Odd Behavior

[Pawsitivly]

Howdy- my eldest chicken Ethel, a buff Orpington, has been acting quite strange the past few days. She hasn’t been leaving the coop, she’s just been staying in there all day. Not on a nest, on her roost in the very back corner. She constantly clucks, and randomly screams for no reason. She’s been fine around the other hens before, and we believe she was at the top of the pecking order so I don’t know if she’s being bullied. She doesn’t have fly strike, as her vent was clean. She’s also not laying anything. We’ve only had chickens since last March, so we don’t really know what this could be, and we’re sorta worried. Any ideas?

edit: She hasn’t been out of her coop for several days besides us taking her out, and she’s making several noises similar to a whine. Also, her hackles flare whenever we open the coop, as if she doesn’t recognize us. Once we pet her a bit she calms down though. She normally isn’t like this, she’s usually really friendly and she even would just walk right in the house.

 

[sourland]

The constant clucking, screaming, and hackle flaring almost sounds as if she is pre broody.

 

[demonic]

Howdy- my eldest chicken Ethel, a buff Orpington, has been acting quite strange the past few days. She hasn’t been leaving the coop, she’s just been staying in there all day. Not on a nest, on her roost in the very back corner. She constantly clucks, and randomly screams for no reason. She’s been fine around the other hens before, and we believe she was at the top of the pecking order so I don’t know if she’s being bullied. She doesn’t have fly strike, as her vent was clean. She’s also not laying anything. We’ve only had chickens since last March, so we don’t really know what this could be, and we’re sorta worried. Any ideas?

edit: She hasn’t been out of her coop for several days besides us taking her out, and she’s making several noises similar to a whine. Also, her hackles flare whenever we open the coop, as if she doesn’t recognize us. Once we pet her a bit she calms down though. She normally isn’t like this, she’s usually really friendly and she even would just walk right in the house.

It sound like she’s broody and wants to be a mom. Buff Orpington are known to go broody and they always want to be mothers

 

[MarshyRooster]

She sounds broody. You said she's your eldest- how old do you mean? Is she still laying? Because I had a Buff Orpington who went broody after she stopped laying, but since she was too old to fight off the other hens and a younger hen wanted to sit on the eggs came along, she got half her comb ripped off in a fight. Well, we think that's what happened.

 

[Pawsitivly]

She sounds broody. You said she's your eldest- how old do you mean? Is she still laying? Because I had a Buff Orpington who went broody after she stopped laying, but since she was too old to fight off the other hens and a younger hen wanted to sit on the eggs came along, she got half her comb ripped off in a fight. Well, we think that's what happened.

She’s maybe 4 years old? We got her when she was already older as we raised our others from chicks.

 

[Pawsitivly]

Also she isn’t on a nest, she’s on a roost bar. I don’t know if that makes any difference...?

 

[demonic]

Also she isn’t on a nest, she’s on a roost bar. I don’t know if that makes any difference...?

Maybe she’s gonna be broody soon?

 

[MarshyRooster]

Hmm..
My hen was older than four when it happened, I think.
And if she's on a roost bar, it probably means something like going broody. I suggest you keep an eye on her.

 

[aart]

Can she see OK?
Hold her on your lap and bring your hand from the back side of head around the the front to see if she reacts....do both sides separately.

Is it hot where you live?
I had a bird act like this during a heat wave, she was suffering from heat stress/stroke.
Electrolytes saved her, now I give them to the whole flock regularly.

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.

 

[Pawsitivly]

Can she see OK?
Hold her on your lap and bring your hand from the back side of head around the the front to see if she reacts....do both sides separately.

Is it hot where you live?
I had a bird act like this during a heat wave, she was suffering from heat stress/stroke.
Electrolytes saved her, now I give them to the whole flock regularly.

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.

Thank you! She started sitting on some eggs and only leaving about once a day for water and a dust bath. We’re pretty sure she’s broody, but this will be helpful in the future!