Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[hornet]

We received our Eglu Cube on Tuesday together with 2 Pepperpots and a Gingernut. All seemed fine until I got home tonight and found 'Mango' (a Pepperpot) pecking feathers out of 'Fudge' (the Gingernut). I felt really sorry for her - she had some feathers missing around her legs. I watched Mango do this for the rest of the afternoon and then they all went to bed.

 

I gave them some grapes. pumpkin seeds and corn to interest them but Fudge's feathers seem too tempting. I'm worried I'm going to get home from work tomorrow and find a bald Hen!! Will this settle down after the pecking order has been established?

 

I'd feel really re-assured if anyone else had this problem and found a solution. If I have to seperate them I'm not sure where they'd go.

[Olly]

sorry to hear about the problem! Give it a few days - it may settle down, usually when they are all new together they establish a pecking order fairly quickly.

 

Do keep an eye on things though because hens can inflict some serious damage on each other; look out for any blood being drawn.

 

You could try spraying them all with a weak solution of tea-trea oil in water, might make Fudge less tasty! If it does become a persistent problem, then there's a disgusting spray called Ukadex which is supposed to put them off (it's so disgusting I can't bear to use it again!)

 

What most people on here find is that if there's a real pecking problem, then fitting a bumper bit is the solution - look under FAQs and I'm sure there's a thread about it. Give it a few days first though because things may sort themselves out.

 

PS: Welcome to the forum! sorry, should have said that first.

[eggypeggy]

I haven't had this specific problem.. so no expert.

 

Would you be able to hang something from the run that they can peck on like a big lettuce or some carrots maybe...? something that will take a while to get through, it may keep them busy pecking that instead. I'm sure someone else will have some more suggestions for you.

 

Also I imagine they will sort out there pecking order very soon.

[helenmb]

I agree about hanging something up for them to peck at, try cabbage leaves using a peg or bulldog clip - cabbages are a bit more robust than lettuce so will take them longer to get through. I emailed Omlet a while back about a similar problem I was having with my original when I introduced 3 new girls here is a bit of the reply that Omlet sent me

Hens are instinctively territorial. She is also establishing the pecking order which does seem brutal, but will settle down.

If the new chickens are being badly bullied, you can get sprays to use on the bullied birds which make their feathers taste unpleasant to Millie and deters pecking.

Ascott Smallholding Supplies http://www.ascott.biz sell a range of anti-peck sprays as do the SPR Centre – http://www.sprcentre.co.uk and The Domestic Fowl Trust - http://www.domesticfowltrust.co.uk/health2.html Ukadex is a very pungent brown spray which farmers use on lambs or piglets tails to prevent them being bitten and this is also effective on hens. It is very smelly though and you need to use it in a very well ventilated place as it really does take your breath away. You can find this in some animal health shops as well as online from http://www.pandtpoultry.co.uk/product/categoryid/18/productid/871?sessionid=120101723773ee378024cc90289ca563056b892cf3

If the skin is red, sore or broken, you can use Veterinary Wound Powder on them to help stem the bleeding and promote healing. Hens are morbidly attracted to the colour red and will peck at wounds until they are in a dreadful state if nothing is done so Gentian or Purple Spray is very effective as it stains the skin purple and this makes it a much less obvious target for the bully.

You can also use Stockholm Tar which acts like a sticky black plaster, deterring further pecking whilst allowing the wound to heal underneath. All these products are available from the websites listed above or from animal feed merchants – usually in the equestrian section, and large petshops.

 

Hope this helps - and hope too that it all settles down.

[hornet]

Thankyou for your kind responces. I'm a newcomer to the forum so it really helps to have a place to share ideas etc.

 

I think I'll try a spray and hope things settle down over the weekend. I've hung a big corn on the cob in the cage this morning to give them something else to peck at.

[Looney]

Hi Hornet,

 

Hope your ladies are starting to get on a bit better. Welcome to the forum by the way!

 

 

[edited for typos!]

[Topdollar]

Hi Hornet

 

welcome to the forums

 

I've had 2 sets of introductions in the last 5 months and did the fast track intro of putting them together straight away(with enough room). The pecking order on both occasions was sorted in 2 or 3 days and the new ladies where fully integrated into the flock within 2 weeks. The first day is the worst as they can be very brutal but I split up any major fights with distracting mixed corn but tried, as much as I could, to let them get on with it. As long as they can get to food and water and there is no blood drawn then there was no need for sepperation but maybe I was just lucky.

 

I was however shocked at the brutallity of the first introduction and was very worried that I'd done the wrong thing, with lots of visits to the forums and the chicken run, but it does get better and settle down once the pecking order is established and my girls are all now very happy and settled.

 

I'm not condoning my approach but just thought I'd let you know that it should have a happy ending.

 

best of luck

 

Jon