Pullet walking low to the ground

[Kbantams]

I have an almost laying pullet that is walking low to the ground and laying down a lot. Is this normal behavior? Could she already be egg bound?
She seems perfectly besides this behavior, has a good appetite, drinking, her comb is getting redder, she still likes to free range and hang out with her siblings. She’s just walking with her legs bent, tail still up, and slowly easing down into a laying position. She still is full of energy when I go to grab her or throw treats out. Does this sound like a vitamin deficiency or mareks? Egg bound? Or just a strange pullet behavior?
I’ve already separated her, gave her an epsom salt soak and offered food and vitamin/electrolyte water

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Is not the "squat," just before laying, when you are close to her, right? I've noticed odd before like this before laying but it doesn't last. Her body is going through alot of growth. How long has she been doing this? Is her poo normal?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Pullets will start to practice nest and often squat before they start laying.

 

[Kbantams]

Is not the "squat," just before laying, when you are close to her, right? I've noticed odd before like this before laying but it doesn't last. Her body is going through alot of growth. How long has she been doing this? Is her poo normal?

No it was like a constant walking low then tucking to a laying position and staying there until I made her get up. I do have a couple girls that I’ve seen doing the squatting thing. It just started this afternoon. I haven’t seen her poop today but her vent and fluff back there is very clean and all her siblings have solid normal poop. It won’t let me post a video but this is her mid walking and then the position she’s laying in. I’m hoping it’s just a strange pre-laying behavior, she looks healthy to me but she is a bantam and they seem to be very fragile

 

[HollowOfWisps]

No it was like a constant walking low then tucking to a laying position and staying there until I made her get up. I do have a couple girls that I’ve seen doing the squatting thing. It just started this afternoon. I haven’t seen her poop today but her vent and fluff back there is very clean and all her siblings have solid normal poop. It won’t let me post a video but this is her mid walking and then the position she’s laying in. I’m hoping it’s just a strange pre-laying behavior, she looks healthy to me but she is a bantam and they seem to be very fragile View attachment 4089720View attachment 4089721

That is just squat walking and not strange at all. I have had over 100+ pullets and that is how many start out. They do not have a health teacher at school or a mother telling them what’s happening to their bodies so it’s all foreign to them and they have to figure it out themselves. They can watch the other hens to observe, but again they are feeling biological changes that they are unsure with no real instruction. Have you ever tried to mimic what someone else is doing? At first you start out awkward, way off and looking like you have no idea what you’re doing. Your hen is feeling things internally that she hasn’t felt before and while she feels the need to squat she doesn’t know why, how or what she is doing it for yet.

 

[Kbantams]

That is just squat walking and not strange at all. I have had over 100+ pullets and that is how many start out. They do not have a health teacher at school or a mother telling them what’s happening to their bodies so it’s all foreign to them and they have to figure it out themselves. They can watch the other hens to observe, but again they are feeling biological changes that they are unsure with no real instruction. Have you ever tried to mimic what someone else is doing? At first you start out awkward, way off and looking like you have no idea what you’re doing. Your hen is feeling things internally that she hasn’t felt before and while she feels the need to squat she doesn’t know why, how or what she is doing it for yet.

Yes that makes sense. It’s just the way she’s doing it looks like she slowly dying and is scaring me. She would take a few low steps then melt down to the ground and when I picked her up it’s like she falling asleep or dying in hands. It was just so strange and I wanted to check and see if it sounds like any of the ton of ailments chickens can get. It just started yesterday afternoon. This morning she’s walking around like normal so I hope it was just a pullet figuring out how to act

 

[SandyRiverChick]

She doesn't look like she's ready to lay just yet but indeed her body is going through alot of growth. I hear you on how it seems there is a myriad of chicken ailments to be worried about. YET in all of my years with chickens I have not ever dealt with the majority of what you read about here on BYC. It's truly rare to me to deal with a chicken health issue. Don't fear that all of the stuff is going to happen. I have friends that laugh about me being on a chicken forum, asking me what on earth is there to talk about....

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with SandyRiverChick. I have had chickens for decades and only one time did I have a sick bird. I do not read the disease part of this forum, as I have never had any of those. Nor have I ever had egg binding.

A rule of thumb, if a bird is active, eating, and bright eyed they are well.

I too think that is a practice squat.

Mrs K

 

[HollowOfWisps]

She doesn't look like she's ready to lay just yet but indeed her body is going through alot of growth. I hear you on how it seems there is a myriad of chicken ailments to be worried about. YET in all of my years with chickens I have not ever dealt with the majority of what you read about here on BYC. It's truly rare to me to deal with a chicken health issue. Don't fear that all of the stuff is going to happen. I have friends that laugh about me being on a chicken forum, asking me what on earth is there to talk about....

I agree with SandyRiverChick. I have had chickens for decades and only one time did I have a sick bird. I do not read the disease part of this forum, as I have never had any of those. Nor have I ever had egg binding.

A rule of thumb, if a bird is active, eating, and bright eyed they are well.

I too think that is a practice squat.

Mrs K

I am in the same boat as the two of you. Never have any health issues in my flock ever. If they are eating, drinking and alert I do not worry over oddities.