Tigerlily Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 (edited) ... and I'm so upset Had to take my cat to the vets this morning for his dental treatment (!). When I got back - the Kray twins have ganged up on poor Betty, drew some blood and were chasing her in the run. Luckily, I got her into the eglu for safety and out through the eggport to free range which she is now doing (being looked after by my sister!)... I just can't believe it - the 3 of them are so close I'm trying to get hold of some gentian violet spray asap does any one have any ideas? The Kray twins are well miffed she is playing out and they can't, but it serves them right! I've told them if they carry on they will be on a holiday visiting a Mr Matthews very soon I am just so angry at them, she is a gentle girl! BW x Edited June 8, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Hmmmm....... Why not let her free range with just one of the Kray twins and see if they are OK with her individually. Alternate them and see how it goes. Divide and conquer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerlily Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 Thanks Egluntine what about the blood? The pecking has occurred where her tail feathers start, at the base of her back... I'm struggling to locate any spray from suppliers near me. Would iodine do the same job? Thanks again, BW x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Your local chemist might have gentianl violet, perhaps not in spray form , but it will do the job. Iodine might be OK in small amounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerlily Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 Tried chemists they don't stock any... I blame myself, because I should have ordered some in to be on the safe side Thanks for all your help Egluntine she is free ranging with Mabel Kray (happily) as we speak, and was very glad to see her out too! She is pining for Rosie Kray now to come out too we'll see... BW x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I would love to know where to get gentian violet too, as when I had a problem I tried every chemist in Oxford and most of them had never heard of it. Bumper bits are the most effective solution. I would recommend that everyone gets hold of a few, just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I found Purple Spray which does the same job in the equestrian section of our local country store which sells animal feeds etc. They sell it at the Domestic Fowl Trust too and it's in their shop - http://www.domesticfowltrust.co.uk/health2.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*mummy_hen* Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Have you got any horse supply stores near you as we get our from our local saddlery shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 You can also try Iodine if you dont mind orange patches for a while. It works in exactly the same way. just dab it on with cotton wool. I think Egluntine has given some great advise to split the Krays up and let them free range one at a time with Betty. Then swap and keep doing that for a few days perhaps. Hopefully things will settle. Good luck Troy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I got mine from ebay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-GENTIAN-VIOLET-24OML-CHICKENS-POULTRY-INCUBATION_W0QQitemZ170225553465QQihZ007QQcategoryZ46292QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Hope that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerlily Posted June 5, 2008 Author Share Posted June 5, 2008 It's been awful I've tried them one at a time with her- they tried to peck... So I left her out to free range all day and I've been with her all the time. Mr TL came home with some iodine antiseptic spray and we sprayed her sore bit (although you can't really see blood just missing feathers). We then put her back in to see how it went (she was really pining and tired). Of course they started on the same bit again the poor girl just doesn't peck back so for the moment I have her quiet in the eglu with food and water as she is shattered and the other 2 are outside in the run. I don't like to do it but I think she does need peace and quiet for a while as she is quite traumatised I can't see any way out of it other than giving her a new home where she can be happy... I've tried everything and I just don't know what else to try. I've ordered the gentian violet online, but that will take a couple of days. I can only think that maybe they are all coming into lay now and that is making them pecky - do you think I may be onto something? Sorry for the long rant, I've spent the afternoon crying because I feel so bad for her! Thanks for all the advice too, it is much appreciated BWx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Sorry that you're having such a bad time of it. Have you thought about using bumper bits for the bullies? That way they can not do any damage and things just may calm down. Big hugs whatever you decide to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheshire Chooks Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Strangely our Betty has also been bullied over the last week by evil Daisy and sneaky Florence Not a good week to be called Betty!!! Gentian violet was used as a topical application in humans to dry wet skin lesions for example in acute radiotherapy skin reactions. It was withdrawn as it is carcinogenic and seeing how most of the patients already had cancer it seemed a particularly daft idea at the time. I presume this is why its difficult to get hold of now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerlily Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 Excuse the pun but we may have started to nip (or should it be peck?) it in the bud! We kept her apart from them Thursday and Friday but she roamed around the run so they were all close... TBH, she wasn't badly injured - there was a few feathers plucked, but it wasn't bad at all and she isn't bald anywhere... We just applied iodine antiseptic spray and it looked ok. We got them to free range with her individually and they were ok, but tried to put her back and they started again so we kept them apart overnight (on Thursday). We managed to get hold of some purple spray on friday, so she now has a lovely purple stripe across her back! We put her back in on Friday evening there was some attempts to peck but we are trying aversion therapy (water pistol) to good effect! I don't like doing it, but it does shock them into stopping. Things seem to be much better now, Rosie seems to be her best pal again and has stopped but Mabel is still chancing her wing a bit but she is learning the hard way! I do think it has been a pecking order issue as they are maturing and getting ready to lay - think it is a battle between Mabel and Rosie for top chook status I am worried about going back to work tomorrow, but the whole point of me getting an eglu plus run plus converter means I should be able to go be out during the day and know they are safe and have enough room to play With the best will in the world, I cannot be home physically 24 hours a day can I? I'm just hoping everything will sort itself out now as I was seriously considering rehoming a) Betty b) Rosie or Mabel and even c) all 3 because it made me ill watching them bully her I have ordered anti-peck spray and have some bumpa/bumper bits coming just in case... Thanks again for all your help and replies, BW x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omletina Kyckling Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Oh Tigerlily, I really sympathise. I had one of my new chickens bullying two of the other new ones and she drew blood and I was sobbing and it also made me feel ill. At the moment I have them separated until I dare to reintroduce the whole flock together. I hope you can sort it out soon. Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbey Road Girl Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 When the going got a bit rough as the pecking order was being established, I sprayed diluted tea tree oil on the one who was being pecked at. Making her taste nasty seemed to do the trick. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerlily Posted June 8, 2008 Author Share Posted June 8, 2008 Oh Diane I hope you sort your girls out soon too. It is awful and very upsetting, isn't it? I sobbed all day too I just didn't know what to do for the best and I have become so attached to them, the thought of having to rehome them was just unbearable It does seem to be improving a lot I'm attacking from every angle by including more things in the run to keep them occupied, making layers porridge (bokashi bran and layers pellets with hot water) twice a day (I used to make it once in the morning) and I'm adding poultry spice to it too ( I read on here that some times they have a mineral deficiency and will eat feathers). As soon as the anti peck spray arrives I'll spray it on Betty! I'll get some tea tree oil tomorrow (thanks abbey road girl for the tip ) and I'll try that out too! From other posts on here that I have read people have said that it really does take the fun out of chook keeping when something like this happens I totally agree and it does worry you! It's such a shame because I love my girls and have gained so much pleasure from them in the short time they have been with us BW and take care - I'm hoping there is light at the end of the tunnel now! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbey Road Girl Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Glad things seem to be better now, but big hugs, Tiger Lily! Mine were sorted very quickly and without any real problems. Even when others have had distressing incidents, things seem to be settled before too long (whatever "too long" means ). Hope everything improves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
