A hen with mental problems???

[acbear93]

I have a Ameracauna hen that went broody, was seperated by her own doing from the flock outdoors for about 10 days before we found her and her nest, so I isolated her in a rabbit cage in the barn, and got her some hatching eggs...and half way thru she got retarded and lost track of her eggs, twice we went thru this...

Finally gave up on her, and decided to just bring her back to the flock...

The other hens never liked her to begin with, and I think that was part of why she went broody, she got out on her own, away from everyone else and was just happy to set on some eggs...

Anyway, to make a long story short, she just spends her day on the roost...she gets down to eat and drink only when all the other girls (12) are outside...if one outside hears her eating they come in and shoo her away from it, and back up on the roost she goes...She has ventured outside a couple times, and she runs around crazy looking, like someone is chasing her with an ax, I am not kidding, could you just picture that? I feel so bad for her, so either she is running around crazy outside, or perched on the roost inside, which when it comes to be bedtime, she is shooed away and has to rest on top of the nesting box as she is the smallest one, and it is obvious the last in the pecking order...

I just dont know what to do with her, I mean, how do you MAKE your chickens all get along???

 

[Branderella]

I had the same exact problem, except for the going broody thing. I had to go get a bigger hen and stick the two togeter w/o the ladder. They became friends and they helped protect each other. I have peace in the coop now

 

[soonerdog]

It sounds like the poor girl has been really tormented by the others. Perhaps you should think of rehoming her with someone who has fewer birds! She shouldn't have to live with those terroists.

 

[amyc]

Quote:
Yeah, send her to me - none of mine are even laying yet - maybe she could teach the young 'uns a thing or two!

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I agree, maybe it's time to find her a new home or put her in a pen with a new friend or fellow. Somewhere that she can feel safe and not harrassed.. I would have mental problems to, if everyone was picking on me...not letting me eat or play.. Staying on the roost all the time could mean that's she is depressed...

 

[acbear93]

I have thought of re-homing her...I just want to see if the situation will improve or not...its not as bad as it first was 2 weeks ago, but its still not normal behavior.

She did spend some time outside today without being harassed. Which is the first I have noticed...She found a spot in the sunshine, a little overhang we have above the little chicken door that keeps the weather out. So, it was nice to see her just chill out and not run around like a wacko. We go in and hold her when she is on the roost, as she is tame to us, but wacko with the others...we pet her and tell her we love her...give her lots of affection...we named her after a cat we used to have, as her coloring reminded us of the cat so much, its hard to think to give her up, but I guess I will give it another week and see...I definitely dont want her to be miserable...I am just glad she was outside today for longer then just to run around and get chased back in...Maybe if she just learns to chill out and relax...maybe the others are picking up vibes from her that they can sense she is uncomfortable? maybe she is still hormonal from being broody? I will have to see how she progresses I guess...just seeing her outside today gave me some hope for her.

Thank you for all the input!!

 

[acbear93]

I just wanted to update that after a couple weeks, my mentally challenged hen has adjusted to being back with the flock...they seemed to have stopped harrassing her, even though it is obvious she is the lowest in pecking order...she is able to go outside and mingle, and eat, and do as she pleases...she still seems to want to escape and nest elsewhere, but as far as getting along with the other girls, she has made a lot of progress...

 

[fldiver97]

glad to hear that life is better for your little outcast now.....Hopefully she will remain integrated in the flock, even if she is at the bottom of the pecking order....

 

[Reinbeau]

I've got one like that, too, that's tormented by most of the rest, and she brings it on herself by acting like a ninny - but the funny thing is she used to be the top hen! When we got rid of Stumpy, my mean, nasty roo, it shook up the pecking order and she landed at the bottom. Which turned out to be a boon for HennyPenny, who used to be at the bottom.....thing is, no matter what, someone is at the bottom. It's brutal to see. I don't let them kill each other, but for the most part I leave them alone. Queenie gets hand-carried out every afternoon so she can be away from the mean girls in the coop, then at sundown she sneaks back in - sneaks until she freaks, starts bagawking like a ninny and flattening herself on the floor of the coop practically inviting a beating. Stupid birds!

 

[fuzidragonbunnie]

Our LadyBird is an Amerucana and does that running around like she's being chased with an ax also. She was at the bottom of the pecking order and was being viciously beat up by the other chickens (not Amerucanas). We gave her the royal treatment as she was healing-her private room in the bathtub, handfeeding, air conditioned clime, all that and reintroduced her today. She has been following three of our new banty mixes we introduced to the flock yesterday and they are slowly becoming their own clique. But I know what you mean by the squacking and running around.

I think she thinks she's human-she'd rather hang out with us than the other chickens.