Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[GreenGirl]

My girls are less than a week in to being with me, and the pecking order still seems to be under discussion with them! my Wyandotte was previously second bottom, but she seems to be rebelling and runs round pulling the little feathers out of the girls fluffy knickers and eating them

There is a fair amount of feather eating going on from a couple of them, any that are on the floor they play with and then eat, the smaller girls in particular.

 

Is this normal? There is no severe pecking going on, and no blood or very sore bits although Hermione's tail is very ragged (but I think it was pretty much like that when I got her).

I am worried they are bored or lacking something

[cordelia]

hello, i've had my girls for nearly two weeks....well two of them, and our new chicken for a week...and they are still pecking at each other, because I got them a week apart, Im trying to gradually introduce them....2nd hen and third hen are fine now....but no.1 hen, isnt happy with third hen...

 

I'm sure your situation will sort itself as i think hen pecking orders can take some time.

 

I've read other posts...and if it did get very bad..bumper bits are the answer..

 

To me (a two week novice) it sounds like they will sort themselves eventually...

 

anyway...I'll leave this open to greater chicken wisdom than mine

 

very best of luck...

[Egluntyne]

Why not try them with something else to peck at, such as a cabbage, or scatter a few mealworms for them to search for.

 

You could aslo spray the fluffy knickers with something vile tasting such as Tea Tree Spray ......it might put them off.

[GreenGirl]

Thanks, they have a half cabbage hanging up, plus a wooden toy stuffed with spinach and buried mealworms, and logs to dig under. It seems to be whenever one of the others walks past Cressida she does it, so she constantly has a fluffy beard where there are bits stuck in her beak!

 

I think I will try the tea tree spray on them, is this just a diluted version of the oil from chemists etc, or a 'special' chuck version? I am keen to stop it before it turns into a really bad habit

[Egluntyne]

I use a special "horse" version bought form an equestrian shop. Cost about £3.50.

 

You could make a home made version by diluting the oil.