One hen off to herself a lot

[pigcoon]

Our girls are about 20 weeks old. They are laying quite a bit though there are still some soft eggs and the eggs are still small.

This is a group of 5. No rooster. They are in their run at night or when we are going to be out for several hours (lots of predators around). They free range when we're home. One of the chickens frequently breaks off from the group, and goes off on her own. We'll see 4 of them in the woods scratching around, and the other (always the same one) in a different part of the yard doing her own thing. She also comes up to the door a lot which seems to be for human contact (she loves my daughter, who has handled and cuddled them a lot). At one point we found her in the woods sitting on three eggs, but other than that she doesn't seem especially broody. When they're in their run/coop, she "fits in" better. She's just......different than the others.

Does this sound like normal variability in chicken personality? Is it anything to worry about? Obviously when she's off by herself she is more vulnerable. Will they at any point reject her because she's not 'getting with the program?' She really seems to have a different agenda than the others.

Ironically, my daughter named her "Adventure Chick" when we first got all of them. It is turning out to be an appropriate name!

 

[artsyrobin]

I have one like that, and was told she was the low bird of the flock, and to spend some extra time with her. Once she got to laying it seemed the others accepted her and she spent more time with the flock, almost like it was an initiation thing. yours might be the low chicken?

 

[Mahonri]

She'll probably end up being the broody one.

 

[pigcoon]

Is that something I should research? Is 'low bird' a known term (like 'low man on the totem pole'; bottom of the pecking order?)

 

[PioneerPrincess]

We also have a hen that will wander away from the flock and in the coop and run she is fine with them. She is near the bottom of pecking order, so that is why we think she does this. We give her lots of attention along with our other bottom chickens.
Yes, low bird is the same as bottom of the pecking order.

 

[OverEZ]

Reba is the loner in our flock. She once held the top pecking order but had developed a gimpy leg and too much attention from the flock. Thus began assaults from the others until we removed her for 2 weeks. She is now back in the flock and just a little gimpy (she now gallops across the yard) but keeps to herself. She often sits on the our front porch waiting for one of us to come out. Also we've been a daily egg short since the episode. I suspect she is not laying.

 

[CleverCluck]

I have a blue polish that stays to herself, even in the coop, if they are inside, she is outside, if she is in the coop, they are outside in the pen area, and i notice when they are ranging she if often off all by herself. i have 10 hens and a roo, the roo being my other polish blue, the others are much bigger breeds. They dont pick on her that ive noticed, they just act like she is not around, and she seems to be the one who wants to spend the most time with me, i have grown really attached to her because of this and i watch her closely all day, i am afraid a hawk is going to get her because she is always off on her own like that and her white puffy head doesnt exactly give her much camo! now that i see maybe she is the low bird, that makes me feel even worse for her!

 

[RedHighlandQu]

We have 4 roosters. When we removed 2, stating them aside for processing, one of my chickens, 007, moved out of the coop and into the shed where my roosters were kenneled. She comes out early in the morning, and does her rounds but I rarely see her with the flock. Than processing became OBE, and we released the boys back. She went back to the coop for a while, and I suspected one of the boys was her Boo. About 2 weeks later, she's back to being off by herself. And this week she recruited Dove. We've toyed with removing all roosters, but it seems the time out did them good, and they do keep an eye out for the girls since we free range. At night I'll find 007 and Dove tucked away, and put them back in the coop. They will go back to the coop 2 nights before they go off on their own. Now I'm thinking I need a smaller coop, name it secret Lair or Safe House for 007 and her gang. Maybe she will go broody. It did kinda start when we hit our hot week. Hmmm . I've been around chickens a lot but never been the executive decision maker.

 

[Mrs. K]

You may loose her to a predator, but that is really all. It is norma behavior. I hatched out 4 chicks - they were ALWAYS 3 chicks and 1 chick.

I was not surprised when I let them free range, and one did not come back. I went into lock down for several days after that.

 

[RedHighlandQu]

We have 4 roosters. When we removed 2, stating them aside for processing, one of my chickens, 007, moved out of the coop and into the shed where my roosters were kenneled. She comes out early in the morning, and does her rounds but I rarely see her with the flock. Than processing became OBE, and we released the boys back. She went back to the coop for a while, and I suspected one of the boys was her Boo. About 2 weeks later, she's back to being off by herself. And this week she recruited Dove. We've toyed with removing all roosters, but it seems the time out did them good, and they do keep an eye out for the girls since we free range. At night I'll find 007 and Dove tucked away, and put them back in the coop. They will go back to the coop 2 nights before they go off on their own. Now I'm thinking I need a smaller coop, name it secret Lair or Safe House for 007 and her gang. Maybe she will go broody. It did kinda start when we hit our hot week. Hmmm . I've been around chickens a lot but never been the executive decision maker.

Well, 007 is Broody. Today she was in the yard having a snack w the others. I was doing some chores and I head "peep peep". I had to do some creative manuvering to find them. I also found an easier way to get to 007s nest. 2 hatched. And more are making noise. This is not a safe place for babies. I scooped them up and took them into the incubator I had cleaned but not put in the attic yet. Good thing. This will keep them until I can get a more suitable brooder set up.
007 is sitting on the nest so I brought her some food and some water. Leave her for a bit. I'll need help if we are going to move her and her nest. I'm sure she will be a good mom. I just don't trust the other roosters, or the fox who comes to the waterhole. Or my cats.