Old hen behavior, I hope!

[Franklin Chick]

So I just got my chickens last week. Bought from an individual who had too many to keep. Just bought 10 was told that they were about 14 months old and good layers. They have been great layers but once they settled in and I started really studying them I noticed that one appears to be significantly older than the rest. Not that that matters too much to me.

The things that make me think this are that she is much larger, her feathers are much lighter in color than the rest and her waddles are much larger and lighter in color as well. Her energy level when she first came was lower than the rest. But now after having been here a week she is really low energy. Her eyes are bright, her beak is nice and clean her feathers look fine, she doesn't really look sick. She is eating although not as much as the others and she is still drinking water. She does wander out into the run during the day but spends a lot of time in the coop and spends most of her time sleeping.

My concern is, is this just normal elderly chicken behavior? Can I attribute it to her age combined with the excitement of a new home and the heat? Or is she sick? Everyone else is very active and healthy looking. No one else seems to be having problems with the heat. Any feedback, suggestions, insights are greatly appreciated. I have not had chickens for a long time and am just getting this group going. I don't want to lose one already!

Thanks,
Franklin Chick

 

[Eggcessive]

You may be aware that chickens go through their first big molt around 16-18 months, and yearly thereafter. She may be starting hers early, but hard to know until you begin to see feathers lying around the coop. Chickens who are molting will become more aloof and sedentary, and eat less. They also stop laying, and combs may become paler.

She may be older than you were told, but she also could be suffering from an illness or reproductive disorder. Does she lay eggs? Check her weight to see if she is light or normal weight, if her breastbone is prominent, and if she has any enlargement of her lower belly between her legs. Look for loose droppings, or stuck droppings around her vent. Look for lice or mites especially under her vent. Check her crop to feel if it is empty, full, hard , or puffy. See if it empties by the next morning before she eats. Watch to see if she will eat her feed, and offer some chopped egg.

 

[Franklin Chick]

Unfortunately she died later that evening. She was normal weight, eyes bright, beak clean, feathers sleek, she was larger than the others and larger waddles as well. She had been eating and drinking. She was laying about every third day or so. Her crop was not enlarged her vent was clean and she didn't have any noticeable enlarged areas or nodules anywhere, her feet looked good, she looked great appearance wise. She just slowly started sleeping more and more. I think that it may have been a case of old age. No one was picking at her as they will sometimes do when one is sick. Everyone else appears to be happy and healthy, they all lay everyday. She has been gone for a week now and no one else seems to be having any issues so I am not convinced that she was sick. My concern now is that we are going into triple digit heat indexes this week so keeping my girls cool is going to be the priority this week. Thank you for your feedback it is much appreciated.

 

[micstrachan]

Sorry for your loss. Do you know some tricks for helping them in the heat? Providing shade is an absolute must. They will want to dig down to cooler dirt to lay in. Icing their water can help, too. When my girls go find a cool spot far from theylir water, I bring some to them. Try not to disturb them much when it’s hot. Good luck!

 

[BirdGirl2004]

I'm so sorry for your loss! I agree with micstrachan, in the fact that they need shade, and "coolness" as much as possible!! Good luck for the future!