Why does my hen walk up and down the cage?

[Shauna's Silkies]

Hey My hen is walking up and down the cage most of the time. She has food and water and we added a cage onto our old cage so she has lots of room? She walks up and down very quickly? i dont know what is wrong with her because she is very healty? Please Help Thank you ..... Maybe she wants to get out?!

 

[galanie]

Yes, she wants out! Chickens need to be out and not in a cage. She needs at minimum 10 - 14 square feet of space to move around.

 

[theoldchick]

Is she alone? Chickens like company. How much space does she have? While some breeds can stand less space, it is more humane to give her as much space as possible, and provide some sort of enrichment. A chicken toy can be something as simple as an apple, or as complicated as a parrot toy designed to release food when prodded. Give her a place to dust bathe. Again you don't need an acre of dirt, and as some of the members discovered, a flower pot with dirt (clean sand preferred) is favored by many chickens.

Remember, chickens like to be busy, and one of the cheapest toys I've seen was a two liter bottle filled with scratch feed. The clear plastic bottle had small holes that released a few morsels of grain when the chicken pecked at it. I've seen them hanging in pens and I've seen them laying on the ground. This simple toy makes the chicken work for its food and kept the bird busy. And as with any toy, it must be kept clean. Make sure the feed is free of mold and is fresh. Since you only have one chicken an 16 oz recyclable water bottle will be perfect.

And if you can't afford another chicken, place a mirror near her living space so she can see herself. She will think there is another chicken nearby and hopefully give her comfort.

 

[Shauna's Silkies]

The bottle idea is very good il try that. I forgot to say i have 5hens altogether (including her) they do have lots of room i dont know how big. I only introduced the 4hens recently and she pecks them but it has stopped a bit. Thanks for yourhelp il try the bottle thing.