Jimmy the Clinically Depressed Buff Orp - UPDATE SUNDAY MORN

[PurpleChicken]

This is Jimmy:

Jimmy was hatched in one of my bators and then went to a good home
with 3 siblings. Unfortunately predators attacked and killed the other
three. There were also 9 RIR's in his flock who he never integrated with.
The Reds are huge and he is tiny and afraid of everything. The Reds are
in my flock with 55 others birds and doing fine. I put Jimmy in the flock
and even the 10 week old roos were beating the heck outa him. He would
just hide his head in a corner. It's pothetic.

I took him out and have been trying to tame him. He has been roosting on
my kayak for the last 5 days now. Even though I pick him up several times
a day he goes crazy when I grab him. He's not adjusting at all.

He is half the weight of the other Buffs I hatched at the same time. He is
eating but not getting any larger.

Right now he is in my big brooder with Angel, our Splash Silkie, who likes
other chickens and our Splash Orp is in there too. Jimmy is losing it. He
bangs into the side of the brooder for no reason. If I take him out he goes
right back up to the kayak. He'll get down to eat and then right back up.

If he doesn't show any improvement in the next week I feel I'll have no choice
but to cull him. I've considered having him as a "Barn Bird".

 

[picklespickles]

can you find another good home for him. i traded one like that away for everyone's sake.

-the clinically depressed pickle

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
If I did that I'd be giving someone a troubled bird. Worse yet he may
end up in a flock where he is tortured and ends up starving to death.
If someone had a few nice hens and needed a roo it may. Jimmy isn't
a "Henny Penny". He's really a scared & troubled bird. I've got other spazzes
but none are like him.

Maybe I'm just humanizing him too much.

 

[lizardz]

Maybe he has post traumatic stress after seeing all his buddies offed. Have you tried mixing some prozac in his feed? Maybe he just wants to go on a kayaking trip to forget all his troubles.

I don't know how long all this has been going on, but if it's only been five days since he was taken out of the larger run, he just might need a bit more time in a place where he's not being picked on before he can start really feeling safe. Stress will often cause anything (human or animal) not to thrive, but when that is removed, you'd be surprised how they can bounce back.

Good luck

 

[jjthink]

He's been through a lot of stress. Hopefully time will heal his fears and he'll come around. It hasn't been very long in the scheme of things. His traumas are probably very raw still.
You might try putting calming remedies in his water, like Bach's Rescue Remedy or maybe Mimulus. If you have a health food store nearby, they'll have the stuff.
I hope things get better!
JJ

 

[PurpleChicken]

I'm willing to give him more time. That's not a problem. I also like
the idea of giving him something to calm him since the Xanax doesn't
seem to help(just kidding).

Where is he better off? Should I just let him live up on the kayak or keep
him in a large brooder/infirmary cage with a few of my gentler birds?


The crazy part of this whole thing is I can't have roos and am processing 4
crowers a week right now.

 

[tiffanyh]

Did you bite him???

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
NO!!! He is a roo, not a hen.

Don't be surprised if you find a Buff Orp in one of your
coops tomorrow morning.

 

[tiffanyh]

Hey--you make me a tractor and Ill take him and put him with my gentle hen who I give all my misfits too!!!

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
How big would you like it? Would you like pine or fur(2x4) contruction? Wheels?
Handles? One door ok?