Welsummer hen will not leave the roost-is she ill?

[crazy4eggsJulie]

We have a 7 month old Welsummer hen who appears to be scared to leave the roost. For a couple of months, she has paced back and forth and eventually flys down-usually crashing into something. If it is too high for her, I don't understand why she keeps getting back up there instead of perching on one of the lower roosts with the bantams. The past couple of weeks, every time I go check, she is still up there no matter what time of day it is. I am assuming that she is coming down and getting back up...SURELY she is leaving for food. She is a very gentle hen. The roosts are too high for me to get her. I stretch my hands way up there to feed her some bread and she DEVOURS it. Is this chicken ill or something?

 

[fshinggrl]

The one thing that came across my mind is wondering if she is blind? That was my first thought. Does she get picked on by others?

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I don't have any roosts that are too high for me to reach. Does anyone remember how high is too high? If she has bumblefoot, she may not be interested in landing on her feet from so high.

I agree on the blindness, especially since she's crashing into things. I know you can't give her a vision test, but if you can get her away from the others and scatter some scratch or lay crumble on the ground, then see if she pecks the food easily.

You might lower the roost to a level you can reach, too.

 

[crazy4eggsJulie]

Well, it's not technically a roost. It's a storage building that we converted, so they all try to get up on the rafters up there. When they first go in for the night-it's a game of who can shove someone else off and take their spot!

I really think she can see because she goes crazy and follows me for bread. She loves to be held and always closes her eyes when you hold her. None of the others do that.

I'll have to take a look at her feet. The others don't seem to mind her-but the rooster is always very interested...I guess because she's not around much.