mostin Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 okay,okay, so I am a paranoid new chicken mum , and assumed you would be as bad as me, guilty as charged Glad your new girls have settled in and had a good night and that one of them is already laying in the cube nesting box, go Jezabel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 Well Jezabel did it - laid a small egg. Quite a bit of poking still going on. I read somewhere this lasts for 3 or so weeks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenmb Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Hi Steve Just thought I'd let you know that things do get better. I introduced 3 pullets to one older hen 3 weeks ago. The first few days were not pretty, lots of feather pulling and the newbies making sad little squeekie sounds. Millie is slowly getting less and less pecky and it’s only really the odd lunge towards them now if she wants the food they have found. She is worst at bedtime but even that seems to be improving although some evenings are better than others. I decided to put them in together straight from the start as there was one old girl, thought that there wasn't too much damage she could really do. Plus, as I too work from home mostly I could keep an eye out for any shenanigans. I mentioned to the breeder who I bought my new girls from what I was proposing and he thinks that sometimes is best to just let them get on with it. After all - his words - "chickens aren't nice" but need to work out their differences and pecking order. Thankfully, I think we have been pretty lucky, certainly compared to some people (some posts on cannibalism on the forum sound terrible). Just waiting for eggs now to see if that changes anything. Hope things are still going well. Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 Thank you - I think things are okay ish. They couldn't always get to food and water that easily. I've moved things around in the run so hopefully will make it harder for the original flock to 'guard' it. Mashed up Pellets with porridge / a bit of yoghurt keeps the original flock busy ... Quite a bit of squeaking. Poor dears don't get much rest unless they are in the cube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Steve, it will get easier soon I'm sure Two of my newbies pinched some apple off the older ones today. Only a couple of days ago they wouldn't have dared -lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Tarpey Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 DO NOT ADD A SINGLE CHICKEN!!! We did this and she got bullied it took us ages for them to get used to each other. She's still bald were she was pecked its not worth it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted September 27, 2008 Author Share Posted September 27, 2008 To update you all. The chooks seemed to be getting on a bit better today. Lots of pecking. A couple of the new chooks feathers are a bit chewed. Then so is Geraldine's, not sure who is having a go at her. Gave the chooks some cheese at lunchtime and a couple of the new hens managed to run off with a couple of bits. So when they stakes are high enough they go into action. Oh, and two of the new chooks laid again today. The third is much younger. What would I need to look out for to see if they are getting enough food / water? Thank you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 Some updates ... not good news ... the old flock are now harrassing the new flock. Blood has been spilled from at least two of the chooks - looks like in the feathers on the body. Have used Violet Spray and Johnsons antipeck spray but apart from marking the girl that is the ringleader hasn't done much. Should I seperate the ringleader? Shall I try and put her out of sight of the rest of the chooks? Or in sight but just out of the way? I've not let them freerange for two days I am am sure this is linked. Suggestions please for distractions in the run? MANY THANKS for all the help so far - you lot are BRILLIANT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted September 30, 2008 Author Share Posted September 30, 2008 Another update. I put loads of the antipeck stuff on yesterday - so they were sopping wet. This dissuaded pecking, or indeed self-grooming. Was funny to watch the chook get the taste (or smell) ... yuck! Has all been very quiet today. 'Mash' of pellets + a small handful of corn seems to have quietened them down + having two other feeding stations. Heads down bums in the air. May remove the extra waterer and just use the superglug as this'll occupy them during the day. Will also add back rectangular flower put for them to perch on. Got 7 eggs today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 At the risk of boring everyone ... things have quietened down considerably. Still a bit of pecking here and there. Poor Delilah is mostly getting it as she's not seen as as she sits by the coop ladder for a lot of the day, the poor sausage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Glad things are calming down for you, it's nice when they all finally get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggypeggy Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Good luck.. we're still going through it too.. The newies are still sleeping in the shed, but I'm free ranging them together all day from today and keeping any eye on the action. so far so good. The newies have been confined to the run since I got them ,pretty much.. so it's really nice to let them free range... They look pretty nervous.. but they're only young so no surprise there. I'm hoping that the newies take themselves off to the eglu to bed. But last night i let them out for a free range b4 bed and went up to check on them.. the newies had tucked themselves up between the shed and the fence. They weren't too chuffed about being moved! Blimey didn't think it was going to take this long to introduce the two pairs.. I'm thinking, will they properly intergrate or will they just always knock about in pairs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I'm thinking, will they properly intergrate or will they just always knock about in pairs? My four are finally one flock now rather tahn two pairs and it is lovely to see, it has taken about three weeks. Once the pecking stopped and they got their order sorted out. it just sort of happened naturallyand we didn't realise until we looked out the other day and realised we had a four instead of two two's. It was so nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggypeggy Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Mostin.. thanks for that.. really nice to know. Well today was 1st freeranging all day together.. and no probs at all.. just a bit of chasing.. I've seen the little ones eat and drink.. so just the bedtime to sort now.. Looking forward to a united flock and lots of eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinkychick Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Ok i think i need some advice I have two 5month old chickens already (one female and one possibly male) we did have 3 but one of the others was a boy and had to go, the joys of buying babies eh? Anyways we decided to get 2 new chucks on friday, one is a P.O.L hybred and although a bigish bird she is very dosile, the other is a light sussex pullet she must be about 5months by the look of it but she is quite dominant and seems to be pecking the other chucks face when she goes to feed, where ever the food is. Anyways back to the point, i have split the run in two so that the old chucks and new ones are seperate but should i split the two new ones up as well? I dont really have the room. We have had them 3 days and today i took away the board a bit so all the girls could see each other, strut was boking alot, alfred isnt really bothered, 3 of them have little scratches where they have been pecking at each other thru the mesh. I think im stressing to much, i just want for them to all get along. Am going to try them at free ranging under supervision in the next few days, see if that sorts things. Maybe the new ones need to stretch their legs a bit lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 Everything is okay .... apart from the chickens have eaten all the feathers just before Enid's tail! May need to rename her Baldy. It's not just one chicken, at least three of them are having a pop, including one of the new chickens. Just goes to show that chickens are not nice creatures. Anyway - I've liberally coated her in that violet stuff to hopefully cover up where blood was drawn ... Actually they are pretty much having a munch on any chicken's feathers. If it's another clue, egg production is down to 3 to 4 eggs a day Am I doing all the right things? Anything else I should do? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggypeggy Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 We split ours up for drawing blood. Kept them seperate for a few days or a week, two seperate occasions. Now no more drawing blood, there's some chasing a little pecking, but on the whole they are hanging out a bit more, well within spitting distance now as opposed to seperate ends of the garden. Still mostly knocking about in pairs, but I saw Sam try and grab some porridge from the floor today.. normally they wouldn't even try. So they are definately getting braver. Needless to say she didn't get any, but good try! Got our first bue egg yesterday from Gregory, still waiting for eggs from Sam.. they'll be about 22 weeks now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 Someone must have been pecking at Enid in the coop and she had a trickle of blood. More violet spray ... and I remembered to put my gloves on this time. What happens next???! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Maybe your only option is to get a walk-in run so that they have more room. You've got quite a lot of chickens in a cube run, I know omlet advises 6 and I think 10 with an extension, that seems too many to me. Just a suggestion. Some people have that many and are lucky, unfortunately your girls seem a bit fiesty!! Much easier to clean out too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 Maybe your only option is to get a walk-in run so that they have more room. You've got quite a lot of chickens in a cube run, I know omlet advises 6 and I think 10 with an extension, that seems too many to me. Just a suggestion. Some people have that many and are lucky, unfortunately your girls seem a bit fiesty!! Much easier to clean out too A walk-in is planned for summer next year - we can't do anything before then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Well I hope things improve soon, I really feel for you it must be very distressing - for you and the chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted October 23, 2008 Author Share Posted October 23, 2008 Well I hope things improve soon, I really feel for you it must be very distressing - for you and the chickens. Thanks. I think they are all being pecked but she just stays in one place so loses feathers. Have Enid in the garage at the moment - might spray some more violet on her and pop her back into the Cube. She's gonna have a cold bum for a long time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 I had to go out today and came back to an oven ready Enid. She will roost on the dust bath and therefore provides a good angle for the other chooks to grab a feather. My real question is this. I do believe the Layers pellets I am feeding them I think are on the cusp of their best-before-date. I didn't keep the bag as expected them to all go before this month. Could this be why I am not getting many eggs + could it be why they are all eating each other's feathers? What do Layers Pellets smell of when they are 'off' ? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 It could be that it's just winter that has caused a drop in the number of eggs. Also, what space do they have in the run Steve? My 9 have an 18ft x 6ft run but I wouldn't leave them in it all day as there would be trouble bewteen the oldies and the newbies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve. Posted October 25, 2008 Author Share Posted October 25, 2008 It could be that it's just winter that has caused a drop in the number of eggs. Also, what space do they have in the run Steve? My 9 have an 18ft x 6ft run but I wouldn't leave them in it all day as there would be trouble bewteen the oldies and the newbies. They have the Cube, plus the standard run + a single extension, so 3 meters. Free ranging is not an option for us as we have very young children who take priority. Maybe Enid'll have to go if this continues - she seems oblivious to the feather pulling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
