Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[Groovychook]

Just gone to let the girls out of the run and noticed that Elsie had some blood on her lower back at the base of her tail. Had a bit of a closer look and quickly whisked her inside to bathe it in warm salt water. Whilst I was preparing a space in the kitchen, OH was observing in the garden & noticed Blanche & Hilda having a peck at her. It was hard to see the wound itself because of all the feather shafts there & wasn't sure if I was going to make things worse by fiddling about. Anyway - patted her dry with some kitchen roll & sprayed on some gentian violet which thankfully, I'd bought as a precaution.

 

I wasn't sure what to do next - I only have cat carriers and although I considered popping her in one of those for the afternoon, I decided to let her out to free range with the other girls. She seems completely fine in herself and haven't seen any signs of pecking...

 

Oh God - just had to dash out as I spotted Hilda pecking out a few of poor Elsie's feathers! I've separated her from the other girls - they are all free ranging within their fenced off area and Elsie has got the rest of the garden.

 

Help! What do I do now? I'm concerned as I don't have any spare housing... Should I just keep her on her own until bedtime and then pop her in the cube with the others? Otherwise, I could put her in the cat carrier and bring her inside for the night.

 

Also, should I do anything else to the wound? It's completely purple- as am I, after the panic of putting the spray attachment into the bottle - thankfully, it's my favourite colour! Elsie still seems fine in herself - happily mooching around the garden... think we might have caught them right at the start of the pecking...

 

Any advice would be gratefully received...

[chickenanne]

If you have a look, there's another post about someone elses chicken being pecked - you might find the same advice useful! Don't panic, with the spray the wound should be fine, it doesn't sound like she's too badly hurt.

[helenmb]

There is another thread running today about a similar situation which may help as there are replies already.

 

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=34119

[stoice]

I've had this and so has my mum with her chooks.

 

Maybe consider some bumpa bits on your girls as this makes pecking more difficult. It didn't really work on my Gladys though as she's an ex-batt and quite severely de-beaked. So my next step was anti-peck spray. I tried a couple of blobs of vicks dissolved in water first but it made no difference. The johnsons anti peck spray didn't seem to do much either although it has worked for some. So then I bought Ukadex. This stuff stinks. I mean REALLY stinks. Had instant results. NO one goes near babs' botty with this sprayed on her. It's a kind of brown sticky spray that smells a bit like smoke, creasote, tar and other nasties. It really lingers too so you may need to wear old clothes, gloves, tie your hair back and have another shower afterwards.

 

For the short term, do you have any other run space where she can be separate but still seen? As long as she's purple and almost healed i think you may get away with housing them together at night as you can pop out to them and separate Elsie before it gets light.

 

I would also (If you haven't already) provide some boredom busters like hanging a cabbage or corn cob in the run as a distraction.

 

My Babs is always prone to softies so i think that is what first attracted gladys to peck her knickers - egg yolk. My mums ex-batt has never fully feathered so her raw spikey bott was attracting attention. Little minxes. Hope all settles down soon for you.

[Groovychook]

Thank you so much for your responses - I was only thinking yesterday how lucky we'd been with the girls - no bullying whatsoever in the 4 weeks we've had them... not feeling quite so smug now!

 

I've separated the fencing in to two areas. We've got 50 metres of electric fencing - un-electrified at present - we just use it to confine them to an area of the garden. I've put Elsie into her area and given her some pellets mixed up with warm water & some yoghurt. The other girls have got the same... thought it might keep them distracted. Elsie's not happy though & is pacing up & down, wanting to get back in with the others. How do you tell a chicken that it's for their own good?!

 

I'm worried about putting her in with the others tonight in case they have another go at her in the night. I think we'll keep her indoors tonight in the cat carrier to be on the safe side. I normally let the girls out of the cube at 7am but only let them free range from midday onwards. I'm thinking that I'll put Elsie in her fenced off area earlier on. Can't keep her in the tiny carrier for too long!

 

I had seen the other thread about pecking , but as Elsie, thankfully has come off far lighter from her ordeal, that the advice might be different. Thank you for pointing me in that direction though.

 

I haven't got anything to separate the run with - only a couple of sheets of clear corrugated plastic that we originally had to cover the run before we got our tarpaulin. Maybe I could use that...

 

I'm not sure why the pecking started though. I can only think that they object to being shut in the run until noon. It's a cube with run + 1 metre extension. Should that be room enough for 6 birds? I'd better go & get some broccoli & cabbages to hang from the roof for them to peck at. I'd avoided doing that as I was trying to prevent them from having treats until the afternoon.

 

Will I need to reapply the gentian violet again or should I just leave well alone?

 

I'd better go & check on Elsie - think she's planning an escape tunnel...

 

Thanks again.

[pistachio]

Hi there - I really would advise you not to put the chicken near the others if it has even a little bit of blood. They are fascinated by this and will keep on until the finish her off. Take a look at the thread about my chickens (pistachio - "this morning one of my chickens was being pecked to death" - or something like that) if it's only a small wound I have been advised to put varnish over it and to use a repellent spray that tastes and smells vile so the others stop pecking. I hear that some of the sprays are less effective than others. I've had to separate a victim and an agressor she was near deaths door when I found her but is doing much better now with antibiotic paste on her wound

[Groovychook]

Hi pistachio,

 

I've been following your thread over the past couple of days and am so glad that your girl's doing better now. I feel so lucky to have spotted Elsie early on - I think they must've only just started on her. I initially put her back in with the others because I was thinking if the wound had been covered with the purple spray & the others couldn't see any blood, that they would leave her alone. Hilda had other ideas...

 

I did lots of research before I got the chooks and knew that they would probably have a bit of a vicious streak- I'd prepared myself as much as possible but I guess these things happen. What with worrying about pecking & foxes & whether the little darlings are warm enough/ dry enough... I'm wondering what I used to worry about before I got them!

 

Wishing you well with your girl - hope it's not stressing you out too much...

 

xx

[pistachio]

I've come to the conclusion that it's not boredom or crampedness with mine. I think it's just what chickens do. Did you say you had tried Gentian violet and it didn't work? Because loads of people have recommended that and I've ordered it and in the mean time I got some bitrex based stuff that says it lasts longer the Anti-pek style stuff. Anyway - I've now separated the agressor so I'm at a different stage now. I may use the spray to let the agressor free roam with the others later. Unfortunately my really injured one can't go near the others at all because they'd go for the deep wound. Honestly - they are nutty little things. I've been in tears 3 times already today - but that's partly because I've got lots of other stuff going on and the chickens (also had one on anti-biotics and near deaths door recently) have just tipped the balance. I do love them to bits though - I just haven't got any more energy left to give to the sorting this out. Fortunately I've done nearly all that's required now.

 

Good luck with yours feisty little things

[Groovychook]

Did you say you had tried Gentian violet and it didn't work? Because loads of people have recommended that and I've ordered it and in the mean time I got some bitrex based stuff that says it lasts longer the Anti-pek style stuff.

 

Hi,

 

I don't think I'd given it a chance to work. I was presuming in my ignorance that as soon as I'd applied it, that the other chooks wouldn't attempt to peck her.

 

I've brought her in for the night & put her in a cardboard box with hemcore in the bottom & plenty of air holes. It's not very big but slightly more room than the cat carrier! I've put her in a darkened, quiet room and am hoping that she'll doze off. There wasn't any room to put food & water in, but I'm thinking that the other chooks will be heading into the cube about now, so she's only half an hour ahead of them.

 

I'm slightly worried about Audrey too - whilst I was sat out in the garden with them this afternoon, (freezing to death!!) I noticed Hilda plucking a feather out of her too. Oh dear... what's happened to Hilda? Maybe it's because she's just started laying - does that normally make them argumentative?

 

Anyway, I'm sure the gentian violet will do wonders for you - it's so highly recommended...

[Groovychook]

Well, Elsie slept in the house last night... I've put her outside now in one of the fenced off areas where she's got food & water but no shelter - poor thing . I went to open the cube and noticed Hilda pecking at Audrey (think she's already pulled a few feathers out) and Betty too .

 

I whipped Hilda out and put her in the other fenced off area, leaving the other chooks in the run. This is turning into a bit of a nightmare! Neither Elsie or Hilda have anywhere to shelter from the weather and as Hilda's started laying, roughly every other day, she has nowhere to lay either. I'm thinking that I'll have to bring Hilda into the house tonight too.

 

I'd considered blocking off part of the run with corrugated plastic (only thing I have that would be remotely suitable) but am not sure how I would get it to stay put.

 

I'm going to see if I can get a bumpa bit at my local smallholding shop, if not, I'll ring the Wernlas collection.

 

Oh, I'm fed up! Going to start saving my pennies for a spare eglu... these eggs are working out to be more & more expensive as each day goes by! I'm off to feel sorry for myself...

[pistachio]

I would say that as long as there is no blood they can sleep together in the coop. I'm putting my aggressive one in a separate run in the day and then back in with the others in the eglu coop at night and it's working fine. I'm beginning to see signs of her dropping down the pecking order when they free roam together. I'm now letting the injured one free roam with the others and I just follow her and ward off any peckers. As for the aggressive one - if she gets really pecky (you can tell the difference between a peck and a bite and chase routine) I put my hand on her back to tell her she is not boss - I am and she is a little more subdued. poor thing - she's only doing what's natural - but sometimes you have to intervene when there has been serious damage.

 

It's hard work, but there are sucess stories on this forum of people who have had to separate chikens for a while and then reintegrate them with success. Key points seem to be getting them to spend some time together supervised. possibility of separate but close living area with eating facilities facing each other (to help them learn there is enough for all), use of gentian violet or other product to make pecking unpleasant. And not putting bleeding chickens anywhere near others unless you are there to protect them every second.

 

I'm not crying today but I have been for a couple of days - so I understand where you are coming from hang on in there

[Groovychook]

Hi Pistachio,

 

thanks for posting back- It's such a worry to know what to do next and I'm desperate for things not to escalate!

 

I think I'll risk free ranging Elsie with the other 'good' girls(!) - under close supervision & put Hilda in her own little enclosure with a cat carrier with hemcore in the base. I'm thinking that if she needs shelter or to lay an egg, she can go in there! If all goes well, I might put Elsie back into the eglu with the other chooks after dark & put Hilda in the cat carrier in the run. I might then risk free ranging tomorrow with me in attendance & Hilda included and implement your 'show her who's boss-hand on the back' technique if I see her pecking again!

 

Glad you're bearing up a bit better today - maybe we should set up a support group for exasperated pecky chicken owners!

 

xx

[stoice]

a blast from the hose will also tell her whose boss if she tries it again. I think Hilda needs a bumpa bit. Should hopefully make her forget that your girls botties are so tempting.

[pistachio]

i replied to this and it disappeared

 

I was only saying that you sound like you have a good plan.

 

I've got mine safe and comfy and intend to take some time for my human chicks today I'll give the hens some supervised roaming later, alkthough you can't leave it too late now the nights are drawing in.

[Steve.]

I think it's the weather/time of year - loads of folks have reported this kind of behaviour.

 

Mine got a squirt of Ukadex - expensive but seems to have stopped it for now at least.

[Groovychook]

I haven't gone down the ukadex route yet - just sticking to segregation. I'm awaiting delivery of bumpa bits and have been spraying the other girls with anti peck spray. I've been keeping Hilda in a separate but adjacent fenced area during the day. I allowed a bit of communal free ranging and things have gone okay until Hilda gets a sort of demonic look in her eye and launches at Elsie or Betty to whip out a few feathers. As soon as she's done it, I've either whisked her away to her own run or 'shown her who's cockerel' by placing my hand over her back, as suggested by pistachio!

 

Yesterday, Hilda had been kicking up a fuss, wanting to get in with the others, so I let her into their area where she has access to the cube. She went straight up to the nesting box to lay, where she remained for over an hour... Hilda always takes ages to lay ... I took the opportunity to nip inside to make a cup of tea and came outside to see Hilda charging towards Elsie, whereupon she started pecking at the place where she attacked her the first time. I put Hilda back into her bit and bathed Elsies back where she was just starting to bleed again. I then took her inside & sprayed her with the purple stuff- didn't get any on myself this time until Elsie wriggled free and flapped her wings - purple spray all over my carpet... .

 

I've been popping Hilda into the cube after dark and getting up at 6.30 to let them out & to separate Hilda once again. I'm hoping that the bumpa bits will arrive soon! I'm terrified about fitting it though- I'm so worried about hurting her... If she's still pecky after we've fitted the bit, I'll order some ukadex.

 

I love my girls but I'm hoping that life with chickens won't always be this stressful!

 

I'm off to scrub my carpet again...