One chicken is left out from the bunch

[ericnash]

I have one chicken that is left out from the rest and does not seem to be very accepted by the others. When they roost at night they all roost on the same spot, but 5 of the chickens sit tight together and the 6th is left out to the side. They are all 8 weeks old and have lost their down except for this one chicken that is left out around her neck. I don't know if she is keeping herself out of the group or if they are leaving her out. I am concerned that they may be bothering her because her comb looks a little damaged. Has anyone experienced this before?

 

[goldfinches]

Mine did that. 5 out of 6 roosted together, but there wasn't room for the runt. She had to roost below them. Now that they're older, (15 weeks), there's a different one on the bottom each night, though.

 

[ericnash]

It is weird because there is a lot of room for the one that is left out. She stays a good 12 inches away from the others.

 

[Wisher1000]

Don't worry unless you see blood, it will work out, they do that all the time.

 

[sharol]

I have one that is sort of left out, too. They are 11 months old, so I suppose it will always be that way, though it is worse since she had a couple of weeks that she was inside with some sort of digestive or reproductive problem -- never figured out what, but she got better.

She starts out on the lower roost, but in the morning, she is on the upper one next to her Welsumer friend. My head chicken is a bit of a bully, and Misty just stays out of her way until they are settled for the night. I feel sorry for her, but being bottom chicken is a hard life. I give her extra food and insist that she be allowed to eat it (in a separate dish up on a hay bale) mornings and evenings, and the others seem to respect the boundaries especially after I carried the head chicken around for a while when she attacked Misty and drove her away from her food early last week.

Be sure she is getting adequate food. I think that is why Misty was so ill and weak - she may have been starving. In fact I thought she was dying a few weeks back. I won't make that mistake again.

 

[SlyReb]

I have Noticed that regardless of the number there is always one left behind. I think it’s just a low pecking order thing.