How do I make my pullet act like a chicken!

[Indy Chicken]

I have a pullet (silver aracauna sp??) Beulah, that I got this past spring - she is about 8 months old now and will not interact with any of the other hens or roosters. We have around 20 chickens total and all get along for the most part. I got Beulah with 3 other chickens all the same age and they have grown up together - the other 3 though ended up being roosters. Beulah was slightly injured this past summer and we kept her separated for a day or two to give her a chance to heal. Ever since then she has gone to extremes to avoid any contact with any of the chickens - the other hens and chicks don't pick on her - though the roosters keep trying to mount her and when they do she will end up laying on the ground and you think she is dead or really injured. When the weather was warm she would fly out of the barn-yard to sit on the porch with me but wouldn't interact at all with the other chickens. She has gotten to the point where she won't eat or drink if I don't feed her or stand guard over her while she drinks - she in fact is setting on my desk as I write this. She doesn't hardly weigh anything since I won't stay with her all day. Also, she has not started laying. How do I make her act like a chicken? I have tried tough love by avoiding her but she gets too weak from not eating or drinking.

 

[Smoochie]

Do the other chickens guard the watering station and feeder? I try to have two of each going in the coop. Also, is she hiding from other birds? I find some breeds are snobs and only like birds of the same breed.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Sometimes different breeds do segregate, plus being injured and separated didn't really help early on....can you keep her in a separate area, maybe add a younger smaller chicken from the flock, maybe they'll bond. If she's underweight and malnourished she probably won't lay.

 

[Indy Chicken]

Do the other chickens guard the watering station and feeder? I try to have two of each going in the coop. Also, is she hiding from other birds? I find some breeds are snobs and only like birds of the same breed.

She has access to food and water - none of the chickens guard the food or water - they have free range in the barn-yard (somewhere around 3/4 acre) We keep water, feed and grains in several locations. Yes, Henry (my alpha roo - a phoenix) and his hens are snobs - but they don't bother with her. the only ones who mess with her are the other roosters.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

may be put her in a cage large enough to have wing room with may be 1-2 others so that she can find a friend, but just watch this dont walk of and leave them in there just in case something happens.

 

[Indy Chicken]

Sometimes different breeds do segregate, plus being injured and separated didn't really help early on....can you keep her in a separate area, maybe add a younger smaller chicken from the flock, maybe they'll bond. If she's underweight and malnourished she probably won't lay.

We have put her in the barn to roam during the day and have put another hen or the young pullets in with her but she ignores them and just stands in one place. I am starting to really worry about her. I will think about putting a young pullet in a large dog cage with her and hopefully they will become friends - I just hate separating her more than she already has done herself. I am thinking that the problem stems from having many more roosters than hens. I made the mistake of getting straight run chicks in this group and ended up with 6 roosters and 2 pullets. My older flock (4 hens 1 rooster) hatched eggs in July - again 5 roosters and one pullet! I am thinking that my poor Beulah is just scared of all the roosters - she may just need some female companionship.

 

[Smoochie]

Yeah I think your problem is too many roosters. I keep as few roosters as Possible because unless I am going to eat them or breed them they are just $$$ to the feed bill.. And more poop in the poop piles. Have you thought about having a bachelor pad for your extra roosters?