4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[hilda-and-evadne]

As of last Tuesday, I have a second eglu (lilac) ready for when I buy more hens and to use as a sickbed. It is standing in the garden unused at the moment, and I wondered about putting Evadne to bed in it to give her some respite from being pecked by Hilda and then put her back in the run with Hilda in the morning. But if that will make her lonely or disoriented, I won't.

 

Hilda regularly pecks at Evadne, and Evadne doesn't seem to mind (doesn't run away or cower in a corner of the run) but I mind that Hilda is pecking feathers out of Evadne's bum, mostly at night in the time between when they take themselves to bed in the eglu and I go out to shut them in. There were five of Evadne's bum feathers in the nestbox last night. (Usually, it's only one or two in the droppings tray.) What do the panel think, please?

 

This afternoon I sprayed Evadne's vent and bum feathers and her sides with anti peck spray for the first time but it hasn't seemed to have made any difference. The first time Hilda pecked at Evadne's bum after I sprayed, she immediately wiped her beak on the nearest log, and I thought - yay! - but half a minute later she pecked at Evadne again.

 

I really would like to prevent - rather than have to cure - Evadne getting a bald bum and/or Hilda drawing blood. But, as a precaution, I have ordered some Ukadex from Merrydale Poultry. I meant to buy gentian violet spray as well but I forgot; I might ring them tomorrow and see if I can get it added to my order.

 

Edited to add: having read elsewhere on the forum that pecking might be a sign of protein deficiency, I have given the hens half a tin (between them) of rinsed tuna this evening.

[Snowy]

The lilac eglu sounds lovely!

 

To be honest, if it is Hilda doing the pecking, I would remove her over night, rather than the other way round. Might just disorientate her enough to make her think twice.

[hilda-and-evadne]

To be honest, if it is Hilda doing the pecking, I would remove her over night, rather than the other way round. Might just disorientate her enough to make her think twice.

 

Thank you - that's a better idea - and that's what I have done. I may be underestimating Hilda but I'd be amazed if she made the connection between her unacceptable pecking at Evadne and being removed to another eglu but I am happier knowing that Evadne is safe in her familiar surroundings and free of her persecutor.

[Laura & CTB]

Hope it works Rachel but I agree with you - I'm not sure they're that smart to make the connection

 

You may have to resort to using a bumper bit.

[Egluntyne]

A bumper bit will do the trick if the Ukadex doesn't.

 

Maybe a separation might just break the habit though.

[Snowy]

Hope it works Rachel but I agree with you - I'm not sure they're that smart to make the connection

 

You may have to resort to using a bumper bit.

 

I certainly don't think they are smart enough to connect their behaviour with a 'punishment'! I just thought that it might confuse her enough to distract her from the pecking. She will be the one being put back in with Evadne, who will be on familiar territory. Hilda will be the one being 'introduced' so to speak and it might give Evadne the upper hand Just a thought!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Just wanted to say good luck with your plan . Hope it works .

 

(Lilac eglu ... )

[Gallina]

If it doesn't work, do use a bumper bit: otherwise the problem will just get worse and worse. It's such a simple solution.

[hilda-and-evadne]

I just thought that it might confuse her enough to distract her from the pecking. She will be the one being put back in with Evadne, who will be on familiar territory. Hilda will be the one being 'introduced' so to speak and it might give Evadne the upper hand Just a thought!

 

Yes, I hope that that is what will happen. I don't anthropomorphise the hens but I did notice that, after I put in the additional grub (because Hilda was preventing Evadne from eating), it seemed to "affirm" Evadne and give her more confidence, as it were, in her entitlement to food.

 

Hilda doesn't seem to have been fazed by having to sleep on her own in an unfamiliar eglu (I did add citronella to the newspaper in the poo tray, so it will have smelled comfortingly the same). Both hens are, thanks to Omlet, very very tame and used to being handled, and it didn't seem to bother Hilda at all being moved after she had gone to bed in the first eglu. I put her back into the run before I let Evadne out but I think I might do it the other way round tomorrow, to reinforce the impression that it is Hilda being "introduced" onto Evadne's territory.

 

If it doesn't work, do use a bumper bit: otherwise the problem will just get worse and worse. It's such a simple solution.

 

And yes, bumper bits - I will buy a few from Wernlas, to have in readiness for Hilda and (if necessary) the new hens when I eventually get them. I have to get over the feeling that a bumper bit is "cruel" because letting Evadne go on being de-feathered by Hilda would be more cruel, of course. I have intervened early; it would be lovely if a bit of "psychology" (making Hilda the "new" hen) worked but have to steel myself to putting a bumper bit on Hilda if that doesn't work.

 

Thanks, guys.

 

Edited: for clarification.

[hilda-and-evadne]

Just wanted to say good luck with your plan . Hope it works .

 

Just to say that, crossed fingers, separating the two hens at night seems to be working. Evadne has about 10 hours of peace and keeps all her bum feathers, and she evidently does not miss Hilda one little bit. When I let Evadne out into the run this morning, she happily ate pellets and spinach, made her idiosyncratic happy chirping noises and scratched and sprinted round the run.

 

After about 10 minutes, when her eating/scratching pace slackened a little, I put Hilda back into "Evadne's run". Hilda started eating at once (and Evadne did not stop her) but I am sure that all the while Hilda's little brain is busy working out how to turn the shift in the power balance to her advantage ...

 

I am so thankful that the second eglu arrived in time, last week, to make separating the hens at night a simple readjustment. Otherwise, I would have had to improvise with a cardboard box in the dog's crate.

 

Edited: for typo.