HELP chickens behaving weirdly

[Hans Mum]

help my blue belle has been fine this morning shes been in the garden doint normal chicken thing, back in the run now just noticed she's clawing the ground in the house laying on one side and generally not very happy i picked her up and put her in the perch area and she came straight back out and carried on doing the same thing what do you think

[shirlthegirl43]

Is she trying to have a dust bath?

[Bephlam]

yeah, sounds like that, doesn't it?

Is her breathing laboured or anything, or is she simply laying on her side...spreading her wings and rolling about?

Chickens are odd!!!

[Suechooks]

help my blue belle has been fine this morning shes been in the garden doint normal chicken thing, back in the run now just noticed she's clawing the ground in the house laying on one side and generally not very happy i picked her up and put her in the perch area and she came straight back out and carried on doing the same thing what do you think

Certainly sounds like she's dust bathing. Have you checked them for "livestock"? ie. Lice etc? Look under wings and around the vent.

[Snadger]

It's a natural thing, dustbathing. They dustbath even if the haven't got lice or anything......it's just a thing chooks do!

[Suechooks]

It's a natural thing, dustbathing. They dustbath even if the haven't got lice or anything......it's just a thing chooks do!

Yes Snadger I'm aware of that but Hans Mum said it was unhappy. It was that which prompted my suggestion not the dust bath. My greenhouse is witness to the fact that they dustbath! Powdered soill everywhere and holes I fall into.

[MaureenHall]

I'd be tempted to go down the de-lousing route I think, put plenty of powder under her wings, round her neck and her bum and let her get on with having a good scratch to spread the powder right through her feathers

[Bephlam]

I love watching mine dusbath - I don't love dusting them with powder!!

Good luck -

[Flummery]

How can you tell when a chicken's behaviour is wierd? I mean, chickens ARE wierd - that's what's so lovely about them!

[Bephlam]

I agree Flummery!

[frias]

Do you have a dust bath Hans Mum? I have a big container with play sand,garden earth and ash, the girls love it and do lie on one side trying to get the dust under their wings. They also eat it when bathing.
Did your Bluebelle recover and go to bed normally?

[Glutton4...]

Mine ignored their dust bath. I'm wondering if I used the wrong type of sand. But it is totally hilarious to see them sneak into the coop to 'bath' in the shavings. I caught two of the white ones 'at it' the other lunch time when I went in to collect eggs. They were on their sides, wings spread and one leg up in the air . Ever seen chickens looking embarrased?

[HayleyB]

Mine do it too, they love rolling around in the shavings, literally on their back with legs in air, it's hilarious. I throw down louse powder on the shavings which means the girls rub the powder into themselves - a tip from henschool

[Hans Mum]

panic over thank you everyone no lice or other visitors, jusst dust bathing, wouldnt mind i had put a tray of sand and soil in their run which theyve chosen to ignore, it was a nice warm(ish) spot she was 'performing' in apparently perfectly normal chicken behaviour

[HayleyB]

Mine like to sunbathe too whilst rolling around in the shavings they find a spot that has got sun through. I have an indoor dustbath that they ignore, it's a Belfast sink with ash, sand and now shavings as well to try to tempt them but no cigar, it's on the floor they like best