Is my new chicken sick or just a wuss?

[GottaHatchAPlan]

I got a new chook a few days ago and I'm not sure what to make of her behaviour. We got our new Orpington, Chestnut, as a friend to our lone Australorp, Peggy. I know we're supposed to quarantine any new chickens but we quickly learnt that Chestnut, farm-raised girl that she is, came with both Houdini-esque escape skills and a decided dislike for quarantine. And fences. And backyards in general.

Anyhoodles, our chickens met and, metaphorical milk already spilt, we decided to just let them continue hanging out, monitor the situation closely and focus on cutting down the number of escape attempts.

We expected a fight for dominance but by afternoon on the first day the Pecking Order seemed to be already established; Queen Peggy was top chook and Chestnut was her new subordinate. They're fairly happy together, considering it's still the first week, and are already sharing a coop and run. But we have noticed some odd behaviour on Chestnut's part.

She seems a little too submissive for our tastes.

• She eats very slowly and significantly less than Peggy, pecking at treats several times before eating it, and that's the treats she does eat. As well as pellets and course mash, we feed them vegetable scraps (eg. bits of carrots, broccoli, fresh corn, etc) that Peggy will practically lunge at but Chestnut will often ignore them for a while before, maybe, coming back for a taste. We've had to feed them separately to make sure Peggy doesn't eat her share, but she still eats so slowly.
• She also seems too disinterested in what's happening around her. When I walk up Peggy immediately runs to me, especially if I have anything in my hands, but Chestnut often just glances up and ignores me, offered food or no.
• If she's pecking/scratching up a patch of grass and Peggy comes over to peck at the same spot sometimes she'll walk away and stand hunched over until Peggy leaves.
• Peggy will still peck at her from time to time, and while she'll try to move away Chestnut never pecks back at her. If she's in the coop with few escape options she'll just hunch over on higher ground and ignore Peggy.
• She's been unresponsive a few times to me, too. I once tried to hand-feed her while she was in this hunched over position and she not only didn't eat, she didn't even move her head away. I even tried nudging her beak to get a reaction and she just stared ahead.

She does eat and drink, lay eggs (which are, admittedly, speckled, but otherwise normal) and forage with Peggy, so apart from these behaviours she's generally pretty normal. But Peggy has always been so much more vibrant (which is saying something; Peggy was actually sick when we first got her but she's rarely acted like this) so we wonder what's behind the difference.
Is it just a settling-in issue? Or a pecking order thing? Will it fade in time?
Is this just a difference in personality?
Or is she unwell?

 

[Ducksandchickens]

Hopefully a different personality. She has a new friend which causes confusion so hopefully in a week or two she’ll be back to normal

 

[PouleChick]

I'm new to chooks so not sure myself but as long as she is eating / drinking and in particular laying that is a good sign. Both my silkies were a bit weird when I first got them, quite happy just to lay in the box and kind of do nothing, I wondered what was wrong as well. I felt they were totally freaked out by the new home and also did the non-responsive thing. I dont' think the guy who had them before handled them or hand fed them and they still won't eat from me - it is like they don't get it / are too scared (and I've had them a couple of months now) so as you say she was farm raised they were perhaps less hands on than a backyard chicken person. Also I'm not sure they were being fed as well as I perhaps do. After a few days on decent food and vitamin water they perked right up. I'd give her a chance to settle in and maybe give her some vitamins as vitamin deficiency can cause all sorts of funny issues.

 

[tootmany]

I've heard of a lot of buff orps being at the bottom of the totem poll, as far as pecking order goes. We have a huge baby of a chicken. Despite her gigantic size, she is always ready for others to jump on her back and leaves food alone till 'the boss' is gone. I would keep an eye out, of course, but hopefully they will warm up to each other pretty well. Good luck!

 

[GottaHatchAPlan]

I've heard of a lot of buff orps being at the bottom of the totem poll, as far as pecking order goes. We have a huge baby of a chicken. Despite her gigantic size, she is always ready for others to jump on her back and leaves food alone till 'the boss' is gone. I would keep an eye out, of course, but hopefully they will warm up to each other pretty well. Good luck!

Huh, so it might be a breed thing? Interesting. Thanks for the insight!

 

[GottaHatchAPlan]

I'm new to chooks so not sure myself but as long as she is eating / drinking and in particular laying that is a good sign. Both my silkies were a bit weird when I first got them, quite happy just to lay in the box and kind of do nothing, I wondered what was wrong as well. I felt they were totally freaked out by the new home and also did the non-responsive thing. I dont' think the guy who had them before handled them or hand fed them and they still won't eat from me - it is like they don't get it / are too scared (and I've had them a couple of months now) so as you say she was farm raised they were perhaps less hands on than a backyard chicken person. Also I'm not sure they were being fed as well as I perhaps do. After a few days on decent food and vitamin water they perked right up. I'd give her a chance to settle in and maybe give her some vitamins as vitamin deficiency can cause all sorts of funny issues.

That sounds a lot like our situation! Her previous owner didn't pay them a whole lot of attention, just mostly let them do their own thing while he spent the day at work. She's eaten out of my hand once or twice, but it's always been chunks of food she can run off with, and she only learnt to do that after watching Peggy. You might be right about the diet as well; from what we could tell, the guy only fed them coarse mash, no fruit or veg at all. Could be that Chestnut simply doesn't trust food she isn't used to. Thanks for the advice!

 

[GottaHatchAPlan]

Hopefully a different personality. She has a new friend which causes confusion so hopefully in a week or two she’ll be back to normal

Hope so! She's a sweet bird, but being too submissive could be a problem.

 

[aart]

It's only been a few days, it takes time for a bird to be comfortable in a new situation.
Chickens don't like change....she's being subordinate to the Queen, and you.
She's also not used to human interaction or to 'treats'(which might not be a bad thing).
Don't push the treat part, just give her a good chicken ration to maximize the nutrition to bolster her immune system against the new place.

 

[GottaHatchAPlan]

It's only been a few days, it takes time for a bird to be comfortable in a new situation.
Chickens don't like change....she's being subordinate to the Queen, and you.
She's also not used to human interaction or to 'treats'(which might not be a bad thing).
Don't push the treat part, just give her a good chicken ration to maximize the nutrition to bolster her immune system against the new place.

Okay, I'll be sure to focus on her diet, then. Thank you!