Problem with hen/flock/food

[seminolewind]

I hatched some chicks in the winter, and kept one, who is now a hen. She had been in with the flock until I realized that she was not eating out of the feeder, just some feed bits on the ground. So I put her in with the banties for a few months, and she got plump. So I took her out a few days ago and put her back with the flock. NO one is picking on her. But she will not eat out of the feeder. She will look at it, but then look for crumbs on the ground. Needless to say after 2 nights of not having much of anything in her crop, I put her back with the 2 banties.

Is this situation ever going to change? It's like she thinks the feeder is off limits-even when she's completely alone at the feeder. No one runs her off or anything. Any advice?

 

[Kittymomma]

Add a second feeder to the main coop. She may have been run off firmly in the past and is now scared to try.

 

[seminolewind]

Thanks, Kitty. But there are 2 feeders in there and there was a third until a month ago.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:

Is there anything different about the banties feeder?

 

[seminolewind]

No, I think she's just more confident with the banties. But maybe there is something that forbids her in her mind from using the 2 bowls. Maybe adding a different type bowl?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have some Welsummers who were scared to death of being in with the bigger girls. So I put them in with the bantams. They did very well and chose to even sleep in a coop with bantams. Now they snuggle right in with them. They don't want to sleep with the big girls.

 

[seminolewind]

Well, I guess my hen and 2 banties are a flock, right?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

yep!

 

[seminolewind]

I guess if I cover the pen they're in, I can let them out of the coop/yard they are in, and I won't feel so bad. I wish I could also find her a hen-friend. Her friend had died-she wouldn't eat out of the feed bowl and she was too fluffy to see that she wasn't eating enough. The hen friend that died was also like her mother so maybe that's what she learned. I dunno.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

As long as she has a chicken friend or two she'll be ok, IMO.