Puffy chicken

[kelp2244]

Hi everyone, first off-i use byc all the time, thank you for such a wonderful group of knowledgeable and friendly people.

I have a chicken who has been not roosting in the coop with everyone else, and sometimes stands around all puffy. She is drinking, i haven't seen her eat. Of course when i went to take a picture she looks more normal...

 

[kelp2244]

She is foraging, but everyone else just had a nice dustbath and she just stood there.

 

[aart]

Why is she not sleeping in the coop?
Is coop big enough for all your birds?

More info would help:
-your flock size(numbers, ages, genders),
-your coop(size in feet by feet with pics),
might offer clues to if there is a solvable problem.

Oh, and Welcome to BYC! @kelp2244
would also be good to know...
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[kiwi-chick]

Is she perhaps becoming broody... check out the broody links here

 

[kelp2244]

Thank you will do! I am in New York, we have 13 total birds in a 4 x 4 coop, with attached run, and an additional 4 x 8 coop attached to the same run. They prefer the 4x4...its probably a little small. I just added an extra roosting bar, so maybe that will help. The batch that Redwing (the hen in question) is from are about 7 months old now. There are 3 older girls in with them, they are about a year old.

 

[kelp2244]

Is she perhaps becoming broody... check out the broody links here

I will read up on it, thank you!

 

[aart]

Thank you will do! I am in New York, we have 13 total birds in a 4 x 4 coop, with attached run, and an additional 4 x 8 coop attached to the same run. They prefer the 4x4...its probably a little small. I just added an extra roosting bar, so maybe that will help. The batch that Redwing (the hen in question) is from are about 7 months old now. There are 3 older girls in with them, they are about a year old.

Good info, thanks!
Were the younger birds added as chicks to the older 3, or....?
So how big is the run?

You might want to keep them confined to coops and runs for a few days to 'force' her to find a place in one of the coops to roost.
Funny that they want to use the smaller coop, was it there first?
Even 4x8 might be tight for 13 birds, depends on how it is configured.
Pics, inside and out, of both coops might garner some suggestions.