Weird behavior

[Sberrie]

One of my year old EE pullers is acting like a complete stooge. She keeps trying to go under all of the other chickens her own size and age. She even went under my meat bird roo! She also keeps almost trilling while shes doing it.

The other girls are pretty ticked with her and keep pecking her. Does this indicate anything is wrong? Or is she just weird?

 

[DobieLover]

One of my year old EE pullers is acting like a complete stooge. She keeps trying to go under all of the other chickens her own size and age. She even went under my meat bird roo! She also keeps almost trilling while shes doing it. View attachment 1871898 View attachment 1871897 The other girls are pretty ticked with her and keep pecking her. Does this indicate anything is wrong? Or is she just weird?

She's going under them because she is low ranking and is trying to avoid getting pecked.
How much space do you have in your run in ft x ft?
How many birds do you have?
Do you have any perches in the run that she could fly up to?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's how a bird will submit to the others. I would assume something is going on for her to try to appease the others. If they are pecking her a lot that could cause it.

 

[Sberrie]

Nobody was pecking her until she started acting like that! She's always been low ranking because she has never been ambitious. I have 10 birds in there. The run is 24x10. Lots of perches, a swing, a ladder. Plus the coop is 12x8 with lots more perchez

 

[Sberrie]

*perches

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Do you have places to hide? Things to go behind or get under or in? Bottom birds get it from everyone so they need somewhere to hide out sometimes. Pallets leaned up against walls or fences, or tables to go under. Stuff like that to block the line of sight.

In my experiences bottom birds need to stay 5-10 feet away or they get pecked. Going higher like on a perch can be seen as a challenge to some higher ranking birds, so going low is better for them sometimes.

 

[Sberrie]

Do you have places to hide? Things to go behind or get under or in? Bottom birds get it from everyone so they need somewhere to hide out sometimes. Pallets leaned up against walls or fences, or tables to go under. Stuff like that to block the line of sight.

In my experiences bottom birds need to stay 5-10 feet away or they get pecked. Going higher like on a perch can be seen as a challenge to some higher ranking birds, so going low is better for them sometimes.

This has never been an issue before. There's not much dissension in the ranks. There's alot of room to run away and escape if need be but like I said she wasn't being pecked until she was going under everyone.

 

[aart]

This has never been an issue before. There's not much dissension in the ranks.

Well, that doesn't mean issues can't arise.
Pecking orders can change, birds can go bonkers.

Have you checked her over really well for bugs/injuries/illness?
How old is she?
Is she laying?
Where does she roost at night in relation to the others?

 

[Sberrie]

Well, that doesn't mean issues can't arise.
Pecking orders can change, birds can go bonkers.

Have you checked her over really well for bugs/injuries/illness?
How old is she?
Is she laying?
Where does she roost at night in relation to the others?

She's a year old, she lays almost every day but has a malfunctioning egg duct (folded shells, lots of calcium deposits, etc). She doesn't have any injuries but all of the girls have feathers missing because of the big guy trying to mate. I have a 3 tier perch for them in the coop and at night they all roost on the top one with the exception of the young girls.

 

[aart]

She's a year old, she lays almost every day but has a malfunctioning egg duct (folded shells, lots of calcium deposits, etc).

Could indicate a reproductive health issue. Has she always laid funky eggs? Some pics of eggs might help.

She doesn't have any injuries but all of the girls have feathers missing because of the big guy trying to mate.

The meat bird she's trying to hide under?