Unusual hen behaviour

[Bantina15]

Hi, my chicken Gloria who is 10 months old has been acting strangely in the last couple of days. Whenever a more dominant hen or I am near her, she puffs up her feathers, gets very vocal and walks away. She has usually got her head down when we are near her. When Gloria preens her feathers, instead of standing still, she keeps moving her feet around and twitching. Sometimes I have noticed when she pecks she misses what she wants to eat. Is there anything I can do to help Gloria be her normal self, and any possible explanation for her behaviour?

 

[rebrascora]

Some of what you describe almost sounds like she is broody..... fluffed feathers, head down and vocal behaviour when more dominant birds come near..... but the lack of coordination when preening and eating is concerning and sounds like it may be neurological. Check her eyes to make sure there is no obvious abnormality in the irises and pupils that might indicate partial loss of sight or the onset of a disease like Marek's. Make sure that she is getting plenty to eat (it may be worth giving her extra high protein treats like scrambled egg or meal worms or cat food) and it might be a good idea to start monitoring her weight and/or body condition on a weekly basis to ensure that she isn't losing condition.

 

[Bantina15]

Thank you so much. Tonight Gloria is sleeping in the nesting box and when I thought about it I realised she has been sitting on the eggs a lot more often. I think she is starting to go broody along with my OEG Bantina, her foster mum.

I will check her eyes when she is comfortable on my lap but everything else on the outside of her body is ok as far as I know. We have been giving them lots of boiled/scrambled eggs and treats. They are free range so they get the best food a chicken could wish for.

On the bright side it seems everything will return to normal soon. You have helped a lot.

 

[Scratchychiken]

Do the vocalizations sound deep and very rapid-fire? That is how a broody sounds, the twitching and missing of food usually has to do with her restlessness to get back on her eggs. Hope all goes well with her.

 

[aart]

We have been giving them lots of boiled/scrambled eggs and treats. They are free range so they get the best food a chicken could wish for.

Do they also have a balanced chicken ration?
What are the 'treats'?
Foraging can be great for them but it depends on what's out there to eat.

 

[Bantina15]

They get premium poultry mix with balanced calcium, protein and vitamins. Sometimes we come down with cooked rice or spaghetti (without salt) or left over curry, vegetables, e.c.t.

 

[Bantina15]

Gloria has gone broody and she is taking 2 half an hour breaks a day. During both of them she often takes a very long dust bath. When her sisters or Starly (the bossy busy friendly hen on the avatar picture and Bantina's best friend) are laying she sits on all the eggs outside the nesting boxes.

 

[rebrascora]

Excessive dust bathing can be a sign of mites or lice. Broody hens can be a magnate for mites, which usually live in the cracks and crevices and crawl onto the chickens at night to suck their blood, but broody hens offer a 24/7 banqueting opportunity for them, so check out your broody nest boxes for them. I've had a broody abandon her eggs with just a few days to go to hatch because it was over run with mites (I was horrified!) and she could no longer bear to sit on them and be eaten alive!. Since then I make a practice of dusting the nest box and nesting material before I set a broody and usually a few times during the incubation period as well.

Do you plan to let her hatch eggs? If not, it is best to make a broody buster cage and break her of the behaviour. Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[Bantina15]

I think Gloria is starting to give up sitting on the eggs. We've been taking them all away from her and I think it's working. She is digging with the flock and been a lot more normal.

Thanks for all your help.