She's a good Dark Brahma hen 9 months old......hatched a brood 7 weeks ago (broody almost from the moment she stared to egg lay). She has always been a loner, wanders off by herself, shuns all the others. I have called her the Grey Lady as she has such a proud stance and arrogant look, but she is lovely, can be picked up, likes stroking etc.
She left her chicks and started to egg lay about 10 days ago. For the first few days she stayed fairly close to the other chickens, then started to wander off again, into a field where she does not normally go and where I think one of my Warrens has been laying her eggs.(Can't find them, though)
4 days ago she turned up very late to go into the hen house and the following day later still with signs of possible fox attack (Superficial back wound which has settled down well). I placed her in a pen with some chicks as she seemed to want to hang around the back door. When eventually she showed signs of wanting to come out she immediately went into the (attached) outhouse and occupied part of the dog's bed. She has stayed there for the last 48 hours. She laid an egg there yesterday.
Her wounds are pretty well healed, she is eating very well when food is placed by the dog's bed , but shows no sign of wanting to go out and about. She has no other injuries that I can see and is able to walk and fly normally.
She is a bit more vocal than normal when picked up. The dog is very tolerant and willing to share is bed, he has been doing so whenever there is heavy rain and the chickens prefer his nice dry bed to the great outsides. i can't find any other signs of disease, not panting,crop seems fine, poo normal.
So what is wrong with her? Did she have a bad fright and feels safe in the vicinity of us and the dog? Is she thinking of going broody again? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated as she is just not herself at all.
Many thanks,
Sandie
She left her chicks and started to egg lay about 10 days ago. For the first few days she stayed fairly close to the other chickens, then started to wander off again, into a field where she does not normally go and where I think one of my Warrens has been laying her eggs.(Can't find them, though)
4 days ago she turned up very late to go into the hen house and the following day later still with signs of possible fox attack (Superficial back wound which has settled down well). I placed her in a pen with some chicks as she seemed to want to hang around the back door. When eventually she showed signs of wanting to come out she immediately went into the (attached) outhouse and occupied part of the dog's bed. She has stayed there for the last 48 hours. She laid an egg there yesterday.
Her wounds are pretty well healed, she is eating very well when food is placed by the dog's bed , but shows no sign of wanting to go out and about. She has no other injuries that I can see and is able to walk and fly normally.
She is a bit more vocal than normal when picked up. The dog is very tolerant and willing to share is bed, he has been doing so whenever there is heavy rain and the chickens prefer his nice dry bed to the great outsides. i can't find any other signs of disease, not panting,crop seems fine, poo normal.
So what is wrong with her? Did she have a bad fright and feels safe in the vicinity of us and the dog? Is she thinking of going broody again? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated as she is just not herself at all.
Many thanks,
Sandie