How scared is too scared? 11w/o Swedish Flower chick

[HerdAndHome]

I picked up an 11 week old Swedish Flower chick tonight. Her name is Penny Lane. Seems she would rather eat through hardware cloth or the wooden coop walls to escape me than let me walk within 10 feet of the coop. I'm truly concerned she's going to hurt herself.
I feed in the run, not the coop, and I take the food up at night. I don't want to start feeding in the coop to accommodate little Penny Lane's neurosis, ¿or maybe mine ? for fear she'll not eat for a couple of days.
In case she doesn't want to leave the safety of the coop in the morning, should I just put the food down the run, open the coop door and hope she goes down to eat? I tried mealworms. She left them untouched *gasp* which is not very encouraging. I do keep H2o in the coop for her.

Lastly: I picked her up from a local, long-standing, well thought of farm. She's vaccinated for Marek's. I have her +/-40' from the 9o'Flock in a private coop for 30 days But she's got no tail feathers, the guy said something about a rooster picking at them. And he put blu-kote on her back where her tail feathers should be so the area is protected until they grow. It's kind of startling to see. You can't tell as her wing tips cover the area until she moves about. Like when she thrashes around trying to escape me walking by. 10 feet away.

I guess my questions are:

1. Do I put food in the coop for her? Or let her come out if she wants to eat
2. Should I be concerned about her thrashing about so much since she has blue-kote over the area where her tail feathers should be?

*pic of coop. The food station is beneath the ridiculously steep ramp.

 

[Buckeye Amy]

Oh my, this is a tough one. I would think the major change in her situation has been the cause of her reaction. I wish I could offer some advice here. I honestly would like to just observe your setup and birds to get a better idea of what could be the problem.

 

[Perris]

should I just put the food down the run, open the coop door and hope she goes down to eat?

Yes. And until she gets used to you and her new surroundings, make some sort of non-scary noise as you approach, so you don't surprise her. Whatever happened to her tail has probably made her very anxious about potential attacks. She needs a calm, reassuring presence when you are around, not an anxious one. Be calm. Hum a soft tune. Let her know she is safe when you are around.
Put the food down where she can see it from the pop door, and leave. You will know when you go to collect it before bed whether or not she has eaten. It may take a few days. Put the water there too, so you don't have to open up her one protected space just in order to make sure she has clean water to drink.

Should I be concerned about her thrashing about so much

She will calm down when she realizes that you are not a threat to her life. Do not try to catch her. Wait for her to come to you.

 

[Mrs. K]

Can you go get another one from the same farm? Adding a single bird to your flock is tricky to say the least. And another bird with her might help.

 

[saysfaa]

.. and leave.
...

Emphasizing the "and leave"

Don't check on her or watch from a little distance or anything like that for the first days.

If you can add a tarp or lean branches over or against the run, that may help her adjust faster.

 

[HerdAndHome]

Thank you all so much for your wisdom. I read it after I let everyone out, of course. Penny Lane hopped out of the coop and I was able to catch her and hold her kindly but fully supported til she stopped trying to eat me. I was able to get a pic of her lower back. It makes me wonder really what happened.
I don't have room for another chicken unfortunately. 9 is my limit. Penny Lane was added to take Pepper the cockerel's place.
I will grab some branches from a downed tree and lean against the coop. And I moved the food as suggested. I just hope she eats. I guess the 3 - 3 - 3 rule for rehoming dogs applies to chickens as well.
Y'all are the best!

 

[HerdAndHome]

***update***
Penny Lane still has not eaten, maybe not drunk any water either. I can't see that she's pooped either. At what point do I intervene?
Can her fear be caused by being coated in Blu-Kote on Sunday? The guy said he applied it the day I picked her up. Does that stuff sting or burn?
The guy maintains she is simply lonely. Lonely doesn't try to peck it's way out of the coop when I approach.
If I have to force feed (tube) this chick, will that not make things worse? Would a vet do that? I'm on my own and it seems that would take 2 people.
I'm so sad for this bird.

 

[Perris]

At what point do I intervene?

not yet. Think about when you get ill or sad; you can go weeks without food (water not so much). The blue spray is used to try to prevent infections; she may be battling an infection, in which case, she needs peace and quiet and time in a warm comfortable place to fight it off and get better.

The guy maintains she is simply lonely. Lonely doesn't try to peck it's way out of the coop when I approach.

He may well be right. Clearly you care a lot about this bird, but you are not a chicken and your company probably freaks her out rather than reassures her.

If I have to force feed (tube) this chick, will that not make things worse?

It may. If you must use force, save it for a last resort. She is not there yet.

I'm so sad for this bird.

It is sad to see her frightened. Forcing your care on her is not going to help there.

Try offering small amounts of lots of different types of food: some meat, some fish, some dairy product (e.g. plain natural yogurt), some banana, a tiny peanut-butter sandwich, bread soaked in milk. If you can tempt her to eat, there is hope.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think force feeding this bird will make things much worse. Hide the food where she can find it. And leave her be. As kind as your interventions are intended, I don't think they are working for this bird. And this bird might not ever work out, some don't.

I would leave her entirely alone for two day- then approach very slowly and just sit there for a while and leave. As you leave, add feed and water to her bowl.

Mrs K

 

[HerdAndHome]

Thank you @Perris & @Mrs. K I'm definitely going to take your suggestions.