Chicken that hates the flock?

[wuzzittoya]

I started with chickens this past year. I've got a broad assortment (people with a rescue mentality should not be allowed in feed stores on "chick days"), including austrolorps, silver-laced wyandottes, barred rocks, ameraucanas and five assorted bantams. Everyone has integrated pretty well together except ONE ameraucana. She gets REALLY upset when anyone attempts to intimidate her, and usually runs and hides. I've had two times now where I've had to go looking for her. Worse, it seems like when she is with the rest of the flock she gets beat up (when we started having problems with her trying to escape from the flock we put her in with the bantams in hopes that she would be less intimidated by chickens 1/3 her size - they were all chicks at this point still...). The bantams are starting to integrate fine with the others, but this one pullet just gets completely traumatized when someone confronts her.

She is absolutely thrilled when I let her in the house - will even curl up on my arm, purr and go to sleep. I'm at a point where I'm buying her a chicken diaper and wondering if there are just some chickens that never "join in" to the flock?

 

[artsyrobin]

She sounds like my PJ, a cochin that just couldn't live with the flock, she would hide in the coop- even though she had been raised with them- you could have a house chicken, or rehome her- thats what i did with PJ, or have a second small flock of more docile birds, maybe get a couple favorolles or cochins, does she have any buddies in the flock at all? i really wouldn't leave her with the flock at this point, or setup a mini run in the main run where she can at least see them

 

[backwoodsman4life]

 

[wuzzittoya]

Yes, the first time I realized Maria had problems we didn't even have the chicken coop built. They were a couple of weeks old and one day when I went to feed them she came running over to me and jumped on me as I was reaching into their box. I took her out for a while. When I went to put her back, she flew UPSIDE DOWN and clung to the hardware wire, screeching for all she was worth. I pulled her out again, got a cloth for underneath her and took her to our living room and asked my hubby "what now?"

She absolutely HATES being with the flock. I never really expected that - everything you read about chickens says that they are flock animals, and group together to avoid predators. I never expected a "lone ranger" chicken.

 

[artsyrobin]

here is what i am thinking, i do wild bird rescue, and one of the things that happens is you might have a bird that identifies with its human caretakers, they bond with the one that feeds its- i am thinking that might be what happened, chickens are individuals, and you will run across independant ones- i suspect she considers you her flock- not realizing she is a chicken- just a thought

 

[wuzzittoya]

Would you believe I got my nastiest rag towel, folded it up, put it on the arm rest and took Maria with me to meet my son's step-mother (they finally have a weekend free to see him)? She was good most of the trip, though got a little freaky in the lights (more awake and exploring than anything else - when we were in the dark she just buried her head under my arm and slept, making the happy little trilling noise). Darn chicken rode THREE HOURS round trip because of detours and bad weather with no real problems.

Strangest thing -son insisted I had to buy him a drink. We pulled into a gas station and there were some motorcycle riders there (couple) waiting out the worst of the rain. I said hi to them, and the woman said, "Is that a chicken? An araucana? (ameraucana, which has a tail, and I said repeately ameraucana)

The woman has apparently been BEGGING her husband for chickens, and she would love to have araucanas...LOL Never expected to run into someone who would recognize Maria's breed...

Okay - maybe the touring lesbian bachelorette party at our second stop (also a gas station) may have seemed a LITTLE more strange. Is it a full moon?

 

[artsyrobin]

i had an idea, reading that- why not use her as an ambassador to introduce folks to the awesome world of chickens??? you know, taking her to classes etc

 

[wuzzittoya]

I actually have thought of that, especially if I get the diaper thing worked out. I'm sure that my son would love to have me take her to his science class...LOL

I was wondering if they would let me take her to our women's retreat this fall or if that would be considered bringing too much of my life with me. I wonder why I'm so attached to this darn bird?

 

[artsyrobin]

these birds have a way of worming into our hearts! love to see a pic of her! there is a bycer that makes diapers, and they work well...lovemychix

 

[wuzzittoya]

I will have to take a better picture of her than the one that was on my mobile phone (it has never worked right since its swim in the Current River). I can send you the link to my FB photos after I upload it, if that's okay?