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Author Topic: hen having fits  (Read 1300 times)

northfifeduckling

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Fife
    • North Fife Blog
hen having fits
« on: May 19, 2020, 11:39:07 pm »
The first time, I still believe that they were attacked at night in their egglu. Every other week the hen whose wing had been pulled through the door joint, has another fit, screams and is flapping about. I kept them in the cat box for a while, in case something was still trying to get into their house and it happened again this morning. She was unsteady on her feet after but completely normal later on. Does she have flashbacks? Night terrors? An illness?   ???

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: hen having fits
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2020, 09:34:29 am »
I don't know if chickens dream NFD, but I don't see why not as I know dogs have them. Wing flapping can be a balance issue cause by an ear infection or some neurological problem, but in my experience it isn't accompanied by screams. Anyway, it would be constant or regular and not every few weeks. So my guess is she is having a nightmare, based on her experience. Hopefully she'll get over it before she injures herself. All you can do is give her plenty of attention to make her feel secure, even if it means her sleeping in the house.

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
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Re: hen having fits
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2020, 10:50:21 am »
Quote
Along with humans and other mammals, chickens (all birds, really) have an REM phase of sleep, a period of “rapid eye movement” that signifies dreaming. ... This is why chickens can be seen sleeping with one eye open and one eye closed, an evolutionary adaptation that allows them to keep watch for predators while they doze.
I googled - so if they can dream they can have nightmares.  I hope no-one ever breeds  giant chicken becasue they come from dinosaurs and outnumber humans 4 to 1.
Isn't Mr Google wonderful  :innocent:
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: hen having fits
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2020, 01:33:43 pm »
Is it possible that she was attacked in the coop and in her panic flapped her wing through the door joint and then couldn't retract it?

northfifeduckling

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Fife
    • North Fife Blog
Re: hen having fits
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2020, 01:54:15 pm »
My man thinks she did that herself by flapping about - I just can't imagine how she would be able to fiddle her wing into a gap of about half an inch all the way unless something pulled. My guess - stoat got in just far enough to grab her wing as she's a nesting box hogger. I now have taped over the gaps as far as possible.

 

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