Depressed Chicken????

[Beullas mom]

I have a total of 23 chickens but only 12 are outside free ranging at the moment (the others are chicks and still in the house). My pullets (1 Roo) are 5 months old and have been outside for 3 months now. When I first put them out, they seemed to be doing fine but I noticed at about day 3 that my girl Beulla seemed a little off. Let me give you a little history on Beulla. When I got her, I thought she was a sex-link as she was in with the other sex links at the feed store. She had that little yellow mohawk, which I now know is the signature for a little barred rock. From day 1 Beulla was my favorite. She was always the smallest always awkward and clumsy and came right up to me like she was 10 feet tall. Any time I put the girls out during the day and I left and came back, Beulla would come running like I'd been gone for days. She can't run straight to save her life, never could...cutest thing I've ever seen. Anyway, on day 3 when I went out, she didn't come to me. When I found her, she was just laying in the dirt looking like she was hot but she got up to eat and drink when I put out fresh water so I wasn't too worried about it. I did notice that the Roo was really picking on her, every time she got near him, he was on her. I watched this for 2 more days and noticed it seemed to be only Beulla he did this to and I saw no reason for it. She didn't seem defiant and took off anytime she saw him coming. He pestered the other girls a bit but nothing like he did to Beulla. Day 6, I got up and opened up the coop and everyone came running out, except Beulla. When I looked in the coop, she was lying in one of the nesting boxes and one of her eyes was closed. I picked her up her eye stayed closed and her middle toe looked broken. Of course, I went into a panic and brought her in and started researching what it could be. I noticed a little cut above her eye so I think someone pecked her. I went and bought her a coop, and every kind of med I read might help and brought her in the house to stay. Her toe is still bent but it doesn't seem to bother her and her eye never recovered. She is blind in that eye. I have had her in the house for nearly 3 months now. Each day when I get home from work, I take her out into the backyard and she free ranges until bedtime. I have noticed over the last couple of days that she seems depressed. She seems to be losing more feathers than usual and she doesn't talk to me as much as she used to. I think she's lonely. She's the only pullet that hasn't started laying yet and I'm worried about her. I'm afraid to introduce her back to the other's, even without her handicap, I'm afraid my Roo's got a grudge against her for some reason. Any suggestions? Should I try to reintroduce her? Should I get her a buddy? Should I get rid of the Roo? Should I put a run in the backyard so she can be outside during the day? (I have a pool in the backyard so I can't let her free during the day when I'm not home). I was thinking I could introduce Beulla to my chicks (when they get a little older) and put her out with them when I introduce them to the flock, that way she's not alone. If that would work, what should I do in the meantime? My babies are only a couple weeks old.

Any insight or advice anyone can give would be very much appreciated. I need my goofy, quirky little girl back.

Thank you!

 

[sumi]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. If I were you I'd get rid of the rooster. Your girl may be depressed or sick. Is she eating and drinking and pooping like normal? I think putting her with some buddies would be good for her, as chickens are social creatures, like us. If you are sure she's healthy, put her with the chicks and see what she does. She sounds like a sweetheart, so she'll probably be o.k. with them.