Scary episode with my Rhode Island Red

[NOLAchicks]

Hello! I just had very odd/scary few minutes. My neighbor called to tell me that one of my chickens seemed in trouble. He said she was laying on her back with her legs up in the air and head to one side. He thought she was dead. The other two were walking around her, clucking. In the minute it took for me to get the call and get into the back yard, the "dead" chicken was up and seemed to be acting normally.

What was going on???? I am in New Orleans, and it is/has been very hot today and yesterday, but the chickens spend most of the day under the house, hunting bugs or taking dust baths.

Any insight would be appreciated!

NOLAchicks

 

[troy4]

Hello! I just had very odd/scary few minutes. My neighbor called to tell me that one of my chickens seemed in trouble. He said she was laying on her back with her legs up in the air and head to one side. He thought she was dead. The other two were walking around her, clucking. In the minute it took for me to get the call and get into the back yard, the "dead" chicken was up and seemed to be acting normally.

What was going on???? I am in New Orleans, and it is/has been very hot today and yesterday, but the chickens spend most of the day under the house, hunting bugs or taking dust baths.

Any insight would be appreciated!

NOLAchicks

Did she have hair up like stick on her.Chickens sun bathe.And it sounds like that's what she was doing.If her wings out like in this picture its what she was doing.

 

[sourland]

She may have been sunbathing. They will become almost catatonic laying on their sides and stretching out their wings and legs. If she is acting normally I would not worry about her.

 

[NOLAchicks]

I did not see the behavior, my neighbor said she was on her back, but she would have been in the sun from where he described her being physically located. She seems fine now, it just freaked me out! We are pushing 95 and humid here today, so I hope she stays under the house until it cools off a bit! Thanks for your responses.