sick chicken

[Anonymous]

Hello, I hope someone can offer me some advise.
Amber my chicken is showing very odd signs. She is usally a very busy girl raking the garden amd making quite a mess, which is why her recent behaviour is so noticable. She has spent all day in the coup sitting in a nesting box. I have brought her out in to the garden and offered her food and water which she accepts, she then starts scraping the grass but on the same spot over and over again, looks like she is doing some kind of dance, she is also low on her haunches rather than on her toes, she fluffs out her feathers constantly and is cleaning herself irratically. She then runs back to the coup. To me the behaviour looks like signs of madness. Can anyone help? Her crop is quite hard, so I have massaged it, only i'm not sure what sort of preasure is ok so was very soft with her.

 

[Davidd]

Hi, is she making a clucking noise and fluffing her feathers up when you go near the nest box?
Nothing to worry about- she is broody! She wants some chicks
regards, David

 

[snifter]

Sounds like she is broody. Is her underside missing lots of feathers? They'll pull them out to have bare skin to sit on eggs.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes she does have a bare underside, she does fluff up her feathers, oh great news my daughters will be so pleased. But what do I need to do if anything now?

 

[snifter]

Well that depends

If you are wanting to try and hatch some chicks (and please be aware that while cute and fluffy the chances are some will be boys and they don't often have a rosy future due to surplus of cockerels and low demand. Be prepared you may need to cull your surplus boys if this is the case) then you need to find some (hopefully) fertile eggs for her to sit on. Just half a dozen would be fine. I'd give her a few days before giving her eggs to ensure she is well and truly broody and prepared to sit for the long haul. Also to give you time to find a broody box and run for her away from your other hens while she is sitting and after eggs hatch. And do any other reading up, research etc you'll need to be able to care for her while she is sitting and after eggs hatch.

If not wanting chicks then you need to try and break her of it. Turf her out of the hen house and shut her out all day so she can't sit in the nest box. Eventually she'll get the idea and probably give up.