Possibly depressed pullet

[joevitale]

Hi all, This is going to be a bit of a strange post. I have a small flock of 9 birds, all female, all hatched in March/April 2019. They have become quite famous because they are on a live stream 24/7, we get to watch their habits in the run, in the coop and in the nest boxes with 3 different camera views. I have one girl who acts depressed. This is something that perhaps most people wouldn't notice because they aren't being watched all day and all night. Her name is Cheeks, and she is an Americana. She's acted this way her whole life, she basically hangs out in the roost most of the day, sometimes she spends time with the others, but often she doesn't. She's also the only one in the flock who hasn't laid yet, the other Americana lays almost daily. If anyone wants to have a look and let me know what you think or if I should be looking for illnesses, have a look:

and let me know. I read that it could be lice - but I would expect the others to be acting strangely. The cams all also have night vision, so maybe I should be looking for some strange behavior while they're sleeping (if it's lice, would they scratch all night?).

 

[azygous]

I watched a bit of the live stream, but I couldn't see any unusual behavior.

If this particular hen is isolating herself, you would do well to monitor her behavior. Self isolation can indicate illness or a bully victim. If you suspect lice, it's not a huge mystery to verify. The lice will be visible and active on the skin around the vent. Then you treat with either spinosad or permethrin, both natural and safe for poultry.

If you suspect bullying, which can result in malnutrition and postponement of onset of laying, you can treat it successfully following the information in my article on bullying. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-bully-chicken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/

If this hen is sick, she will be standing around, eyes at half mast, and tail held low and flat. Chicken ailments abound, so we usually begin by monitoring the crop for normal function. Check in the morning before food and water are permitted. An empty crop in the morning is a healthy crop. A full crop indicates a disorder that will require treatment. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[joevitale]

Thank you for this! The 3 Barred Rocks (AKA the Triplets) are the playground bullies for sure - I read it in the comments every day, so maybe she's taking it personal and the others do not. Over the past few weeks, the others have been packing back and the triplets have cooled down a bit so hopefully the bullying will start to die down.

 

[aart]

She's also the only one in the flock who hasn't laid yet, the other Americana lays almost daily.

This could be the issue, birds don't meld in to the main pecking order until they are laying...she also could just be the low bird'.
A long as she's eating/drinking/pooping/roosting OK, she'll be fine.

How many birds total and what are all their ages?
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics(not a video) would be most helpful.

 

[joevitale]

This could be the issue, birds don't meld in to the main pecking order until they are laying...she also could just be the low bird'.
A long as she's eating/drinking/pooping/roosting OK, she'll be fine.

How many birds total and what are all their ages?
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics(not a video) would be most helpful.

9 birds, all 9 moths or so, the coop is 4x7 feet, it's closed at night by a motorized (safe, very slow moving) gate that I designed specifically for them - and their run is a few sections totaling 500 or so square feet.

She still isn't laying today, and is the only one left. I installed lights in the coop to try to extend the days a bit to see if that helps.

 

[aart]

9 birds, all 9 moths or so, the coop is 4x7 feet, it's closed at night by a motorized (safe, very slow moving) gate that I designed specifically for them - and their run is a few sections totaling 500 or so square feet.

She still isn't laying today, and is the only one left. I installed lights in the coop to try to extend the days a bit to see if that helps.

Run sounds nice.....pics, please?
Also.....
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