We were hoping some more experienced chicken owners could help us out with a behavioral change. Our 13 month old GLW has recently started sitting down on the ground a lot more. For the past two or three weeks she'll just be free ranging, walking along and her tail will drop and she'll plop right down.
She is eating, drinking & pooping just fine. She's laying an egg every day and taking plenty of dust baths. But we also noticed she isn't going up to roost at night, preferring to hang outside in the run rather than join her 2 sisters inside the coop.
I think she might be pre-broody because she started making the soft whoop whoop sound. When she is sitting on the ground she'll sometimes puff up if one of her sisters approaches. Does a change in hormones happen around this age and could she be about to become broody? (And if so could this cause other hens to be more aggressive toward her? One of her sisters is also pecking her a lot more than usual which might be why she doesn't want to roost.)
Thanks
She is eating, drinking & pooping just fine. She's laying an egg every day and taking plenty of dust baths. But we also noticed she isn't going up to roost at night, preferring to hang outside in the run rather than join her 2 sisters inside the coop.
I think she might be pre-broody because she started making the soft whoop whoop sound. When she is sitting on the ground she'll sometimes puff up if one of her sisters approaches. Does a change in hormones happen around this age and could she be about to become broody? (And if so could this cause other hens to be more aggressive toward her? One of her sisters is also pecking her a lot more than usual which might be why she doesn't want to roost.)
Thanks
