Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[pasq]

Hi All -I've had Shirley (My ex battery hen for 10 days now), she's making progress -enjoyng her bread & pasta treats!! She is so cute & friendly!! Lovely creatures they are!

 

If you remember -I introduced 1 battery hen with my 2 established hens (pepper & ginger), without knowing the real consequences!

 

I've been sectioning Shirley off some days, alternating with free ranging days all together as well.....I have a large gardem for them to roam around in. But they all sleep together.

 

Pepper & Ginger still pair off as 2 - there are no major problems as long as Shirley keeps her distance! Sometimes i find Shirley sitting on my patio table-that way she can see them, but they can't get her! (Aren't they cleaver things!)

 

Pepper seems to have accepted her a bit more now-I put them all in eglu run last night as a tester before bed time (No major pecks or chasing from Pepper...) -Remember she is the top chook, but Ginger absolutely loathes her! Do you think it's because she's fighting to be nr 2 in the pecking order??

 

I'm bit concerned (worrier i am!) because end of Sept i'm going away for weekend, i know it's a few weeks away still -i hope i can leave them together in run by then?? Just visualise she won't come out of the eglu nesting box unless i get her out!

 

Currently Shirley (ex batt), doesn't come out of the eglu until the girls have left the run in morning still.....She is so scared of Ginger!!! Normal?

 

I've read that i should section the offender (Ginger), now as that will disorient her? Or should i just bit the bullet -next week or so and leave them in run together??

 

Early days still?

 

Any views or advice appreciated?

 

ps: Today i left them all to free range -water & food left at various stations in garden!

 

 

Pasq

[Egluntyne]

TBH it sounds as if things are going reasonably smoothly.

 

Well done.

 

It will take around three weeks as a rule for peace to break out, and the more they range together, the quicker it will be.

[pasq]

Thanks for your reply Eglutine.

 

Ginger was quite vicious towards her in the confined run. Really having a go at her -even when she was cowling -she was still getting pecked by her. Find it hard to watch this... Shirley ran into the nesting box at 6pm & didn't come out again! Poor thing.

 

Not experienced this before-wasn't sure if normal to leave them to it?

 

Felt so sorry putting her in run...As she was desperately pacing outside the door trying to escape as i was watching!

 

 

Pasq

[Lydia]

I find that it's the hens that are not at the top of the pecking order that are the worst pecking offenders and this could be the case with your Ginger. Eglutine is right, it just takes time I'm afraid.

 

I do find that the dreaded Ukadex helps though.