Worried...

[foureyeddragon]

I put up my fence for my hen today. I made sure that there was lots of layer pellet laying around for her to munch on, and that got her attention for a few minutes, then she saw the fence. Now all she is doing is pacing the fence and panting. I gave her a treat of some granola and as long as there was food falling from the sky she is fine, as soon as the food stops falling from the sky she goes back to pacing and panting. She has water offered, but its a warmer day today than it has been the past few days, almost 80 degrees after a week of 60 degree weather. Is there anything I can do to lower her stress level of going from being a mostly wild free range chicken to being a fenced in chicken? Also, the fence is 4 foot tall, no roof on it yet, will she be able to jump that? Right now she seems more concerned about figuring out how to go under it, but I made sure that there was no way for her to do that.

 

[groundpecker]

It will take a while for her to settle down. Just give her a few days to adjust and do not worry unless she starts charging the fence attempting to hurt herself.

 

[foureyeddragon]

I just went and checked on her, thankfully she appears to have stopped panting, and was busy making a nest out of the material I dug out of the dog house that was left over from the dogs. Hopefully she doesn't think that that is where she is going to sleep tonight!

 

[Kylling]

I have to agree with Groundpecker. She just needs a little time to settle down. As long as she's not hurting herself, and as long as she's eating and drinking, don't fret! ^_^ She'll calm down in a few days.

Imagine this, though---what if you all of a sudden were taken from being able to go outside all the time, to a neighbor's house, a friend's house, out into the woods, or the store, and were confined into your house and yard? Wouldn't you be a bit perplexed, too? X3 I wish you and your chicken well.

 

[foureyeddragon]

I am hoping that when I bright the other hen home that she will settle down more. I guess I would be mad too if I went from being able to run around where ever I pleased and suddenly could only run around a small area, it was the panting that made me panic a little, I didn't know that chickens can pant.

 

[Kylling]

Chickens most certainly can pant. ^_^ I've seen them do that on especially hot days.
She was probably just panting because she was nervous; I've seen both cats and dogs do that on occasion---they tend to do it when they're worried, anxious, apprehensive, or just nervous. She wasn't overheating, odds are, but it'd be good to get some water in her, just in case.

Let's hope that your new idea works, with the other hen and all.
And again, if it doesn't work, she'll calm down tomorrow or the next day. I am ninety-nine percent sure she will.

 

[foureyeddragon]

She did eventually settle down, and the good news is that even though the fence is open on the top she seems perfectly content to stay on the ground. I brought home the other hen today. They are getting to know each other through the bars of the dog crate. My dog isn't happy to not have his home today, that's for sure. Never met a dog that actually likes going in their crate!