# Loner Chicken Not Flocking



## doug (Jun 19, 2012)

I have a hen that will not flock or interact with the others, stays far away and when another comes near it jets off.

I don't see any signs she is sick.

Just personality?


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## UncleJoe (Jun 23, 2012)

We have a RIR hen that doesn't hang out with the others. However, she just loves people and will be at your feet all day if you're outside. I was splitting wood one day and she flew up and landed on my shoulder. Scared the crap out of me.


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## ChickenMansion (Jul 12, 2012)

I have one. She was picked on and never got over it, she too loves to hang out with humans. Especially when we have freeze dried meal worms  She seems to do OK, but I have never stopped my concern for my loner chicken, she is 5 months old, but plugs along.


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

Yea, sounds like my Clyde. I have two Auraconas that look very similar, so they ended up with "Bonnie and Clyde" as names. I thought I would see them pack their bags and tuck them under their wings and hike off. They were that anti-social. Bonnie came around and is now a higher up order hen with a large cranky attitude, but Clyde is still a very flighty hen who doesn't like the company of the other hens, or even me.


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## orna (Jul 13, 2012)

I have a Salmon Faverolle like that. I have a motley crew in the pen (long story for another time - not haphazard, just know that all are healthy and calm together ). This pullet actually got to live with the rabbit in his hutch for a month or so because she freaked out so much whenever another chicken came near her. She and the bunny integrated into the chicken pen and when she isn't laying next to the rabbit, she's roosting with the lone male pheasant in there. Calm, happy and healthy...she still jumps like she's been shocked whenever another chicken gets too close!  She's not the youngest or newest and is actually one of the largest. Just "special" I suppose.......


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## hockeychick (Jul 2, 2012)

Sounds just like Ginger, my Easter Egger hen. She has always been partial to humans, but it has gotten 'worse' since the spring. She really wants nothing to do with the other birds, and runs from them when she can. There are a few who peck her, but most do not, yet she runs from the others. It makes me sad that she isn't happy with her 'sisters', yet I love having a lap chicken.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

It happens. Was she introduced after an original group already established a pecking order?


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

My Australorp is just like the others above. She's the reason I brought home my 5 mo. old Araucana last Saturday. Feel so sorry she's so pecked on over a year later. She was brought in after my others who are a year older than her. The older ones I got as day old chicks. My australorp/leghorn mix blended in really well after just a couple months who I had gotten as a buddy for Lilah a couple months later. Lilah however, has her own feed dish & roost in the coop. When she's had enough of the crabby girls, she's up on my shoulder and I can't get her down no matter how I twist and reach for her. With the buddy I brought home last Saturday though, she seems to be learning how to stand up for herself. Newbie is just a champ wanting to be with all of them and pushes her way right into the coop for bedtime. I do tend to keep her with Lilah during the day though to give Lilah a break from the pecking and a chance to bond with the newbie. Love my girls and hate to see any one of them not happy or hurt. They are the light of my life. I'm just coo-coo for chickens.


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## ChickenMansion (Jul 12, 2012)

Hey Loner Chicks,
It has been several weeks since I isolated my bully. Saw, 7chicks update, so thought i'de let you know how my situation turned out. I seperated my Copper Maran, after she plucked two other chicks she grew up with, no tails left. I put her in a seperate part of my large coop, seperated by chicken wire down the middle. She could still view them, I notice she tried to peck them through the wire for the first week. I let her out daily into a seperate area of the yard, no contact with others. After two weeks I let her free roam with the others, she still attempted to pluck a few more feathers the first two days. Those first two days of reintoduction, I spent almost all day outside with them. I might get heck for this but, those two days I spent with a squirt bottle and everytime she tried to peck the others, or did, squirt and a "HEY!". Day three went to "HEY!", Day four monitored less closely. I can't say she is cured, she still tries to peck the others, but it is 95% better than it was before. Prior she drew blood from my EE and Barnvelder, and plucked the tails bald. My EE pushed her way in on the mealworms, I was so proud of her. I was so worried about my EE being a loner chicken. The Barnvelder never totally gave up the way the EE did. At least they are regrowing feathers, and appear to be ahead of the bully. And I can't believe it is a Copper Maran that is so ruthless, but I guess there's a bad chick in every group. Take care. P.S. Don't roast me over the squirting, I figured what was good for dog training would work for a chicken, just don't soak your birds and give them enough time to dry before the eve. Pic 1 Barnvelder and EE in back (no tail), Pic 2, Copper Marrans, French bully upfront


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

I watch Cesar Millan ( the dog whisperer) and his dog behavior strategies seem similar to bird hierarchy. I'm not gonna roast you. It's said it takes 3 weeks to form a new habit for people. You might want to say vigilant as it may not be over yet. Good luck!


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## cl_dewey (Aug 3, 2012)

I have 2 gimpy phoenixes, and they were always "outside the pecking order". My boss hen Mrs Weasley viewed them as chicks and set the rule down that nobody was to bother them. She died a few weeks ago and some of the big girls have been picking on them. Its not too bad bc the big girls free range all day. But ive had to shoo them several times from bullying. Now they view me as their rooster I think...lol. but if it keeps the peace, I'm ok with that.


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