Chicken Freak-Out!

[drinkguiness]

I have 6 four week old RIR's that I have just transferred from the closet to the coop. One of them (named Teriyaki) has started freaking out for no apparent reason. She will suddenly start cheeping VERY loudly and run from one end of the coop to the other, smacking into walls, eventually trying to crawl deeply into one of the corners. These freak-outs have lasted up to 20 seconds long. Any ideas what that is all about? For a little background info, while still in the closet, she survived a ninja attack from our cat while I was in there laying down more newspaper. It was a close call, but I was right there and able to break it up quickly, but not before a little blood was drawn.

Have any of you seen this kind of behavior before? Is Teriyaki just a little "touched" in the head? PTSD perhaps?

 

[aggie9296]

I'd go with PTSD. In a new coop with no place to hide. Might need a little box to hide under?

 

[Michie]

Awww.... poor baby I agree, give him/her an area where she can hide and feel safe. Maybe like a nesting box type of thing, dark, small space! Good Luck with your little guy!

 

[drinkguiness]

As far as I can tell, there was no freak-out yesterday, and she seems to be getting better about venturing out from the corners now. Hopefully she's on the mend. Too bad it had to be Teriyaki as she was one of the more personable chickens prior to the attack.

 

[dewey]

I'd still go ahead and put a little box in there.

It gave mine a lot of comfort when they wanted to disappear.