"Depressed" Chicken?

[frackmomma]

Hey chicken family!

I have an 8 week old Welsummer chick that doesn't act like the rest of my chickens. I also have two other 8 weekers and four 14 weekers. When I let them out of their coop, the others are so excited, foraging, and running around the yard. She does this for a few minutes but then goes and perches on our wood pile. Her tail is always down. She does come for treats and appears to be eating and drinking normally. I examined her last night and she appears to be the same weight as the other 8 weekers, no obvious signs of injury, leg defects, her crop seemed full, etc. They have just been incorporated with the older chickens and they seem to be getting along nicely besides the usual "hey get out of my way" peck.

She just seems a little depressed. Am I being overly worried?

 

[aart]

There is often a slower and/or loner bird in a flock...I wouldn't jump to 'depression'.
Just keep an eye on her....might want to isolate her for one night.
Check for full crop at night, put her in crate with water but no feed, check crop and poops in morning before letting her back out with flock.

 

[frackmomma]

There is often a slower and/or loner bird in a flock...I wouldn't jump to 'depression'.
Just keep an eye on her....might want to isolate her for one night.
Check for full crop at night, put her in crate with water but no feed, check crop and poops in morning before letting her back out with flock.

Thank you for your always good advice. I will do this. My assumption is she is fine but I'm still new at this!

 

[danceswithronin]

She may just be low man on the totem pole, omega of the flock for whatever bird reason.

 

[aart]

I will do this.
My assumption is she is fine but I'm still new at this!

Great! Let us know what you find.
Can be easy to worry...takes practice/experience to learn when to worry and when not.