# Sad bird :( or am i thinking too much?



## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

My BR is getting picked on my the other two birds in my flock. She is super sweet and doesn't fight back, she just runs away and spends a lot of time in the coop. I've only had them all for a week and up to tonight, they all seemed to put their differences aside at night and snuggled together on the roosting bar. But, tonight when I checked on them before I turned in, two were roosting and my poor BR is on the floor, not even in a nesting box, just on the floor under the roost. Am I humanizing this bird too much or is this at all normal behavior? She has two twisted toes on one food (middle and "pinky") and sometimes she loses her balance getting on the roosting bar, if that is the problem is there something I can do to make things better for her? Their fence is almost finished so they can roam free, I'm hoping some space will help them get along better. I really hope she isn't sick. Thank you.


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## chickenchick16 (Apr 19, 2013)

Are the chicks young? Because if her toes are curled it can be fixed by uncurling them and taping them in the correct position. You could use a heavy peuce of paper or tiny strips of masking tape to arrange the toes in the correct position as well. The problem should be fixed in a few days time


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Your humanizing the chickens. She could be on the floor for a number of reasons. Heck half my flock sleeps on the floor. How old are these chickens ? I see youv had them a week, did they all come from the same place ?


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

The girls are 21 weeks, too old for the taped toes I'm afraid, thankfully they aren't curled under, but turned to the side, which seems like it'd be a bit less painful. All three did come from the same place, and when the toes were questioned I was told that this happens at times do to incubation and/or genetics. The other birds have fine toes, and so I assume it isn't a dietary issue. I have them on Kruse starter grower crumble organic, because that's what they were eating on the ranch. I had thought maybe I was humanizing these girls too much. Hard not to do when they are my pets, but I'm so glad that it's normal. Had it been another bird and not this one, I don't think I would care so much.


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## chickenchick16 (Apr 19, 2013)

I know exactly how you feel lol during the day I always think to myself " I wonder what my chicks are doing" so I know excatlyvwhere your coming from


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

^^^ so I'm not crazy! Or you are just as crazy as me, either way it is comforting


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## chickflick (Sep 23, 2012)

She may not be able to grip the roost.. How big is your roost?? If she can't sit on the roost, is it possible to make a shelf for her at one end of the roost? That will get her up with her buddies and help keep warm during cold weather. I have physically put hen on the roost after dark to get them up with their buddies, and to let the other hens know she is part of the flock.


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

I've seen her up there, it's a very small coop, I don't know that I have room for a shelf, but I could widen the roost. It's just a square piece of lumber that we sanded the edges down. She can get on if she's the first or second to bed, but of she's last, there isn't much room for her to catch her balance. There is only 14" roost space per bird. I could try to place her up there, I've had to do that for another bird, before we lowed the bar. I'll see what I can do for her.


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## ChickensSayMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

Sounds like a good idea to try putting her up on the roost, after the others are already settled for the night. Hopefully they will all get use to her being there.
I am guessing she may be the bottom of the pecking order, so that is why the others are just bossing her around...I am pretty new to chickens myself, but that is pretty normal chicken behaviour, I think. (if she is a healthy girl) From my experience a week is not very long, and they take a little while to settle. I had to place all of my birds on the roost each night at the start. I was so glad when the finally started doing it themselves! 
I have one chicken with curved/bent outside toes (I didnt realize when we purchased her...being a newbee and all) and she can balance just as well as the others.
I would be thinking just the same as you...I am always wondering what my chooks are up to & if all is well. (only had them for about a year & the novelty hasnt worn off yet! lol) 
Hope you can find a solution


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

Yes, ChickensSayMoo, she is at the bottom of the pecking order, which is so strange to me. I thought for sure the BO would BR at the bottom, turns out she's queen B AND the youngest. I'll help Dorothy into the roost tonight when the others are already up there. Poor girl.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Three years later and I'm still tucking my girls at night with a pet and ya, even sometimes a kiss the head for my sweet Lilah or Josie (after I yank her out of the nest box for the umptenth time).  When Lilah was the newbie, she would try to be with the others but they would just peck her and really tear into her. I ended up getting her a buddy. One that was used to being with all ages of chickens. Buddy was submissive to her, she built up her confidence, and was thrilled to have a buddy to hang out with. Together they made their way into the clan. She too was just so submissive. She'd lay down and the others would attack her by 2's and 3's jumping on her and ripping into her. I was awful. All is good now though.


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## fuzziebutt (Aug 7, 2012)

I had silkies that couldn't fly, so I put them a 2x4 up that they could walk from the ground to the roost, in a slant. That way, they could be up there with the others. Here they were going to the nestboxes.


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

fuzziebutt said:


> I had silkies that couldn't fly, so I put them a 2x4 up that they could walk from the ground to the roost, in a slant. That way, they could be up there with the others. Here they were going to the nestboxes.


I'd love to do something like this, but I have a tiny coop, only 3'x4' and about 5' tall. There is currently only one roosting bar too, I'm wondering if I added another one, if it would help them all feel like they had a place. I'm afraid it would take up a lot of room though, and poor Dorothy uses the coop as a refuge sometimes. Just not sure what to do. If I did put up another roosting bar it would be perpendicular to the one I have now, creating a horizontal "cross" in the center of the coop, maybe this would create a space issue? When I went to check on them tonight Dorothy was in a nesting box and I helped her up, she didn't really need me for a boost but as a blocker, her neighbor was pecking at her face  She turned around so she was face to butt with the other chicken and stayed up there. Our coop has a small attached run 10'x3', and it's very secure. Maybe if I left the pop door open she could go to a different spot. I could put a roost in the run. Ahh, now I'm rambling. A you can tell I fret over these chickens way too much, but it looks like that's pretty normal around this forum


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

I put in a couple perches in my run for Lilah. Had to show her they were there but she took right to the one perch. I also made a make shift hidey spot too for them in the run. Gives them something else to perch on top of or hide inside of.


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## chickflick (Sep 23, 2012)

Hope you can get a bigger coop soon! I don't know anyone with anyone with just 3 chickens!! lol Is the roost a 3x4 with the flat side up. That seems to be the best for their feet. Good Luck


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## TJsGirls (Apr 6, 2013)

chickflick said:


> Hope you can get a bigger coop soon! I don't know anyone with anyone with just 3 chickens!! lol Is the roost a 3x4 with the flat side up. That seems to be the best for their feet. Good Luck


Lol, yes I've heard yet are addicting! My city only allows 2, so I'm already pushing it. I'll try a wider board in the coop. I put up a second bar that seemed to help everyone find a spot to sleep.


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## ShayneThill (Sep 9, 2013)

TJsGirls said:


> I'd love to do something like this, but I have a tiny coop, only 3'x4' and about 5' tall. There is currently only one roosting bar too, I'm wondering if I added another one, if it would help them all feel like they had a place. I'm afraid it would take up a lot of room though, and poor Dorothy uses the coop as a refuge sometimes. Just not sure what to do. If I did put up another roosting bar it would be perpendicular to the one I have now, creating a horizontal "cross" in the center of the coop, maybe this would create a space issue? When I went to check on them tonight Dorothy was in a nesting box and I helped her up, she didn't really need me for a boost but as a blocker, her neighbor was pecking at her face  She turned around so she was face to butt with the other chicken and stayed up there. Our coop has a small attached run 10'x3', and it's very secure. Maybe if I left the pop door open she could go to a different spot. I could put a roost in the run. Ahh, now I'm rambling. A you can tell I fret over these chickens way too much, but it looks like that's pretty normal around this forum


It seems easy to solve. You can install a remote control jammer.


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