I'm Ashamed I'm Even Asking This...

[Jerhanner]

We let Moxie go broody last year, and she hatched one tiny little peeper. We kept mom and baby in their own little coop inside the run so everyone could get to know each other until mom decided to move into the big coop. The little peeper seemed like a normal chick; curious and hungry and not unusually scared of us. Nor was Moxie.
So now that The Ostrich has grown up, she's... I can't think of any other way to describe it than mentally challenged. She's scared of everything - including nothing at all. She watches us bring her treats, she starts to eat them, and then it's running around making alarm noises for 10 minutes.
While this could be entertaining, it effects the other 7 ladies and Chester A. Arthur the rooster. They go from chilling out with mealworms to hiding under their sunroof for no reason... and that's a quality of life issue. She does have one friend (the other low status hen) and Chester is nice to her, but most of her day is spent freaking out.

My horrible question is... at what point do we put the needs of the many above the needs of the one? I could never kill her, but I've seriously considered not clipping her flight feathers and leaving it up to the universe.


Options???

 

[nuthatched]

Hmm, that is a pickle. She might just let herself be picked off though finding her a new home or culling her would be much more humane.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If you're going to have her killed, do it right and do it yourself. There is nothing humane about just purposefully leaving a defenseless chicken out for a predator to either kill slowly or eat while still alive

 

[Sussex19]

How old is she now?
Is she laying yet?

 

[RojoMarz]

Is Re-homing her an option?

 

[Poptart3130]

Pls don’t leave her to be eaten, a more humane way is just culling. I know it’s hard, but just DONT leave her! That should be ur last option.

 

[Chicken poppy]

I’m so sorry to hear that, is a video possible? If you uploaded it to YouTube and pasted the link here? You could put the option to where it can only be viewed with access to a link if you wish not to make it public for the whole internet to see.
The reason i say this is sometimes chickens can have seizures, and it’s a bit tricky to identify the cause without seeing it. Seizures can look very panicked, flapping wings, etc, and can look different with each chicken. But maybe this isn’t it.

Please do it humanly if you decide to cull her, i can walk you through what i was taught if it makes it easier for you. The method i use is cervical dislocation, a quick break to the neck, little to no blood if done correctly, I promise this is practically painless, i’m a vegan so its very difficult for me to hurt my lovely pets, however, i know its for the best because i would rather them not suffer. It can be made by you and only you as putting down a animal is a very difficult decision to make, but i was taught this method by a vet and if your interested in it i can teach you what i have learned from her, though i’m no expert.

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello!

We let Moxie go broody last year, and she hatched one tiny little peeper. We kept mom and baby in their own little coop inside the run so everyone could get to know each other until mom decided to move into the big coop. The little peeper seemed like a normal chick; curious and hungry and not unusually scared of us. Nor was Moxie.
So now that The Ostrich has grown up, she's... I can't think of any other way to describe it than mentally challenged. She's scared of everything - including nothing at all. She watches us bring her treats, she starts to eat them, and then it's running around making alarm noises for 10 minutes.
While this could be entertaining, it effects the other 7 ladies and Chester A. Arthur the rooster. They go from chilling out with mealworms to hiding under their sunroof for no reason... and that's a quality of life issue. She does have one friend (the other low status hen) and Chester is nice to her, but most of her day is spent freaking out.

My horrible question is... at what point do we put the needs of the many above the needs of the one? I could never kill her, but I've seriously considered not clipping her flight feathers and leaving it up to the universe.


Options???

What did you decide to do? Do you still have her?

To be honest I’ve never had to deal with this problem, but I would just suggest spending A LOT of time with her and getting her used to…well, everything, if that’s what she’s afraid of LOL.

Chickens are similar to humans in that they each have their own personality. Some may just have more fears than others, or they might have psychological issues, and that’s just how they are. Learning to cope with the challenges, conditions, and circumstances is the key.

Is there any reason why you think this may be happening? Might she have inherited a gene that causes her to have mental disabilities or obstacles? Was she traumatized at a young age, or on multiple different occasions (by predators, people, rough handling, mother hen, other chickens, food poisoning, bad experience, etc.)? Do you think she may have been under-exposed to things that she shouldn’t be afraid of as a chick and is therefore afraid of anything she doesn’t know or isn’t familiar with? There could be lots of reasons this is happening…

 

[nuthatched]

Pls don’t leave her to be eaten, a more humane way is just culling. I know it’s hard, but just DONT leave her! That should be ur last option.

This thread is a few weeks old, the issue has likely been resolved.