- May 30, 2012
- 11
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I'm trying to figure out the best way to handle my Buckeye Hen when she freaks out when she gets stressed and wants to escape. She is the only hen out of 4 + 1 rooster that literally freaks out. One day I pretended to be a bear to scare off a hawk and was outside their fenced area - she saw me and lost it - ramming herself into the fence over and over and finally hiding face first into a patch of grass until the girls coaxed her out in about 15 min. Now my rooster has been trying to mate for a good month and today he stepped on her and almost had her and she totally freaked and charging herself over and over into various parts of the fence, hitting a concrete bench, bashing her face -- it's awful to watch. I had to catch her and hold her to calm her down. Then the hens get upset and try to peck at her - almost like hey u freaky girl - CALM DOWN or get OUT. She does have a litter box top w an open end that she crawls into so no one can get to her and where she can just calm herself. After awhile - she comes out and all is fine for a month until something else gets her going. This is episode #5. She is 6 months old. Has not started laying but 2 of her fellow hens are laying already. another one which refuses the rooster also has not started laying. Any advice on what to do - how to make things better -- they have a fenced in area that is nice and large - divided into 3 sections so they can have some separation if they want. She is really freaking over the rooster trying to mate w/her - I'm afraid she will break her neck acting nutso.