my bantam I,m worried

[stokes]

My poor bantam looks depressed. When I bring out the food she is the last to eat. She is the smallest in the group. She stopped laying about 3 months ago and she goes about doing her own thing. I know their is a pecking order but I,m just wondering is it something else because the bigger girls sleep on the perchers and she goes into the nest box which is odd ! Have anyone any clues why?

 

[krista74]

Oh, I hate to see sad chickens. Maybe she is being picked on and doesn't have a little friend in the flock. Oh.....that's even sadder!

Can she physically get up onto the roost ok? It's not too high up for her, or too crowded?

Have you tried picking her up at night under the cover of darkness and placing her gently on the roost? Maybe she just doesn't 'know' that's what she's meant to be doing.

Alternatively, could she be going broody? Is she sitting in the nest box during the day too? If so, maybe you could give her some eggs to sit on, and she could grow some new friends of her own!

Hope things get better for her soon.

- Krista

 

[Dad of the coop]

Your most likely right she is being picked on by the other birds. She is probably not laying because she is stressed out from the other birds and is hiding in the nest boxes to get away from the others. I would suggest you getting another bantam that is not one of the crested types. That way she can have a pal to hangout with. Maybe you can get another feeder so she has an alternate place to eat when the others are eating.
Hope this helps.

 

[stokes]

I think I will have to get another bantam.she was well able to get up on the perchers before. I think she is been picked on I got them all at the same time and everything was grand she was the first to start laying and now its so sad to see I,all have to get her a friend and see if she perks up