Self-isolating chicken?

[BrandySC]

I have a hen who has recently started keeping to herself. I have a small flock (13) and they have always stayed a tight group, but lately one is always missing. I’ll find her grazing a hundred yards away or napping under the deck while the rest are foraging. She now stays in the coop a little while in the morning after all the others leave. She acts like she feels fine aside from this new behavior, though this evening her crop was not full as I would have expected at the end of the day. Thoughts?

 

[Yardmom]

Are the others picking on her? Make sure to have a few different food stations.

 

[aart]

She acts like she feels fine aside from this new behavior, though this evening her crop was not full as I would have expected at the end of the day. Thoughts?

When I have a bird that is acting 'off' I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling. Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.