Have you ever had a chicken you just couldn't stand?

[BlazeJester]

I have an incredibly flighty ancona that will run away from the flock just to get away from me. I can't stand her. She's loud and smart as all getup, so she can't be tricked into the coop. She goes when she feels like it. Fortunately for her own sake she's the smartest of the bunch, but she also seems to be close to the bottom of the pecking order.

I'm hoping once she starts laying she'll also start squatting and calm down a bit once she realizes I'm the "roo"

 

[runsw/scissors]

Do you have the space to give her, her own little mini coop? perhaps near the others but far enough away she won't have a stroke?

I have one bantam we call top hat that is a mixture of top hatted breeds, (but not polish, go figure) that is terrified of everyone else. She has one buddy that is recuperating from a broken leg and they have a mini coop separate from the rest of flock.

They do ok that way. perhaps that would help?

As far as just not liking one chicken, well that makes perfect sense to me! They have personalities just as we do. Nobody expects you to like every human, so why would you be expected to like every single chicken?!

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

thanks everyone for the supportive words. Sigh. I tried a new tactic today: I caught her and held her for 10+ minutes, petting and stroking her and talking softly in chicken-ish clucks whilst using my feet to keep the other girls at bay and I think I made SOME progress... I really think Cleo realized I was protecting her from the others because when I sat down and released her onto my lap she chose to sit there talking quietly to me for about 5 minutes before she chose to hop down. I find it very encouraging that she chose to stay on my lap when I released her... of course then I had to chase her for nearly 10 minutes just to get her into the coop at dark...she didn't want to go in because "GASP!" there were those demonic other chickens in there, lol.

Quote:
Thanks for the advice...unfortunately, the cooping by herself doesn't work with this neurotic beast... she just paces and paces and throws herself against the enclosure when I approach.... thanks again though for the suggestion!

 

[PetRock]

We had a Silver Laced Wyandotte that turned into a terror this past summer. She was close to the bottom of the pecking order of our 7 hens from last year so she got picked on every once in a while. We added 9 new pullets to our flock this year. Beauty picked on all of them but she was especially mean to our Buff Brahma who was about twice her size. She would catch sight of Sas across the yard and run to jump on her. Every time Beauty did this, 1 or 2 of the other hens would join in. Poor Sas just squatted and took the abuse. I was giving serious consideration to rehoming her and her SLW sister Sterling who was also mean to the young ones. Then one day while I was at work, Beauty tried to roost on a high ladder like the younger chickens were doing. She must have slipped off, broke her neck, and died right in front of my 10 yr old daughter. We were all sad because she was the first adult chicken that we have lost and we were sorry that she died in that way but our backyard is so much more peaceful without her. The younger birds are still at the bottom of the pecking order but none of them is being picked on to the extent that Beauty picked on Sas. Also, a few of our young ones have been ditsy acting and afraid of us but they have calmed down considerably as they have reached POL.

 

[Beekissed]

I usually cull birds that have undesirable traits like you describe in this bird. Over the top neurotic behavior just makes the flock nervous and ruins the harmonious vibes...and it ain't worth it! Rehome... or add cream of mushroom soup and turn the oven to 425 degrees.

 

[chickchicks]

i have a Barnevelder the same heis scittish of anything and everone you cant get near him he is about 15 weeks old now and still crys and runs under mum for protectin atthe slightest movement.

i will say he is changing slowly VERY slowly as i brought in some new girls and he has started to act less scittish he now walks around the garden with them and eats and drinks with out mum being around .

i have two BO and they are the largest ones i have they are not scittish in any way but i do know that they can be late developers to other breads

i hope this helps a tiny bit

 

[silkiechicken]

I've had a few birds I could not stand... they wound up as dinner pretty quick.

 

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

I'd rather feed chickens that I liked at my place. There's too many nice ones to put up with that. The same can be said about roosters.

She's big you say so I say yum,chicken and dumplings.

 

[spunkychickenmomma]

I had several flighty "Nervous Nellie" hens and one rooster. They were this way when I got them from the hatchery. The hens stayed that way until they started laying, now they are the first ones to come greet me and want petting when I go into the pens. The rooster however has still yet to calm down, hence his name, Screamin Demon!

He is the rooster in my avatar pic.

 

[Dan B]

We had one like this and she either ran away or was eaten buy a dog that we found chasing them one day. (dog won't be back anytime soon).
She ran away before but we found here, This last time we just got anther one to replace her. She was crazy...and I really mean that.