My EE wants to be a 'house chicken'

[stilldeb]

I have one EE and she was doing fine in a pen with other Bantams, Polish, Sebrights, and a Silky roo, where she had always been. Then she lost all her feathers in a really bad molt. I mean all of 'em. Looked like something in the grocery store meat counter. And Harry was beating her up. She was hiding under the nesting boxes and wouldn't come out and had wounds on her. So I put her in the isolation cage in the garage to grow out her feathers.

Then I tried to put her back in her run, but she freaked out and plastered herself in a corner under the nesting box. Again, wouldn't come out. She's never been like this before.

So we moved pens for winter closer to the house and shifted some chickens around to balance out the population a little, put a couple more Silkies in with Harry and moved Snickers in with the Sultans - they are very easy-going. All was fine for a day or so, then she went into hiding again. They didn't seem to be bothering her, but she wouldn't come out even to eat or drink, and when my husband opened the nest box from the outside to check for eggs, she jumped into his arms.

She wants to be a house chicken. (noooo...I have 2 dogs in the house)

So she is back in the garage. I don't know what's up with her, but she is perfectly happy in the garage by herself.

She just doesn't wanna be a chicken anymore!

 

[lambchicks]

I have an EE that is finishing up a molt right now. She was our most friendly chicken. Now we can hardly get our hands on her. My son carried her around in the hood of his jacket when she was little. But she got beat up too while she was molting. It makes me sad.
I do think when you isolate them, they loose their spot in the pecking order and when you reintroduce them, and they have to fight for their spot back. That happened when I had one get sick last winter and she lived in out basement for several weeks.

 

[stilldeb]

Snickers is still very people friendly and loves being in the garage. She will sit on my shoulder in the house while I am working (I work on my computer from home). But I do need for her to be a chicken again, I just couldn't let her get ripped apart when she was naked. I have one more pen she might be happy in with a much smaller roo (itty-bitty black Cochin frizzle that never grew up) and fewer hens now that I've moved some around. She just goes on a hunger strike if she doesn't get her way!

CHICKENS!

Deb G
Manipulated by Chickens

 

[Happy Chooks]

I had a broody that was like this after she was removed from the flock and then reintegrated. Her babies integrated fine, but she did not. Let me find it:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5945113#p5945113

 

[stilldeb]

Thanks for the info - I believe I will have to do the same with Snickers to get her back outside. But right now the weather has been terrible and waiting for a decent day.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Warning: My girl became a complete lap chicken and would greet me to be picked up when I entered the run.

If I didn't pick her up, she would peck at my pants.