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

[chickenlass]

I'm hoping someone can advise me as to what will be best to do please...

 

As you know I have just collected 5 more ex batts last weekend. These are being kept separate at the moment from Margo and Angelic until they become stronger... [they can see each other thought]

Anyhow one of the " oven ready ones" I have, has turned into a real bully and is pouncing on the others and pecking them quite a lot. I have put plenty feeding stations in the pen so I know they are all managing to feed but her attitude is horrible and the others look terrified of her and scream and rush past her whenever they can, just to get out of her way.

 

I have taken to squirting her with a water spray whenever I see her doing this and she does look shocked for a moment or too and goes quiet but sooner or later she is always at it again.

The pen has a large walk in run so there is ample space but I just feel they are not ready to free range just yet but I may have to to just to stop the s"Ooops, word censored!"ping. If things don't settle down soon I fear I may have to have her destroyed as she is spoiling it for all of my other chickens. If any of you have any suggestions as to what I could try before I make such a drastic decision I would be forever grateful.

[abwsco]

Personally I'd try them free ranging and see if that helps at all. Mine free ranged for their first time on the Thursday after we got them on the Saturday. I know with mine I ended up with food and water containers all over the place until they realised that they could share and that there was enough to go around. Poor love has had such an awful time up to when you got her she probably doesn't realise how nice life can be.

[Egluntyne]

You could try her with a bumperbit.

 

I'd let them free range too, remembering that the oven ready ones might get sunburnt in this hot weather so you might have to limit it.

 

She needs to know that she isn't the boss, so supervise the free ranging, and every time she is naughty, pretend you are the rooster, and make her submit.

 

Place your hand on her back and make her crouch, and see the others eating whatever she doesn't want them to have and she might get the message.

 

I did this after reading about it on the forum when I noticed one of my girls was getting a bit uppity, and it worked well.

 

Your girl is still learning how to be a hen.

 

Good luck.

[chickenlass]

Right thanks for those replies...I'll set up the netting tomorrow so that they can free range alternately with Margo and Angelica .

And will try the submit theory if she gets stroppy. I am really upset as I want them all to get along and would hate to have her put down so I will try anything. Many thanks will let you know how things work out.!

[abwsco]

Hopefully it will work when she realises what she is missing

 

Just remembered that another thing to do is pick up the bully when she's naughty and hold her for a few minutes. I did this with one of mine a couple of times and it did work although there is still the odd peck now when she thinks she's missing out on some tasty titbit.

[Tina C]

It does sound as if they are sorting out the pecking order. I hope it soon settles.

 

Its so frustrating isn't it - you think they would be happy enough just being free. But just as other natural behaviours kick in quite quickly - dust bathing and preening etc - so does the urge to be top chook (or bottom chook).

 

Lots of feed stations will help. Good luck with the free ranging.

[mayflower]

I think that sometimes, ex bats feel stressed with total freedom. When one thinks about it, we are putting them into a situation where they are having to make decisions all the time. When the hens were in cages, no decisions were made.....they were just there...an egg laying machine. Now, they have to choose to walk to get their food and drink, choose to scratch the ground, choose to bask in the sunshine., choose to put themselves to bed...so many decisions, and some hens get totally stressed and start making the wrong decisions because they feel insecure. Our Alice became really vicious towards 2 of our hens to the point where their lives were in danger. So, we took her back to the 'starting' point...the place she once knew. We put her in a small box for one hour and she setled down. Then we fitted a bumper bit to help her make the right decisions. Eventually, the bit fell off, and I was nervous! But now she is a really sweet hen and the others are no longer scared of her. We also showed her who was boss by laying our hand on her back and picking her up, dusting her under the wings with red mite powder. I have to say that, out of all the hens, she is genuinely the only one who comes to see ME when I get in the run, not the food I am offering.

[chickenlass]

Well everyone seems OK this morning...thanks so much for all your tips. Will also try picking her up as ABWSCO has suggested.

[abwsco]

Well everyone seems OK this morning...thanks so much for all your tips. Will also try picking her up as ABWSCO has suggested.

 

Ahh, so pleased to hear that everything seems OK today Hopefully it will continue when she realises how much fun she can have trashing your garden -lol