One of my girls is sleeping alone in the corrner. Should I be worried?

Hi Everyone,

I'm brand new here and eager to learn what the heck I'm doing. I'm a newly relocated city girl that just moved to the "country", and I thank you in advance for your help and guidance!

I have 3 Barred Rock (15 week old) and 3 Red Sex Link (17wk old). I've had them for a little over a month. I just noticed that one of my Barred Rock girls is sleeping in the corner of the coop while everyone else is sleeping together on the the perch. (Btw, no eggs yet!)

This little Barred Rock girl, Sweetsie, is the runt of the flock and seems to be a lot smaller than the other Barred Rock. Is this some type of social pecking order issue or should I be worried that she is not well or developing too slowly? She seems to be eating and drinking fine, but I noticed that she seems sometimes to be a little more isolated from everyone else. Also she sometimes seems to be sleepy looking in the middle of the day. I'm pretty sure that when I first got them they all slept together on the perch in the coop, but it seems like things have changed the last two nights. (As far as I've noticed.)

Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Welcome to BYC!

Hmmm... if she appears to be a 'runt' she may have been ill as a chick and not grown properly as a result.
There's a pretty common protozoan parasite (coccidia) that is easily treatable but can do damage pretty quickly to intestines affecting the bird long term.

As to her behavior of isolating and not roosting, it could be a pecking order thing or she could be ill....or it could be a combination of those. All birds can lounge around for a siesta any time of day.

It can be really hard to tell what might be wrong with a bird, just keeping observing as closely as possible.
It might be a good idea to put her in a crate over night, to feel her crop night and then morning and also to see what her poop looks like.

More info about your coop and run(size in feet by feet - pics of birds and coop) might help.

Hi aart,

Thanks so much for the reply.

Last night I went into the coop and picked up Sweetsie and place her on the roost with the other girls. I checked back in an hour and she was still there with them, so I think that's a good sign. I'll monitor her today and post an update by tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestions!

My coop is 13'x8' (104 sq ft) and the attached run is about 300 sq ft.

I've attached some pictures for reference.


Here is a pic of the 3 barred rock. Sweetsie is the smallest on the left.




Here's a close up of her.



And just for fun, here are the 3 red sex link.

Just saying... are you sure they are the breeds you said? The barred rocks look more like dominques and the sex links look like something else (i have 15 red sex links)

I'd just keep an eye on her and things in general for now....there are 'loner' birds.

Where did you get the birds?
Size is kind of stair stepped on the 3 BR's, and the littlest isn't that small.
Is it possible that she's a mix?
She may catch up in size too.

Also, i have a few "loner" birds too... they kinda do their own thing and don't hang with the other pullets

I guess I'm not 100% sure on the breeds?.... it's just what they said they were at the farm store in San Diego where I got them.

Sweetsie was the smallest of the three when we got them. It just looks a little more obvious now that they are getting older.

I'll keep an eye on her. I guess they just develop at their own rates? I was mostly concerned that she wasn't sleeping with the others.

This is the first time I've ever had chickens, so I'm just a nervous new mama hen.

There can be crosses.....or just different 'lines' of pure breeds that can be different in different ways... size, plumage patterns.
I'd not worry about her size, time will tell..... just keep observing, observing, observing and you'll learn more and more as you go on.

If at all possible take an hour, and sit in there (or watch thru window) and observe as they go to roost.
There is always a bunch of moaning and groaning and pecking and shifting positions going on(even after they are full grown and have lived together foreever)
I call it the Roosttime Rumble. Some will push for position, some will move off to the side and stay out of it.
She may be low bird in the pecking order (there's always a low bird) and get bullied off the roost....or she may be a pacifiist and just choose to find a calm spot.
Nothing you can do about it really....except put her on the roost after dark for a few days if you want.
Low bird accepts their position and the pecks they get.