Depressed Chicken ???. UPDATE

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

Quote:
I agree. With a twisted spine I would think the roosters over a period of time would cause her pain. Is there some way you could keep her separate from the roos?

 

[NonnasBabies]

Sounds like your doing everything you can for her!! I'd give her a friend and I think she'll be happy happy with that!

 

[pgpoultry]

I thought I'd just describe how things evolved.

I started to place Bluey outside with the others first thing in the morning and eventually she returned with the others to the coop at night. So, she would come out of the coop, wait by the shed door most days to be let in at about midday to lay an egg and then come out again in the early afternoon. Seemed to be working fine.

A couple of days ago she wouldn't come out of the coop. Eventually I lifted her out.....the roosters were after her....I chased them off. She ran down to the shed and waited by the door. I thought she wanted to lay early, so let her in. No egg by 1:00 pm, so I put her back outside (She's very tame and just waits to be picked up). As soon as she was down she ran back into the shed. I tried again.....same thing. Maybe she's going to lay late? No....she just wanted to be in the shed.

So.....there's a La Fleche already in there who had been a bit unwell, (but has subsequently recovered and is back with the flock), but she ignored her. She just went around scratching the straw and generally seeming to be happy doing her own thing. So she is staying there....she has the choice of a cardboard box or an old rabbit pen as a bed. The shed is a massive agricultural shed, so there's plenty of room to wander, and she doesn't seem to want company, though she comes over to me every time I go into the shed to see what treats I might have for her.

I'll have to find a little corner for her at lambing time as the shed will be full, but this seems to be what she has chosen.

 

[themenagerie]

I have a hen who's similar. She was one of only two adult females when the two adolescent roosters came into maturity, she got way too much attention. She started hiding out in the coop during the day. She was molting at the same time, and developed a strange problem with her neck, where she would end up with it flipped backward and couldn't right it by herself, I think one of the roosters may have injured her. I separated her out for a week or so, she's out with the flock now, but still hangs out in the coop during the day with her sister hen and their two chicks. I think she just feels safer there. She's a shadow of her former personality, but she seems to eat and drink fine, and actually was a good auntie to the six (now nine) week old Wellies I recently added to the flock. .

 

[galanie]

I'm glad to read this update. I'm about to have to do a similar thing with one of my hens. She has just plain had enough of the young roo they have and wants no part of him. She was beating him up for the longest time but now, she just wants to be with the younger ones that are penned separately. I hate to do that, but she is acting petrified and very stressed. She was hurt badly as a chick and I'm thinking maybe that bad leg has something to do with it.