Perpetual Straggler?

[mlowarren]

Hi all! I have another question about my young guinea flock...

About a month ago, when they were about 3 months old I started letting them free range. Soon after, I noticed one guinea acting very strange. It was struggling to keep up with the rest of the flock, acting sick or crippled. It could barely walk or keep its head upright. I caught it and put it in isolation to keep it from passing any illness to the others. The next morning, though, it seemed perfectly fine, so I released it back to the flock.

Ever since then, this guinea has been a straggler. It doesn't act sick anymore, but just slower than the others, and maybe dumber if thats possible haha. It is always way behind the rest of the flock and often gets separated and lost.

Any ideas as to what might be going on with this keet? Thanks in advance!!

 

[BarbaraNH]

Sounds like your perpetual straggler could be what is commonly called the "low bird" in the pecking order. Sometimes the low birds might have unknown health problems, but not always, Quite often they do have more timid or cautious personalities. It is assumed that a pecking order with one or two low birds helps to keep the birds higher up in the order safer and less likely to be taken by a predator. It also helps insure that those higher up in the pecking order have better access to food and to the best roosting places.