4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[GillC]

For past two days, when I've let the chickens out of their eglu, Amber has emerged and immediately started running sideways to the right with her head and neck bent over towards the left as if she is watching some scary beetle that is chasing her. Her right wing is sometimes raised. The first day I watched her carefully as she repeated this strange little dance three or four times. However when I called to them, she came running to me with the other two normally.

 

Same happened this morning, but when I put down a bowl of treats she dived in with vigour.

 

There seems to be nothing physically wrong with her eyes, ears, legs, wings or neck that I can see, and she can move normally. She just seems "on the verge" of scuttling away sideways.

 

Two of my chicks are moulting, but not very badly - just look slightly scruffy. I've been adding a little chick spice to their feed once a week to help them out. They're laying regularly, about 6 days out of 7.

 

Has anybody encountered anything like this? Should I be worrying? Or am I just a chicken obsessive

 

[Egluntyne]

I think you are probably just a chicken obsessive. If she seems otherwise well I wouldn't worry.

 

Cambridge in the 17th Century? Do tell.

[Forge Cottage]

I reckon Amber has been watching Strictly...

[MaggieMcHen]

I've had the same situation for about two months now - hen still laying - (though moulting now too) don't know what is causing it but it doesn't seem to prevent her eating, scratching, or anything else so I'm letting it be.

[GillC]

Thanks for the reassuring replies. I hadn't considered the Strictly link (being an absolute addict myself every day of the week). It does look a bit like a dance. Maybe she's feeling neglected and trying to get my attention

 

As for location - we moved up from busy berkshire to a 17C thatched cottage on the edge of nowhere (I know somebody who lives in the middle of nowhere so I can be precise about that ) We have a huge garden with plenty of space for our chickens - they have the orchard to themselves, but when we moved in we had no phone (thus no internet) and no mobile coverage. It really felt like living in the past!

 

Somehow the feeling has stuck with us.

 

Still - it's worth it for the space and quiet roads. I'm so very tempted to get an eglu cube and a big walk-in chicken run having seen the photos of others, and populate it with ex-bats. But I do wonder what we'd do with all the eggs. Give them to friends in the village I guess.

 

I'll stop obsessing about my dancing chicken now and watch Strictly "it takes two"