Is it true...Will other chickens "know" when a flock member is sick before I do?

[chickenflower]

Is it a myth or true that chickens can sense sickness in another chicken and try to destroy it? Is it some evolutionary trait that keeps an illness from spreading in a flock? Or is it just a visible injury or the sight of blood that is actually the reason for a chicken succumbing to a gang attack.

My story is this...I was taking care of someone else's chickens while he was away. (he does not keep his chickens well at all, dirty and crowded) One was getting attacked every time she came down from a roost. She could barely make it to food or water before they started jumping of her, more than one at a time, scratching and pecking. She was severely mangy, and balded on her neck and back. No serious open wounds, though. I couldn't bare to leave her there to be tormented so I took her with me and isolated her in my coop with my chickens. Now, she is protected from other chickens, but she can see everyone and everyone else can see her. My worry is this..., if it is true that chickens can sense an unseen illness in their own, perhaps I just let a sick chicken infect my flock. My hope is that I saved her life and she was simply the poor chicken at the bottom of the pecking order.

In case anyone will ask, I did not try to place her with my flock without the barricade, so I don't know if they would attack her. I didn't want to risk it. Also, no roosters were involved, just girls.

My plan is to let her heal, hope she doesn't have a sickness that will kill all my other chickens, and try the night time-in the dark- method of including her into the flock. And perhaps vicks vap o rub on her too.

So, my original question, again, is, Can chickens somehow sense an unseen illness in other chickens?

Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. I think that may be true after raising my first set of chicks, and my cockerel who was the leader of the flock, started to be ostracized and bullied. He was run off to nest boxes and corners to hide by even the smallest chickens. Then we noticed a leg problem, and eventually had to put him down because he was so weak and depressed from not being allowed to eat or mingle with the flock. I also have seen hens who were low in the pecking order, and that is frustrating, because they never get treats. It is just a part of chicken behavior, so you just have to let them be chickens. You should always quarantine new chickens away from your flock for at least a month in case of them carrying diseases or parasites. Look her over for mites and lice, worm her, and when you do place her with the flock, just let her out with them for a few periods of supervised visits. Gradually introduce her and watch for excessive pecking.

 

[chickenflower]

So it turns out that, thankfully, this poor little chicken does not have any mysterious illness and is thriving in my care. She never got gang attacked by my happy birds, although it seems she is still on the lower end of the pecking order. She is regrowing some of the feathers her previous flock mates tore out of her and she is a happy member of my flock, of which, of course, I am the "head hen"!

I didn't use any special method or tricks to integrate her other than keeping her separated yet visible to the other chickens for about a week or so. After that, they treated her like the regular low bird, not like a chicken punching bag like her last home. I guess when chickens are kept reasonably clean and happy they are far more tolerant and rugged than people think.

We named her Scruffy, because she looks so mangy and her remaining feathers are ratty and twisted. She is no longer the one getting picked on, and she has an attitude. She fights hard to keep her low spot in the flock and even harasses my rooster, Prince Edward, who is at least three times her size. She is fast, and nimble, probably from years of trying to escape her tormenters in her previous home. I joke that she acts the way she does because she has PTSD.

Of course, this means that my original question still remains unanswered, and may well remain so for a long time. Do chickens have some sort of sixth sense about the health of their flock-mates? I would be interested to hear some anecdotal evidence or even some real science done on the matter.

 

[petec357]

Not sure, I have a similar situation.take a look at this pic .

I'm keeping my small flock of 13 birds at my brothers while I finish my coop. He has 2 1/2 dozen of his own, that are 3 weeks older than mine. The older birds definitely run the show, but one small bird developed a cut on the comb. Since then they all abuse the injured one.
I brought it home with me and have it in a rabbit cage hoping that once healthy it can resume its spot in the flock, minus the bullying. Kids want to name it scabby, go figure.
Hope I'm doing the right thing, if anyone has any advice, I'm listening.

I'll be following your thread to find out the feedback you get on the questions you asked, thanks for posting them.

 

[chickenflower]

that's a nice bird minus the injuries. I sure hope you have luck with it!! Happy chickens forever! what kind do you have in your flock?

 

[petec357]

He's the one up front, not only healthy, but the king of the pen since I separated him to nursed him back to health. I've got black Australorps, Isa browns and barred rocks. A Nice mix.
What's the status on you bird?

 

[chickenflower]

My scruffy is 100% a happy, healthy member of my flock!! Still ugly as hell, but we love her anyway!!