4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[LJ's Chooks]

Im feeling a rubbish chook mummy today. Last night i took the decision to separate Ginger from the rest of the girls. She has turned viscious... there is no other way to describe her.

 

We have had an ongoing problem with pecking for the last year. We have managed with bumper bits and changing them regularly. However, they have not really adjusted behaviour. Now Ginger is just lunging for any chook that comes anywhere near her and we have regularly seen her run full length of our large ranging area to have a go at another of our girls.

 

Ginger is the only fluffy bum, and all the other girls have also lost tummy and neck feathers. It is getting worse not better, and they are all becoming very scitty when another girl walks near. As we have already had one cannibal issue a year+ ago, I cannot see this continue.

 

Ginger is definitely the main perpetrator, but i suspect others too. Ukadex spray is not working, bumper bits not working. So i have taken Ginger and put her in a separate eglu. I have two views here, see if the other girls settle, and feathers stop disappearing. Assuming they do, they can still see each other, but Ginger is confined. Is this unfair??? I'm not sure it will change her behaviour, but I need to see if this will help the other girls.

I feel rubbish. But i have to try.

 

If it helps, then i will need to try and re-home Ginger, but I feel terrible about it. A free range chook farm near us has suggested in the past, that that would take her, but I'm not convinced about what would happen to her.... Oh I dont know what to do!!!!

 

Can anyone offer any advice - Ginger was one of our original Omlet girls, so i have such an emotional tie to her, she is the easiest one to pick up and cuddle too, she is just not getting on with the other girls and I'm getting worried as most of the feathers go missing at night.

[Laura&Sean]

I feel for you and I know almost exactly what your experiencing I am having the same problems with my girl Dolly terrorising my other 3, I have tried Ukadex, bumper bits and they free range most days but my "nice" 3 seem to live in fear and spend their time scuttling away from Dolly the bully.

I will watch this topic with interest, good luck!

[Egluntyne]

Difficult, but you are doing the right thing in considering the welfare of the majority. Sounds as if she would benifit from the presence of a rooster to teach her some manners.

 

Maybe a spell in the sin bin will sort her out. Leave her there for a few days and then she will go in at the bottom of the pile if you decide to re-integrate her.

[LJ's Chooks]

Do you really think I could re-integrate her?

 

As for the cockrell - I had thought about it, but do you think that would work - with all the girls? or just her???

 

It breaks my heart at the moment, we love them all dearly. DH and I had agreed to increase our flock, and then this all kicked off!!! I have said we have to wait to get more now.

 

I'd love a cuckoo orp and a silver wyandotte.... but this aint going to happen until peace breaks out!

 

Oh Egluntine, she's so not happy with me... and is just doing little bok boks at the girls, she sounds so sad!!! I just hope its good for her!!!!

[Janty]

You are definitely doing the right thing. You have to consider the welfare of the other girls.

One of our chicks turned cannibal. She was vile. There was no reason - they had plenty of space and numerous feeders. She was just awful. I separated her for a week. The others couldn't even see her. When the others had healed, I doused them in Ukadex and then put her back. She returned as a single 10 week old chick to a happy bunch and they did not take any messing from her. There hasn't been any sign of pecking since.

 

Your hen may calm down too but if you have to rehome her, do not feel guilty.

If you did nothing then you would have reason to feel bad but you are observing your flock and reacting to problems that occur.

 

To me that is a sign of you being a good chicken Mummy.

 

[Egluntyne]

I was speaking hypothetically when I mentioned a cockerel.

 

There is a lot to consider before taking one on, not least, the neighbours.

 

Harden your heart and leave her on her own for a while. It might just do the trick, and the welfare of the others is paramount.

 

I agree, if she has to be re-homed it is a sign that you are dealing with problems pragmatically and taking that into account.

[feemcg]

I had a similar problem when I got my 1st 3 chooks, Beauty was top chicken and pecked at Jasmin's tail until she was raw, bald and bleeding. I tried the water-pistol etc. and in the end took her out every day and put her in a dog cage for about 5 days. If I put her back in and she pecked, I took her straight back out and put her back in the cage. It worked and she was always top chook but gentle and didn't bother the others, all she had to do was a low 'growl' and they knew to step back. Whenever I introduced new girls she never bothered them as she didn't have to fight for position, it's usually the younger ones that fight for their place in the pecking order.

I'm afraid I'm a bit harder now, if I'm out in the garden and see anyone being nasty or not letting another at the feeder they get a swift one with the side of my Croc (not in a nasty way, just to move them away)....so they know I'm top chook!