Odd behavior from runty bantam?

[Dancingbirder]

I have a 15-day-old serama (Noodle) in the same brooder as week-old standards. The Serama was the sole survivor of eggs that we had in an incubator. The standards were mail ordered. They have been living together since the standards came home last Wednesday.

Today, I moved the stuffed toy to the center to create more of a division between the sets of feeders/waterers. Now Noodle has been obsessively smushing herself against the toy, almost like she is trying to get underneath it. The larger standard chicks will cover over and peck her on the head or back, or step on her. She'll squeak and get up but then go right back to the toy. How do I help her? In general, she is eating and drinking and takes little stabs at some of the others, but also gets pushed around quite a bit. She is growing out some enormous feathers which I think may be contributing to the others picking on her as she has little bits of pink skin showing.

Should I move the toy? Or make more hiding places? Not sure I can separate her as she cries for the others when I pick her up. Attaching some photos of my brooder.

 

[sourland]

Chicken society is not kind. Big chicks pick on smaller chicks, and it will very likely get worse. Any chance of getting some bantam chicks to raise with her ?

 

[Dancingbirder]

Would it be better to rehome her if not? Or we could find some of our other chicks a different home in order to increase our total chicken numbers any further (we have a friend with a larger flock so this would be simple to do).

 

[Ryguy3684]

It's hard to say what the best option is. I had one runt in my brood. The others picked on her a little bit, but also let her snuggle under them. She's got mental issues and to this day, when she loses sight of the flock, 1 or 2 of them will come get her. Pecking order, picking on, is fine, just watch out for excessive bullying. If you notice they are being overly aggressive towards her, it would be best to remove her, for her own safety.

 

[Dancingbirder]

Thanks so much for your story, @Ryguy3684. She seems to be always in the middle of the night-time snuggles, so I am hoping our situation will end up more like yours. She is going to be very tiny even when full-grown. We will see if we can get her a small chicken friend should things get too rough for her in the pecking order!

 

[Dancingbirder]

Just thought I'd update this thread - our Serama frizzle girl has flourished with the others and isn't even at the bottom of the pecking order. She'll stand up to the big girls and peck them right in the eye. Weirdly, she does try to get under other chickens when they are dust-bathing, just as she was doing with the stuffed chicken previously. Must be some crossed wires in there

 

[Sally PB]

So glad to hear this worked out!