Single hen

[Mersh]

I got three ex battery hens 4 weeks ago and until a few days ago all was fine. Now two of them seem to be picking on the third one and she is terrified and plucked of quite a few feathers . She is the smallest of the three and I worry they are going to really hurt her or worse. I know they have to have a pecking order but after weeks I would have thought they had sorted that. I have thought though that they were all a bit shell shocked and were just getting used to their new surroundings and now they have done that they are establishing the order. Interestingly though this poor little hen shares the nest box at night with the second in command and the bully is left out of the next box (have an eglu). I have put some aloe vera on her very sore chest - am I doing right or causing more problems for her? She is such a sweet hen, they all are, and I hate to see the viciousness she is getting.

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Mersh

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've not had experience of this but you could try a search for "bullying" or "feather pulling" to see if you can get some help there?

 

What a shame it's happening now after being fine . I'm sure your theory is right though!

[Happy chickens!]

They do take a while to sort out pecking order, mine has changed several times, and I asked for help on this one too. Suggestions that worked were to put out more feeding stations and to let them free range and both these have made a huge difference.

 

Hope that helps - I have read that if they draw blood you have to take extra measures such as putting on purple stuff to hide the red, and maybe even bumber bits that stop them pecking but allow them to feed, but, touch wood, I didn't need to try them.

 

 

Good Luck!