This is just weird

[chicknmania]

I haven't seen this before in all the years we've had chickens, so just reaching out to see if anyone has an idea. We have a Lakeshore Egger hen named Juno who is three years old. For the past few months (basically all spring and summer) she's been running around making that clucking noise that hens do when they are inviting a rooster to mate. I mean she does it ALL THE TIME. Maybe she's just promiscuous, but I've noticed that she has a thing for eating eggs too...more so than any hen we've ever had. Her back is, of course, ragged from the roosters, but she also seems to be in a constant state of molting...for a few months. I have another hen who always seems to be in a molt for the summer months, but when fall weather hits, that hen always grows her feathers back, and looks beautiful. So I'm not too worried about the molting part although Juno hasn't grown any feathers back yet, and the roosters lately have been mostly leaving her alone. Juno otherwise acts fine, but I just wonder if this is maybe some kind of hormonal imbalance, or, is there anything I should be doing for her that I haven't tried already? Feather Fixer and vitamins are obvious choices, and she free ranges too, so she's got protein, but nothing seems to make much difference.

 

[dawg53]

Every time I hear that continuous clucking noise it's one of my hens going broody. It drives me nuts, but there's not much that can be done.
Stress can cause molts, probably due to the roosters.
Maybe you can separate her from the flock for a period of time and give her some gamebird feed to eat for about a month. Gamebird feed has high protein content and will help with feather regrowth. Hopefully it will also deter her from eating eggs.
Then wean her off the gamebird feed back to layer feed.

 

[chicknmania]

Yes, after watching her today, I agree it might be stress related. I think she's afraid of the flock. She doesn't avoid the flock like a sick chicken would, but she doesn't really have any friends that she hangs with all the time, and we have a couple of boss hens that can be bullies over feed, as well as, of course, the roosters potentially bothering her. I don't think it's broody clucking. I mean I don't think she's broody. Some of the hens that aren't broody make that same type of clucking noise and then run, and the roosters chase her. I always figured it was a mating game. If she's broody she is stuck, because she's been doing it for so long and never had an interest in setting. I'll try the game bird food, thank you!.

 

[dawg53]

Is she at the bottom of the pecking order? It kind of sounds like it...an outcast. Poor girl.

 

[chicknmania]

W

Is she at the bottom of the pecking order? It kind of sounds like it...an outcast. Poor girl.

We have a few that can mingle with the flock, but are definitely lower on the pecking order. She's not quite on the bottom, but probably close. I always feel sorry for the ones that don't have even one friend to hang with. But I do try to make sure that those get their own handful or two of feed or treat if i feel like they're getting shorted.