Is this normal??? I'm a bit worried...

[Annie]

Hi there

I got my two hens at the weekend and they seemed to settle in fine although they don't appear to like their perch much.

One of the hens (Betsy) is a bit off today, she seems to be sort of sitting in the coop with her eyes closed, then she wakes up for a while then closes her eyes again. Do hens have afternoon naps????? The other one is fine. They are in their coop and run until Thursday when they will be going a bit more free range in the garden.

Also, I notices that Betsy sort of pecks at her food pellets and doesn't really consume anything - could the layer pellets be too big? Or do they do this to crush them? The food we gave them a couple of days ago doesn't seem to have gone down at all. They are pecking at it a lot but nothing really goes.

Lawks a mercy! - never realised what a worry a couple of hens would be! I work from home and I keep stopping to go and check on Betsy and Bo!

Thanks all

[Nicos]

Is she thinking about laying??- how old are they??

[Annie]

That was something I was thinking about, they are about 20 weeks old

[Nicos]

could be the equivalent of period pains then???

[lizzylemon]

Hi Annie, welcome to 'Worry a Minute' otherwise known as keeping hens

It sounds like she might be getting ready to lay - new layers often do this weird thing before they lay their first egg. Getting it altogether and out probably takes a lot of energy for the first one maybe.

Anyway, there's loads of similar threads just gone that will contain really good advice and similar situations so you know you're not alone.

Try the post by Flummery - I think that's the most recent and most similar to yours if you can't wait for a answer from our more experienced hen keepers.

[MaureenHall]

Regarding the food, it may be that they haven't had pellets before so they're finding it a bit strange. Try crushing them a little bit for a few days and see if that makes any difference.
I think your off-colour one might be wanting to lay her first egg, just as the others have said. Eggsiting isn't it

[Flummery]

She sounds just like my Amber who had an off day on Saturday. However, I'm convinced she hasn't yet laid an egg. The others all have but her comb is smaller and pinker - I suspect she's a week or so younger than the others. She's absolutely fine now though and is the thug of the bunch who mugs me as soon as I attempt to go into the run - especailly if I've got greens. You've no idea how high a chicken can jump!

As Maureen says, if they've been reared on layers' mash instead of pellets they may need the food crushing a bit for a few days.

I too was convinced mine weren't eating much. A chicken needs about 120 - 150g of food a day. My feeder holds 1.5kg - so the fact it hadn't gone down much the first day wasn't surprising. For your own satisfaction, try weighing out the food and seeing how much they eat in 24 hours. It's probably more than you think.

Hope they both do well. They seem to have some teenage problems don't they?

[Annie]

Thanks for the reassurance, have decided to stop work for the day as I was spending most of my time worrying about 'the girls'. Have bashed their food a bit and will weigh it later to see how much they have eaten.

As a treat later they are going to have some bashed up apple halves and some greens.

Thanks again guys - feel lots better about the hens now.

[lizzylemon]

Thanks for the reassurance, have decided to stop work for the day as I was spending most of my time worrying about 'the girls'. Have bashed their food a bit and will weigh it later to see how much they have eaten.

As a treat later they are going to have some bashed up apple halves and some greens.

Thanks again guys - feel lots better about the hens now.

If not sure but I think apple pips are bad for chooks - cyanide in them apparently. Someone with more knowledge will back me up or correct me but maybe make sure they don't have any in the meantime

[Flummery]

Dunno about that. I'm glad I chopped up their apple finely this morning though - and put the core in the compost!

[Hilary B]

I've eaten a fair number of apple pips, and never felt ill from it, nor do they have the taste I expect from cyanide (if you eat almonds, you must have come across the odd very bitter one, that is cyanide!).
The 'nut-like' bit in plum, peach, cherry stones contains cyanide. I don't think apple pips do.

[Bephlam]

I give mine apples, pips and all...I think they're only dangerous if they are digested...and seeds, stones and pips just pass through their digestive tract. It's not like a parrot, who would crack them open. The bird just gulps it down whole...so it's fine...in my opinion.

Mine have a few apples a week, and they're still alive and kicking!!

[lizzylemon]

I've eaten a fair number of apple pips, and never felt ill from it, nor do they have the taste I expect from cyanide (if you eat almonds, you must have come across the odd very bitter one, that is cyanide!).
The 'nut-like' bit in plum, peach, cherry stones contains cyanide. I don't think apple pips do.

The pips do have that bitter taste too - it sort of drys your tongue out

I give mine apples, pips and all...I think they're only dangerous if they are digested...and seeds, stones and pips just pass through their digestive tract. It's not like a parrot, who would crack them open. The bird just gulps it down whole...so it's fine...in my opinion.

Mine have a few apples a week, and they're still alive and kicking!!

This makes sense. Ya know, I'm sure I read it on here some time back I think maybe that 1000001 plants that will kill your chicken site listed them or something or maybe I just live in an alternative universe and make it up as I go.....but do I have to be broke in both!