Overly tired hen

[Mbean15]

Hello, everyone. I have an aprox. 25wk old EE hen, no eggs yet, but she's turning very red, and possibly messing with the nesting box.
My morning routine is to go outside, count heads, toss food, fill the water and fill buckets around the yard with ice water. My EEs are the big hens on campus so usually they eat first, but today I noticed my #1 hen sleeping in the shade. I didn't think about it, until I put out food and she didn't get up. When I walked over to check on her, she got up and took off, ran to the food and started eating.
Is this normal behavior for a first-time layer or should I go in there and corner her to get a better look?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she doing now?

Could be she is starting to come into lay, they can act slightly "off", but not for a long period of time. If she isn't ok by Tuesday a.m. then keep a close eye on her or separate her so you can monitor her. Check her over for any mites/lice, feel her abdomen and check her crop.

Let us know how she is.

 

[Mbean15]

She seems okay. Awake this morning. I cornered her and instead of doing the usual thing where she takes off and tries to squeeze by me, yelling the whole time she kind of paced around, back and forth like she was thinking about it, but was confused.
Crop was nice and empty, clean rear, no mites, abdomen was normal. She's totally healthy other than seeming more mentally slowed down.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She seems okay. Awake this morning. I cornered her and instead of doing the usual thing where she takes off and tries to squeeze by me, yelling the whole time she kind of paced around, back and forth like she was thinking about it, but was confused.
Crop was nice and empty, clean rear, no mites, abdomen was normal. She's totally healthy other than seeming more mentally slowed down.

Keep a eye on her. When hens come into lay, they can sometimes have what I call a "personality change" which I think is do to hormones possibly. Sometimes flighty girls can become more docile or want more attention, I think they are not quite sure what to do or what is going on - all those "hen instincts" are hitting them, they may pace to the nesting box, be by themselves just a bit more, etc., until they have laid their first few eggs, then they seem to be ok.

With the hot weather we have been having I noticed mine are a bit slower, so cold water a couple of times a day, cold/frozen veggies fruits as treats. If she becomes lethargic again, check her to make sure she is not overheated. If so, you can dip her legs/feet/lower body in cool water and provide cold water and a shady area. If it's heat related, electrolytes for a couple of hours may help too.

Let us know if she takes a turn or begins to show any more symptoms.

 

[Mbean15]

Usually when it's early in the morning, around 6 it's not too hot to where I need to ice them. If it's around 85 and up I will ice them, but normally that early it's only 70-80.
She just kind of seems out of it like she's not all there anymore. She's still eating and drinking like usual at least.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Usually when it's early in the morning, around 6 it's not too hot to where I need to ice them. If it's around 85 and up I will ice them, but normally that early it's only 70-80.
She just kind of seems out of it like she's not all there anymore. She's still eating and drinking like usual at least.

What exactly do you mean she seems out of it?

Is she still laying down and lethargic, up and moving, but disoriented?

A video may help.

You may want to go ahead and separate her, place her in a cooler area, provide some poultry vitamins if you have them (Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell). I don't know exactly where you are in NC, I'm in WNC, but even with the temps being in the mid80-low90s, the humidity has been horrible, making it feel "oppressive". Even with shade, cold water/treats and fans, a couple of mine have been way less active. Is yours panting at all? She could have suffered from heat stress, which can take a few days to get over.

 

[Mbean15]

She's doing fine now. Back to her regular flighty self. I wanted to make sure she was doing okay before I said anything.
The first day she was laying down, looked up at me when I was pouring food, then went back to bed, while everyone else was eating. So that was concerning behavior.
I appreciate everyone's concern! I wonder what was wrong with her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad to hear she is doing better

 

[Mbean15]

I think the previous replies are right on.
I went to go check on them, I had to leave before sunrise for work and just got home. Did a head count, was missing the tired hen, so I assumed the worst. Went looking for her, found her smashed between the fence and a wall, pulled her out and noticed she was real low with her wings out. At first I assumed it was the heat, but when she didn't run I realized she was squatting!
I'm very excited, this will be my first laying hen ever. Never has a squatting animal made my day like that.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I think the previous replies are right on.
I went to go check on them, I had to leave before sunrise for work and just got home. Did a head count, was missing the tired hen, so I assumed the worst. Went looking for her, found her smashed between the fence and a wall, pulled her out and noticed she was real low with her wings out. At first I assumed it was the heat, but when she didn't run I realized she was squatting!
I'm very excited, this will be my first laying hen ever. Never has a squatting animal made my day like that.