What to do with a bullied chicken?

[Pazkez710]

Hi, I am hoping someone can give me some advice. We have 11 hens. 4 red sex links from TSC who are 23 weeks old and have been laying everyday for a few weeks now. We have one adult hen (not Sure what she is, white feathers and legs, red comb, smaller then the reds, but a year old or better, lays a jumbo white eg. Adopted from our neighbors). Those 5 seem to bully. Then I have 2 Black Australorps and a Buff Orpington, 21 weeks old. Finally I have a Dominique, an Aracauna, and a Sicilian Buttercup, 19 weeks old. The SB, we call "Simone", is the runt. She coders under Robin, our Aracauna and Domino, our Dominique. She hasn't been eating well, and she always seems to be in a cowering position, wherever she is. She will eat and drink if we are distracting the others (except her protectors, Robin and Domino). However, she is half the size if Robin, and 1/3 smaller than Domino although they are the same age. I will post a pic of them in July when they were all the same size, sitting on ou r dogs back! But, the reason I am concerned is not just her small size but also she seems to stand with her head tucked into her breast, sometimes turned to the side. I started taking her out and feeding her, giving her vitamins and electrolytes because she has been having diarrhea. Today we decided to put her in a pen inside the pen. She would run away when the others would pass by. We have put her own food and water in with her. We are hoping this will allow her to grow without worrying about being bullied by the other girls. Does anyone have any suggestions or insight they could pass along?

 

[Ridinggirl1]

One thing is to keep her separated. That way no one can get to her. Keep her separated from the flock until he gets healthier and bigger. Then slowly reintroduce her to the flock. I hope this helps. If not, you may want to either keep her as an indoor chicken or keep her separated permanently.. Not the best idea but it is better than culling.

 

[Howlet]

sounds like u have a house chicken XD

 

[Mountain Man 60]

Not sure I can offer a solution but I had a similar experience with a small breed chicken in with larger breeds. Although I picked her up with seven other chickens from the same person where they all shared a barnyard she did not seem to fit in with the others. All of the larger chickens bullied her and she had to run under the coop most of the two months that I had her until I found her dead under the coop one morning. I always made sure I tossed her treats away from the others so she would not have to fight them off but maybe the whole experience shortened her life.

Chicken politics are brutal.

 

[Pazkez710]

Thank you! I hope by keeping her separate, but still able to see them and they her, she will begin to thrive and become healthy. Both Domino and Robin let Simone cuddle with them, they roost together, with Simone usually in the middle. So I thought about putting one of them in with her, but I think we will wait and see what happens....

 

[Ridinggirl1]

It worked for me so I hope you have success!!!!