[Anndee]

I've not posted for a while as everything has been ticking over nicely that is until recently. Although I do regulary read a lot of message.
One of my bantams (Pekin, 2years old this year) has been acting oddly since they began to come out into the spring fresh air. They all tended to stay in the hen house a lot over winter and the wet weather even though the door was open for them to free range.
However, she has been tending to look rather distant compared to the other two (almost trance like) who are pecking and scratching, like you would expect hens to do. They will wander about and she gets left behind and then it seems as if she suddenly realises they have moved on and toddles over to catch up with them but still just seems to be static or gawping about, not searching and pecking. As we haven't a cockerel anymore would she be taking on guarding duty? she doesn't appear to be thin.
The other thing with her is, they have all began to lay again but one, and I think its her, is tending to lay anywhere outside, but its getting all trailed about and then I find a broken egg as if someone has pecked at it. It hasn't got a soft shell. But its odd the way the insides (yolk & white) are trailed about and then you come to the broken egg and shell. Has anyone any ideas what is going on with her and how can I help her?
Many thanks Anne

[Sassy]

It is difficult to know what the problem is, I do wonder if she is going broody but this is not typical behaviour. If she is laying outside the eggs are likely to be attacked by members of the crow family, especially magpies and possibly rodents, which may account for the eggs being broken. Ideally you need to catch her in the act!

[Anndee]

Hello Sassy and many thanks for your response.
I apologise for not replying sooner, have been away for 4 days at Crufts  Hubby has been looking after the livestock!!
I wondered about starting being broody but as she hasn't even really began to lay would that be feasable?
I've had a good look at her when I got back today and she is still in the same trance like stance. Hubby hasn't seen any egg trailed about or broken shells. I'm sure it could be a magpie or crow as it doesn't seem to have been laid long beforeI spot it and it is so near the house maggies and crows  don't come that close to. It really is a mystery. I'm going to get hold of her later and see if she is losing weight due to not appearing to be eating very much. This has gone on now for well over a week.
Anne

[ANHBUC]

How is your hen now Anndee?

If she is really broody she will have plucked her breast feathers out.  She may have found a nice quite place in the garden to make a nest.  Once she thinks she has enough for a clutch she will sit tight on them.

[Anndee]

Hi ANHBUC. she is still acting oddly, for her but she is doing ok. she isn't broody, no signs of that, but she isn't laying either. All 3 of them strut about free range in the garden but she seems to be in a trance half the time. Just standing looking in a dream
She doesn't scrat and peck like the other two and they will be wandering and pecking and then she suddenly realises they aren't there and toddles off to join up with them again, but still not really searching for food like them. She must be eating something though as she isn't thin. She was top hen till this began and when they go in their dust bath she will have a peck at the other two but it seems to be more spite than domineering. The other 2 aren't unduly bothered by her. Its almost as if she doesn't want to be near the other two but when one goes to in to lay she tags onto the other one?
Very strange bird  She seeme dto go like this when I rehomed the cockerel. She wouldn't be pining for him would she. Its almost a year ago since he went.

[ANHBUC]

You could be right as it is (supposed to be) Spring and that would be when he would start paying her attention. 

When you say she isn't thin they can hide a lot under all those feathers.  You can always monitor their weight with some digital kitchen scales.  I had to do that after Dotty took ill last Spring after hatching a brood.  She is tiny and only weighs between 700 and 800g.  I keep an eye on her weight so she doesn't get too thin as she tends to run out of energy.  I build her up with some egg food or layers pellets made into a porridge.

Dottys sister Lotty is also acting strangely at the moment and I think she is missing her sister.  It is the first time she hasn't had a brood at the same time as Dotty.  She stopped laying when Dotty went broody and seems to be sulking.  I can't put her in with Dotty until she lets the chicks stand on their own two feet as they will fight otherwise.  They do keep us on our toes!   

[Anndee]

She's ok weight wise as I got hold of her and had a good feel of her and she's fine. She does eat, especially when i put out sultanas and sunflower hearts for breakfast and tea, its just she doesn't seem bothered about searching for food like the other 2. but she is eating albeit spasmodic.
I did wonder if she was blind at one point but she isn't.
Maybe she is justa 'Lone Bird'  and prefers her own company. Couldn't be 2's company 3's a crowd syndrome could it??
It was odd though when she did lay the couple of eggs a few weeks ago now, out on the grass/path and the shells were broken with yolk and white trailed about. She's not laid anything since then.

[ANHBUC]

If she is not eating I would cut out all of her treats.  She really needs to eat her daily allowance of layers pellets before any treats.  Her shell quality will be affected if she doesn't get enough.  Once she is eating enough you can give a small amount of treats last thing at night, this makes sure she has a crop full of layers which is a balanced diet.  If she turns her beak up at the layers mix them with boiled water into a porridge which she will think is a treat.   

[Anndee]

Righto I'll do that and see how she goes on. thanks for your help.

[Anndee]

Quick update on how Penny is doing.
Whatever it was that was  wrong with her seems to have rectified itself 
She seems to be back to normal, pecking and scratting along with the other two and has now on Saturday,  finally laid her first egg off the season, in the hen house like the other two girls.
Lottie has just today been a bit of a case 
Yesterday we moved the henhouse away from near the back door and positioned it further down the garden and put it on paving flags, so Ratty can't burrow underneath   Anyway Lottie has spent most of the morning trotting back and forth from where it was to where it is now, obviously wanting to lay but can't quite get her head around the move.
About half an hour ago she finally succombed and went it to finally lay!! Phew 
Just thought I'd mention about Penny getting back to normal though for anyone elses chooks who have been acting in a similar way. Anne

[ANHBUC]

Thanks for the update Anne, glad Penny is better and laying again.

I have a bantam like Lottie that strutted and squarked yesterday as hubby had moved their eglu cube outside of the walk in run.  It didn't help that one of my bigger girls was sat in the nest box for over an hour.   

Unfortunately my Lotty passed away a week ago.  It turned out that she had a blocked gizzard due to her eating bedding.  I am keeping a close eye on the rest for any signs of them being unwell/unhappy.  They have all had a few days of being fed live maggots just in case.

[Anndee]

Hi ANHBUC. I too like to give them live maggots. It does help to keep their crops clear I think. And they do love them.
Sorry to hear about you Lotty. What type was she and was she very old? Such a shame when something happens to them isn't it. do you have many?
We've just had fun and games trying to get them to bed tonight. they were hanging around the back door, and  I tried to entice them in to the henhouse with some sultana's which they love but they weren't having any of it, so I left them and they did eventually go in on their own when it got a bit darker. silly birds
Hope they get to realise where home is soon!!!
Anne

[ANHBUC]

Lotty was a Partridge Wyandotte bantam and she was approximately 28 months old.  I bought her and her sister Dotty from a breeder so I can't be sure of her age. 

I have 5 large fowl, 3 bantams and 5 nine week old bantam chicks.

Just be careful that Mr Fox is not hanging around when it starts to get dark.

[Anndee]

I will be careful about Mr. Fox! We have our dogs prowling about in the garden and they have chased foxy off before now. Must say haven't seen any as yet this year. Thats not to say they aren't about though. I  do realise that 
My Lottie is a Buff Laced Wyandotte bantam. My other 2 are both Pekin bantams, one black, Penny and the other Millie is Partridge marked. they are all about 2 years old.
Hopefully they will realise where bed is tonight. They've all been going in today to lay so they have an idea where home is!!

[ANHBUC]

I am sure they will get the hang of it soon.