vent clean and normal color, no fluid. She is pooping, eating a little, hasn't been drinking much. She looks healthy, but seems to be getting weaker. Laying around more, wings dropped, tail down. Tried a warm bath and she let me blow dry her and layed in my lap forever. She laid on the heating pad this morning too in an attempt to maybe loosen an egg if she is egg bound, but none of them have laid yet, they are barely old enough to start laying, so it seems early for laying problems to start already on the very first egg. I gave her a dose of liquid vitamins today as well as some Vet rx and put vitamins in the water. Does anyone have any ideas? Should I find some anitbiotics? What kind and how much? The only thing I found was for livestock, so not sure if that's ok.

 

[CurrieChicken]

I did notice that she has a tiny black spot on the top of her comb. Could all this be a case of fowl pox? Also, she is a cochin and I have noticed her foot feathers have broken and thinned out, maybe just from laying around so much? Also, I checked her feet and they look fine. I just don't know what is wrong with her, but she clearly feels bad. Yesterday when I was sitting on the floor with her she actually crawled in my lap in laid down. That in itself says she is sick. There is some controversy about colloidal silver, but I have used it myself with excellent and rapid results and have read that it is safe for animals as well, so I gave her some this morning, along with a dose of vitamins and Vet rx, gave her some blueberries and sat inside with her for awhile. I rarely use anitbiotics myself, I prefer to try natural remedies first and avoid pharmacueticals when possible and the silver has cleared up everything I have taken it for with no further need for anything else, so I figure if it works for me I will try with her. I guess if she isn't perking up by tomorrow I will get some antibiotics and then move on to looking at deworming, though her belly feels fine.

 

[Yardfarm Family]

How does she react when you have treats? does she seem interested? My cochin is around the same age and isn't laying either, like yours she seems to lay around a little more often but I am not worried she's ill. Is her comb and wattle reddened yet, also a sign of laying soon. Hope she gives you eggs soon!