JustLook
Chirping
- May 30, 2020
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Should I be concerned for the well-being of my Late Bloomer?
And for the flock as a whole?
My flock of nine White Leghorn hens seem happy and healthy at 22 weeks and are producing an average of half a dozen eggs daily, mostly laid right in two of the three nest boxes in the coop. But while they were each growing into their developing bodies and new living quarters...
How can I say this nicely?
There's always one, isn't there?
This young lady was always disturbing the peace and I got the feeling she was at the top of the evolving pecking order when they were tiny, but as fate would have it, she is the last to grow a big beautiful floppy red comb. So while the others were raising hell trying to figure out what to do with their first deposit and screaming the egg song to the world she, she just kept acting like a jerk, running around and ruffling feathers. Or trying to and getting pushed back by all the now bigger girls, running from one and into another, and then another.
Forty-eight Hours in the Hole
So with a heavy heart I placed her in the Screened in Porch that was essentially the brooder where all of them spent the early part of their lives. She ate nothing the first day, and cried a lot. She spent most of the day hiding behind a shovel in the corner of the room. I brought her treats on the morning of the second day and tried to visit with her for a bit. When I went to re-introduce her to the flock, she did not want to be caught! But I managed to and now she is soooo clearly at the bottom of the pecking order, I really feel bad for her. She sleeps on the floor of the hen house or just outside of the roosting area by her lonely self.
On Parole
She does not even TRY to get a share of any treats I bring to the flock and instead sees it as her time to eat from the communal feeder. She seems to like me now or at least likes having me between her and the others. She does NOT have any feathers missing, nor do I see any evidence of injuries from the other birds. She's fast. I have never actually seen them peck her. She just seems to run around a lot to avoid what I suspect will be pecking. It appears to their Chicken Dad that it might just be an all day vicious cycle: She is running and causing a stir so someone tries to peck at her, so she runs and runs until...
One Big Fake Layer
She spends a LOT of time keeping warm the golf balls I left in one of the nest boxes. Of course I put them there to train them where to lay, but she tries her best to act like SHE put them there and that she needs to keep them warm, or that she's really busy producing more of them. It's kinda cute. She twists her neck all the way around to tuck her beak under her wing and just crashes. Has she perhaps figured out that the others HAVE to leave her alone in this situation? Kind of like how I used to take power naps in one of the stalls in the restroom at work? I mean a friend of mine told me he used to do this...
Maybe an extra feeder / Any Other Ideas?
It does look like everything is going to work out. They seem to be self policing their behavior and surely I just need to police my own behavior, get some ear plugs, learn transcendental meditation, a Xanax Prescription, some human friends or maybe all of above? But I should get another feeder so I can make sure she is getting enough calories. I have plenty of eggs, no issue there. Can I assume she will eventually reach puberty and does not need veterinary attention? And that growing up is inevitable but acting grown up is optional? That much works for me anyway. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Pray for me?
And for the flock as a whole?
My flock of nine White Leghorn hens seem happy and healthy at 22 weeks and are producing an average of half a dozen eggs daily, mostly laid right in two of the three nest boxes in the coop. But while they were each growing into their developing bodies and new living quarters...
How can I say this nicely?
There's always one, isn't there?
This young lady was always disturbing the peace and I got the feeling she was at the top of the evolving pecking order when they were tiny, but as fate would have it, she is the last to grow a big beautiful floppy red comb. So while the others were raising hell trying to figure out what to do with their first deposit and screaming the egg song to the world she, she just kept acting like a jerk, running around and ruffling feathers. Or trying to and getting pushed back by all the now bigger girls, running from one and into another, and then another.
Forty-eight Hours in the Hole
So with a heavy heart I placed her in the Screened in Porch that was essentially the brooder where all of them spent the early part of their lives. She ate nothing the first day, and cried a lot. She spent most of the day hiding behind a shovel in the corner of the room. I brought her treats on the morning of the second day and tried to visit with her for a bit. When I went to re-introduce her to the flock, she did not want to be caught! But I managed to and now she is soooo clearly at the bottom of the pecking order, I really feel bad for her. She sleeps on the floor of the hen house or just outside of the roosting area by her lonely self.
On Parole
She does not even TRY to get a share of any treats I bring to the flock and instead sees it as her time to eat from the communal feeder. She seems to like me now or at least likes having me between her and the others. She does NOT have any feathers missing, nor do I see any evidence of injuries from the other birds. She's fast. I have never actually seen them peck her. She just seems to run around a lot to avoid what I suspect will be pecking. It appears to their Chicken Dad that it might just be an all day vicious cycle: She is running and causing a stir so someone tries to peck at her, so she runs and runs until...
One Big Fake Layer
She spends a LOT of time keeping warm the golf balls I left in one of the nest boxes. Of course I put them there to train them where to lay, but she tries her best to act like SHE put them there and that she needs to keep them warm, or that she's really busy producing more of them. It's kinda cute. She twists her neck all the way around to tuck her beak under her wing and just crashes. Has she perhaps figured out that the others HAVE to leave her alone in this situation? Kind of like how I used to take power naps in one of the stalls in the restroom at work? I mean a friend of mine told me he used to do this...
This 22 week old White Leghorn used to be kind of a brat/bully to the the others and seemed to be at the top of the pecking order. Now she is my late bloomer in a flock of nine. | |
All the other girls in her class have big floppy bright red combs like this one. | A Normal Chicken at 22 Weeks |
And here is a typical treat night. |
Maybe an extra feeder / Any Other Ideas?
It does look like everything is going to work out. They seem to be self policing their behavior and surely I just need to police my own behavior, get some ear plugs, learn transcendental meditation, a Xanax Prescription, some human friends or maybe all of above? But I should get another feeder so I can make sure she is getting enough calories. I have plenty of eggs, no issue there. Can I assume she will eventually reach puberty and does not need veterinary attention? And that growing up is inevitable but acting grown up is optional? That much works for me anyway. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Pray for me?
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