Terrified Chicken? What to do?

[WallyBirdie]

I've seen scared or skittish chickens. Mine are not the sort. They see people, and they immediately run over because they expect food or treats, or some even want to be held!
I have one chicken that was newly singled out among the flock. Had him close to a year without any incidents, but now, he (possibly she? No crowing, no egg laying, no dominant behavior, no saddle feathers- but I've always call it a he)- He's starting to get battered around.

There is no feather plucking or biting. Others just bump into him and make low unhappy noises.
Again, no blood or sign of injury. No missing or bitten feathers.
But it's been a couple days, and he is almost constantly in a submissive squat.
At first, I thought he might have a leg injury or something. I picked him up, tried to judge. He stretches his legs out immediately. I can touch without him seeming like anything hurt .
When I put him down, he DOES walk around for a bit, but then he either squats or crams himself into the nearest hidey hole to the point where it looks a bit unnatural.

Is there anything I could/should do?

I've got him separated with food and water. I've been keeping a close eye on him. He perked up when I brought him fruit.

 

[azygous]

This chicken may be sick. Do you know how old it is? Have you raised it from a chick or did it come to you fully grown?

What is your location? Is it summer or winter where you live?

Have you checked this chicken's crop? Compare to the others if you aren't sure what you're feeling. Is it full, spongy, hard, lumpy?

What does the poop look like? Is it the same as the others? Or is it green, white, runny or watery?

Is there a discharge from the vent?

Color of the comb? Pale, purple, or healthy red?

 

[WallyBirdie]

I got him as a day old chick He's almost a year old now.
Late fall, but temps are in the 50s.
Crop seems to empty and fill normally.
Feces is normal.
No discharg.

Comb is a bit tricky. He's a polish. Even when I move the crest and look, I can't see a comb.

 

[azygous]

Polish breeds are timid by temperament. They look different, too, so are singled out for bullying by the others. It doesn't help, either, if it's the only one in a flock.

What may be happening, and this is just a guess from the little information presented, he/she is being bullied away from the feeder and is now becoming weak from starvation.

What I suggest you do is to treat this chicken as a bullying victim. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-bully-chicken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/

By following the steps in the article, the victim can have a "vacation" from being picked on, have easy access to food and water without being hassled, and hopefully, put back on some weight and regain their self confidence, becoming strong enough to hold their own in the flock again.

You need to rig up a temporary safe pen, or take this opportunity to build a seclusion pen into your run, which can come in handy for so many different flock issues, and makes a great outdoor brooding pen. Let the chicken spend the daytime in this enclosure. At night, place them on the perch in the coop with the others.

This could take a few days or a few weeks, but you will see a transformation and know the victim has been rehabilitated and can safely so back into the flock.

Of course, this may not be the issue. The chicken could be sick with a serious illness, and you will soon know this if he/she continues to decline. At that point, we may need to talk about an antibiotic.

 

[WallyBirdie]

Polish breeds are timid by temperament. They look different, too, so are singled out for bullying by the others. It doesn't help, either, if it's the only one in a flock.

What may be happening, and this is just a guess from the little information presented, he/she is being bullied away from the feeder and is now becoming weak from starvation.

What I suggest you do is to treat this chicken as a bullying victim. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-bully-chicken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/

By following the steps in the article, the victim can have a "vacation" from being picked on, have easy access to food and water without being hassled, and hopefully, put back on some weight and regain their self confidence, becoming strong enough to hold their own in the flock again.

You need to rig up a temporary safe pen, or take this opportunity to build a seclusion pen into your run, which can come in handy for so many different flock issues, and makes a great outdoor brooding pen. Let the chicken spend the daytime in this enclosure. At night, place them on the perch in the coop with the others.

This could take a few days or a few weeks, but you will see a transformation and know the victim has been rehabilitated and can safely so back into the flock.

Of course, this may not be the issue. The chicken could be sick with a serious illness, and you will soon know this if he/she continues to decline. At that point, we may need to talk about an antibiotic.

Thank you for this.
I am employing the idea of a chicken vacation. He seemed perfectly fine until his recent bullying. (He is not the only Polish. I have 3.)

 

[aart]

(He is not the only Polish. I have 3.)

Is he the only male?

 

[WallyBirdie]

Is he the only male?

I have other male chickens but they are monitored and aren't problematic.
Of the three Polish, I have one definite male, one definite female (previous victim go crest plucking, but that hasn't happened in a long time and now she's a bossy queen), and then this one, which is kind of in between. No crowing or egg laying. No pronounced comb or wattles. No pointed saddle feathers or hackles that I can see. When he was younger, his crest grew into a spiky mohawk while the girl's grew into a neat little poof. Now, his crest is less wild but fans out wide/long.
He is eating and drinking and doesn't seem sick. He does fine away from the others. He is even walking more today than he was yesterday. When he sees other chickens, he squats or hides again.
I'm hoping a little TLC and a bit of time will help him get back to being his old self.

 

[aart]

I have other male chickens but they are monitored and aren't problematic.

What does 'monitored' mean?
If the males all live in the same pen there could very well be some dominating/intimidation going on....even if it doesn't appear they are fighting or drawing blood.

 

[WallyBirdie]

What does 'monitored' mean?
If the males all live in the same pen there could very well be some dominating/intimidation going on....even if it doesn't appear they are fighting or drawing blood.

I understand that males can get into problems over dominance. I keep an eye on them for extended periods and regular checkins, plus for feeding and watering and treats. When I'm inside, I can view most of the birds just by looking out the window, and I spend a great deal of time with them outside as well.
I have other males coexisting together in a separate pen. This one Polish is housed with my older hens in the evenings. The bullying happened while they were free ranging during the day.

 

[CCUK]

Chickens can be real brutes to each other. I had a severe case of bullying once and I ended up having to rehome the bullied hen. Whatever the problem was I couldn't stop it. She settled into her new home and was very happy. Are you sure your chicken is a male? I've ever seen a male squat before. It probably does happen just I've never seen it.