Sad Little Chickie :(

One of my speckled sussex (Edith) has always kept to herself, never eats when someone else is eating, has no friends, everyone picks on her, is feathering slower that everyone else, she is also the only one who can't fly, and she is littler than the others. They are all 2 weeks old. The only one who doesn't bully her is Helga the other speckled sussex. I just feel bad for her. I had a dream that she died and that made me cry... I know I'm weird. But is there anything I can do for her? I feel so bad for her.

Additional Info: She doesn't seem sick. I've had her for 2 weeks with no health problems. I just don't like her to be so sad.

I'm sorry to hear that. Don't worry, I'm exactly the same about my chickens. Problems keep me up all night.

How much space do you have?

It sounds like she suffers from a failure to thrive. This is probably due to an internal defect that you can't see but that effects how she absorbs nutrition or something like that. Give her vitamin and energy rich foods, space to forage away from the others, and separate waterers so she can always drink, even if the others won't let her get near the waterer.

Best of luck!

GitaBooks said:

I'm sorry to hear that. Don't worry, I'm exactly the same about my chickens. Problems keep me up all night.

How much space do you have?

It sounds like she suffers from a failure to thrive. This is probably due to an internal defect that you can't see but that effects how she absorbs nutrition or something like that. Give her vitamin and energy rich foods, space to forage away from the others, and separate waterers so she can always drink, even if the others won't let her get near the waterer.

Best of luck!

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Good advice

Space, how much?

Pecking order, she may just be the lowest on the rung... My Cochins are the low ones, especially my banty, mostly because if their breed temperament... They just aren't bred to agress to the top of the pecking order.

If she's failing to thrive, nutrition is the best way to help her, extra feed and water stations etc..

She may just not like the other hens The banty I mentioned likes to be by herself, doesn't hangout with the others, but she sits down at my feet and gets attention, and I can live with THAT

she has about 4 square feet along with 5 others. She eats and drinks just not when the others are around. Thanks for the replies!

My EE is the only light colored one and gets left out. I think my chickens are racist. Lol They are all the same age and were raised together, but the BLack Australorps have their own club, the SS have their own club and my only EE (who is white and buff) has no friends. She's also smaller and gets picked on. I heard it's not that uncommon for breeds to stick together. I guess I just need more chickens to even it all out.... Darn...

19marvinn said:

she has about 4 square feet along with 5 others. She eats and drinks just not when the others are around. Thanks for the replies!

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Is that per bird of for all of them? Is that for the run or just the coop?

The brooder is a 4x1 toybox. that is what they are all in now. The coop we are building is 4x4 feet and the run will be 4x10. Thanks for all the help!

Oh lol...I TOTALLY MISSED that they are only 2 weeks old! they'll be fine; they get their own personalities and learn who's who for the next, oh... 4 months...by then, she'll have a place in the flock

Naliez said:

My EE is the only light colored one and gets left out. I think my chickens are racist. Lol They are all the same age and were raised together, but the BLack Australorps have their own club, the SS have their own club and my only EE (who is white and buff) has no friends. She's also smaller and gets picked on. I heard it's not that uncommon for breeds to stick together. I guess I just need more chickens to even it all out.... Darn...

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Lol...in a way, Yes, they ARE "racist" to their own breeds; they tend to "stick" together when they're in groups My BRs are the"gang"; always in trouble together...