Can chickens suffer from mental retardation? I recently brought a young silkie chick into the house because he had been pecked to near featherless by his siblings, and had caught a cold from being featherless in the chilly weather. I noticed he was skinny but very interested in eating, but he eats like a chick just learning about feed, he pecks and misses and drops each crumble at least three times before succeeding in swallowing it. He also plays like a very young chick and is very awkward in advanced movements. He loves people and follows me everywhere when I let him run around. When I first brought him in I thought he would be upset by himself but he doesnt mind being without the other chicks he peeps and chirps but not in distress. And finally today I realized he is terrified of other chickens, the sight of one or even the sound causes him to freak out and become very upset. So Im wondering if this sweet chick could be a little slow.
Sounds to me like he's at the bottom of the pecking order. When you separate a chicken then put it back, it has to enter at the bottom of the pecking order.
