OEGB first cold season -just cold or should I be worried?

[Cierrascoop]

My OEGB is around 6-7 months old now. It has just started getting chilly here. Last night was the first night it got into the upper 30s low 40s. Yesterday she was running around all poofed up. It didn't register at first-she just looked like a little ball running around. This morning she is still all poofed up and and not exiting the coop. She looks fine aside from this but I'm paranoid...all behaviors were fine yesterday. But she's normally the first out of the coop. She has a big personality. Especially once I get the feed out...is it possible she's just cold or should I be concerned about illness ?

 

[Eggcessive]

I had OEGB’s, silkies, and d’uccles in a big mixed flock in a small old horse barn. It had 4 big windows up high and an open door. My climate is warm in summer, and in the 20-24’s in winter. Some days in January may reach 0-single digits for a couple of weeks. They did fine in winter, and might stay inside on the coldest days, but most came outside for some free ranging as long as snow was cleared for them. I would just make sure they can hang out in an area without any large drafts, but they need overhead ventilation even in winter. They are not as cold hardy as a big ole hen with tons of feathers, but they do well. Getting used to cold weather gradually is important. I never saw any frostbite in the bantams except for some toetips on my little rooster who always wanted to roost on the metal garbage can instead of the roost. I used 2 large electric dog bowls to keep the water cold but not frozen. They only come on when the temp gets below 35 F, and it never gets warm.

 

[Cierrascoop]

I had OEGB’s, silkies, and d’uccles in a big mixed flock in a small old horse barn. It had 4 big windows up high and an open door. My climate is warm in summer, and in the 20-24’s in winter. Some days in January may reach 0-single digits for a couple of weeks. They did fine in winter, and might stay inside on the coldest days, but most came outside for some free ranging as long as snow was cleared for them. I would just make sure they can hang out in an area without any large drafts, but they need overhead ventilation even in winter. They are not as cold hardy as a big ole hen with tons of feathers, but they do well. Getting used to cold weather gradually is important. I never saw any frostbite in the bantams except for some toetips on my little rooster who always wanted to roost on the metal garbage can instead of the roost. I used 2 large electric dog bowls to keep the water cold but not frozen. They only come on when the temp gets below 35 F, and it never gets warm.

See I have silkies as well. And though they are a bit bigger then her I still don't get why she refuses to come out but the silkies do.It just makes me a bit worried that there is more to it. They do have a heated waterer when we start to need it and the coop is equipped for cold weather and she has lots of larger hens to cuddle with which she takes full advantage of.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

This morning she is still all poofed up and and not exiting the coop. She looks fine aside from this but I'm paranoid...all behaviors were fine yesterday. But she's normally the first out of the coop. She has a big personality. Especially once I get the feed out...is it possible she's just cold or should I be concerned about illness ?

Hope you are enjoying BYC!

For me there are more questions to be asked and yes I think I would be concerned..

Has she started laying eggs yet? Has she been raised at your place or recent introduction?

Since she didn't come out for feed this morning and is unusual I would consider it more than just the cold at her age.. I would want to get a good check of her crop function.. Feel if her crop is squishy full of water, flat and empty, or hard with something possibly stuck inside. Also do dropping look normal, still passing etc?

 

[Cierrascoop]

Hope you are enjoying BYC!

For me there are more questions to be asked and yes I think I would be concerned..

Has she started laying eggs yet? Has she been raised at your place or recent introduction?

Since she didn't come out for feed this morning and is unusual I would consider it more than just the cold at her age.. I would want to get a good check of her crop function.. Feel if her crop is squishy full of water, flat and empty, or hard with something possibly stuck inside. Also do dropping look normal, still passing etc?

Hello! I definitely am. I had a profile for a few months but had to make a new one due to losing my log in info so it has started me over lol.
Some of these I can answer now and some I will have to wait for night time for as she NORMALLY doesn't allow me to pick her up. I got her around 15 weeks old and she isn't very use to handling still. Her droppings look normal. She is laying. However she is also my only hen who doesn't lay in the nest boxes so finding hers is an egg hunt. So it's very hard to keep track of how often she lays. I did manage to get photos as she finally came out of the coop. Though they probably won't be very helpful. I'll do a crop check this evening and update after that with my findings there. In the first photo pictured below she looks almost like her normal self.