Sleeping standing up during daytime

[Dusty Bottoms]

My Speckledy hen Larry, who should be close to laying her first egg, is displaying unusual behavior in the past 2 days. She is following her other friends around the back yard like usual, but when they start scratching and pecking around, she just stands there with her eyes closed and head nodding off just like a human. Sometimes she will come over to our french doors and do it right next to the door, away from her friends. I got all 3 of my chickens at the same time and one of them just started laying a few days ago...could Larry be acting this way because she is about to start laying? I just want to know if sleeping during the day is normal or the sign of an illness. Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Hens are usually active during the day and when they aren't it usually means they are sick. Check her for lice or mites. Have you ever wormed them??? Also check her backside for an egg. Since she just started laying its common for pullets to become egg bound.

 

[Dusty Bottoms]

Checked today for lice and mites on her skin and found nothing, soaked her bum in warm water and checked for egg and nothing...I put some worming powder(Paragon) in their food every once in a while, but nothing consistent. Is there a worming method/product that you would recommend? Thank you.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Try this thread. It has a lot of info on worming.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/732910/deworming-experience-from-start-to-finish

 

[Dusty Bottoms]

Larry is back to her normal self today, don't know what the deal was yesterday. Thank you willowbranchfarms for the link, I think it was a little over my head though...definitely ordered some wormer this morning though.

 

[tashpotato]

My hen is similar, still have inside as no improvement

Check the link for my thread asking for help for a very poorly chicken to see what people advised me incase it happens again.
I'm glad your girl is better

 

[Dusty Bottoms]

Checked out your thread and mine was doing the same exact thing, I live in the UK as well and the temp definitely dropped recently. Hope your girl gets better.

 

[kays chicks]

my polish roo does it sometimes come afternoon , he still is active and catching the hens to mate . i think he is tired after his matital duties . i worm mine with medicated food from www.farmandpetplace.co.uk they are called marriages layer pellets + flubenvet (wormer) . ordered it then got a nice phone call asking how many chickens i had and advice on how to feed them / how much to feed them .
hope your hens are ok

 

[Dusty Bottoms]

Yeah she's doing fine now, got some pre-mixed flubenvet pellets and I am currently worming just to be safe!