What are the Signs of a Depressed Chicken?

[Attack Chicken]

The comb flopping over kinda happens to all chickens when they start laying.How long has she been laying?

 

[chickbliss7]

I'm new to chicken raising, and mine are not laying yet--they're 5 months old and I have 7 mixed breeds. It was helpful to read the posts on bullying because I think there is a problem developing and want to stop it before anyone gets hurt. One (of two) is a Buff Orpington, and the smallest in the flock (and also my favorite because she is so sweet and tame). The largest, a Barred Rock, is bullying her when I'm with them, and also when I give them treats. The BR won't let the BO get in my lap or get to the treats. I always give them treats divided up into at least 2 pieces, but I think I need to separate the food so that the portions are farther away--harder for the BR to patrol both locations (she runs back and forth between the treats, to keep the BO away). Today I put my hand out to prevent her from going after my BO, and after a few attempts, she fixed me with her beady eye and stared at me, as if to ask what did I think I was doing? She then left both treats alone and jumped up on the night roost (went to her room to sulk!) My feeling is that this behavior needs to be stopped early. If possible, spend more time observing your chickens and prevent the bullies from picking a victim in the first place. I'm trying to be the "Chicken Whisperer" to my flock--calm and assertive. I am trying to tell them I AM the Top Chicken and will not tolerate this behavior. We'll see if this works as well as it seems to with dogs!

 

[Lunachick]

Haha chickbliss, I observe, believe me, i observe. There's some chicken phsychology going on here that's for sure. I'm starting to think it might be
because the one being picked on used to snatch snacks from the others beaks when treats were handed out, and she was fast too. The other chooks got mad at her and chased her off, after a few days of this, they got wise to her, and it seemed like they had some kind of conference on the matter during the night, and the next day, she was being "punished" for her behavior. It's been that way since. But she could also be hurting physically at the same time that I'm not sure about.

that's the puzzling part.

Still trying to figure it out. She still looks fragile and pale, and depressed. She makes little effort to eat her regular feed, will eat some corn and tomato, and a bite or two of other things, but that's it. She has been drinking a lot of water, which i put poly vi sol in for her, then learned later that you can't use it if it has iron in it! ACK. Of course i was giving her the vitamins with iron. I'll get the other kind tomorrow.

I want her to feel good again, to have a red comb and wattles, to NOT have a pale face, to have fun again, instead of her sad "boot, boot" noise, i want her to complain and stand up for herself. She's too young for this.