Broody pullet?

[Ida Red]

I have a really tiny white Cochin that is approximately 18 weeks old, who won’t roost and who keeps to herself, quietly trilling, her feathers all puffed out around her. She gets bustled around occasionally by the rest of the flock (who are all bigger than her) but not pecked or chased. We have been watching her closely for illness (we had a mysterious potential marek’s death several weeks back) but there are no signs of her being off balance or otherwise ill, except for her unusually small size, which I’ve read could be connected to her breed developing more slowly. Is it possible that she’s broody? None of my hens are laying yet so there’s nothing for her to sit on.

 

[The Happster]

Photo?
It's unlikely she's broody before even laying her first egg.
Can she walk?
Is she active, and does she interact with the others?
Does she puff and growl?

 

[Ida Red]

She can walk just fine. She tends to hang back from the others, but will occasionally cuddle them. She’s not as active as other chickens but she doesn’t seem to have any mobility or coordination issues, she is just smaller and has a quieter temperament.

 

[The Happster]

She doesn't look broody to me.
She looks a bit on the ill side, actually, but it's hard to tell from a photo.
What are her droppings like?
She does look a bit small for 18 wks.
And she is eating, is she?

 

[Ida Red]

She doesn't look broody to me.
She looks a bit on the ill side, actually, but it's hard to tell from a photo.
What are her droppings like?
She does look a bit small for 18 wks.
And she is eating, is she?

She’s eating and drinking, and her droppings look totally normal. She’s half the size of the other pullets who are around the same age (but different breeds), and she’s growing extremely slowly. We’ve separated her out from the rest of the chickens in case she’s sick. Currently giving her electrolytes.

 

[aart]

Currently giving her electrolytes.

Make sure she has plain water available too.
She does look a bit ill.
If she's always been smaller she my have internal issue with nutrition uptake.

 

[The Happster]

How's she doing now?

 

[Ida Red]

We lost her last night. We are so sad, she was the sweetest and cuddliest little chicken. Now we’re bracing for more illness. Our vet says marek's is endemic to the wild bird population here. Researching supplementation to support the bigger/older/healthier birds.

 

[Ida Red]

Make sure she has plain water available too.
She does look a bit ill.
If she's always been smaller she my have internal issue with nutrition uptake.

She was always smaller than the other birds and wasn’t growing. But she could eat with the biggest roo. Do you know if marek’s causes this kind of wasting? Or maybe it could just make her more susceptible.

 

[aart]

Our vet says marek's is endemic to the wild bird population here.

Will you have a necrospy done....to either rule it out or confirm that's what it is??

Do you know if marek’s causes this kind of wasting?

I'm really not sure, it certainly could be.
@Wyorp Rock might know, or steer you in the right direction.