Feeding advice for bantams (one broody, one moulting)

[muzzie]

I just ordered my second eglu since the 4 girls are not able to get along blood drawn it has been over a week since I seperated them to heal. Henrietta & Henny are now well enough and living together in the eglu and the attackers Eggna & her assistant Eggwina are in the garage in a dog crate for some reason they get along. I have tried to find a new home for them no luck as with the pepper spray that didn't work. So they will be getting a eglu of their own, as all other suggestions were to eat them. I just can't they were and are pets. Wow am I going to be in trouble when Hubby sees the new eglu.

[Chickvic]

What colour have you gone for? Shame your girls didn't get on. Saving for a cube

[Olly]

two eglus are always better than one! Sorry to hear about the problems, but sounds like they are getting on fine in separate flocks. I love the names, by the way - Eggwina and Eggna. Brilliant.

[Egluntyne]

When you get your new Eglu, if you put the two pairs in sight of each other, so that the become accustomed to each other, you may evetenually be able to merge them.

 

Introductions are best done slowly.

[Jules.]

How about trying bumpa (sp?) bits?

I introduced two new girls about 10 days ago , I tried to do it in the dark by popping them through the eggport ( didn't work- it wsn't quite dark enough & the old girls woke up & had a fit).

A week later I fitted bumpa bits to the old girls- things have been fine since. They can do everything they used to be able to do, apart from close their beaks enough to pull out the new girls feathers.

I have some spare that I can post to you (free-cheaper than a new eglu ) if you would like to try this method first.

I'm not saying thinhs are perfect now, we still get a bit of chasing ,but they are MUCH better, & I think that in a week or two it will be like I have always had 4 hens.

[muzzie]

I ordered another blue so that they will both match my house. The chickens all arrived together in March and have been living in the one eglu since. There is a pratice of debeaking the birds when small here in the US it seems to be something that the hatcheries do to reduce fighting in large flocks. It makes it difficult for them to pick things up they can only eat pellets and the veggies I cut into bite size pieces for them as the beak upper and lower do not meet. Well it appears that Eggna has regrown her beak and started picking on the others. At first she was just breaking the tips off of the feathers then as the beak grew she was able to pluck the entire feather out and eat it. We had some terrible rain for days and days and they were cooped up in the run. we do not have run conversions available here nor do we have the cube. So I had 3 bare bottomed hens and 1 nice fluffy one. Then we had the monster egg which must have started the whole blood drawing luckly I was home and was able to seperate them before one of them was killed. Washed them up, dried and sprayed with blukote so then I had 1 fluffy hen and 3 half purple hens. I tried to reintroduce them while freeranging in the garden but we had the great chicken chase as the two (Hens) attacked the two (Eggs) that is how they ended up in pairs and all seems quiet. I phoned the hatchery they don't have bumper bits for chicken size here because they debeak them just for pheseant and turkey. The hot spray didn't work at all they seem to like their feathers spicy. I was told that I would have to debeak her with a toenail clipper and cigarette lighter I will spare you the details as I was horrified and can't believe anyone could be that crule to an animal. The other option they offered was to make a dinner of her. As the other 3 don't have full beaks and she does their will always be a problem although she has settled in with Eggwina who has the shortest most deformed beak of the lot I can't explain why but then I am not a chicken. It has been quite upsetting and we were supposed to be on holiday this week but cancelled. At least they didn't do this while I was away.