Letting hens out this morning

[DaveTaunton]

This morning (by this morning I mean like 10 minutes ago) I opened the floodgates for my hens to come out for the day, I'm going to let them freerange on their own and just listen for if that **** cat makes another appearance. So I let them out, went to do the normal morning bathroom shenanigans and come back out.

When I looked over, I there were only four hens out, so I went into the coop and one was just huddled down like it wanted to stay asleep, and was making low quiet cooing noises, should I be concerned? I walked over to her and she was moving fine, she just wanted to stay there.

Thanks

 

[DaveTaunton]

Didn't think that was a profanity, my bad

 

[write2caroline]

I have girls that go into the coop early for a good roosting spot and some lag behind the others more to evade the roosters.

Caroline

 

[DaveTaunton]

Yeah she's out and about now, but just keeps lying down and then she gets pecked by one of the other hens, I think gently? But she's never wanted to just lie down all the time

 

[Thassa]

Could she be broody? I have a hen that went broody yesterday.

 

[DaveTaunton]

Well she was by 3 eggs when I first saw her, so she probably is, we don't have a rooster or anything though. I've read some proper horror stories about broody hens starving cos they just didn't want to move, but she has been out and about most of the day. I just want to nip it in the bud!

 

[Mac14]

I'm thinking that maybe her leg or foot isn't feeling the best, maybe. Also, maybe she was just thinking about being broody, I don't know. Also, it might be a way of being submissive, like she is at the bottom of the pecking order. Those are my best guesses right now.

 

[DaveTaunton]

Thanks! She seems alot better today so hopefully it was just a phase