Do Chickens Go Through Puberty?

[WhiteCochinLover]

My white cochin bantam has been acting really weird lately.... It started the morning after we brought home a new pullet.... but my white bantam is about 5 or6 months old, she hasnt laid any eggs yet and you know how cochin bantams get those red puffy circles around their eyes? well she is just now starting to get those... so is she goinmg through puberty?????? or is it just stress from the new chicken????? she is like puffing up her feather and falling asleep out in the run.... we have been giving her sugar water and strawberry yogert.... She started acting this way saturday morning... If anyone has any aqnswers please post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Alethea]

I don't know about puberty, but they do change as they become sexually mature. I haven't heard of puffing up and falling asleep. I don't think it's a normal part of maturing. I wish I could help and hope she's ok.

 

[Katy]

Puffing up and being lethargic is a sign of illness, not puberty.

 

[nurse_turtle]

I agree, she sounds ill. Maybe worms or cocci. I do believe chickens go through a kind of "puberty". This coming-to-age state involves hens displaying egg laying behavior and submitting to their roo. The roo begins to crow pitifully and begins mounting his girls and behaving like a good roo should.