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

[katieadams]

Hi everyone, we've only had our chickens a fortnight and I might be being an overprotective new 'mum' but I'm a bit worried about our girls! We have 3 hybrids in our omlet, with an extra bit of space via the run converter. We let them out when we can, but it's not every day, probably 2in3 days they get out for a bit, we weren't intending to let them out at all but I couldn't resist!

 

They seemed happy until the last day or two, first sign of anything amiss was feathers in the run when we came in yesterday, and the most skittish one, butterfly, seemed on edge. Then the biggest one, beaky, pecked my husband a few times when he went to the door to feed them yesterday, and again this morning. Not super aggressive, but not nice either! They all seem really agitated this morning, clucking much more than normal and looking really tense in the run. They didn't go to bed usual time yesterday either - they were still up gone nine o'clock and they're usually in bed by 8. There is a big wood pigeon tormenting them from time to time at the minute. They all peck each other gently, but beaky does it most and she's doing it more now than before. Yesterday while they were out butterfly and mrs little had a bit of a 'face off' rearing up to each other but it didn't come to anything more than butterfly refusing to go back in the run afterwards.

 

Should we not have been letting them out if it's not all the time? Is there anything else that could be bothering them? They're not laying yet if it makes a difference. They just seem so agitated!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Katie

[Redwing]

I wouldnt worry too much, it sounds like a combination of the pecking order settling down and them purely milking it!

 

Once they have been out they do want to get out again but it won't do them any harm to be in, mine used to race up and down the Eglu run looking very distressed but I bet if you go inside and look out of an upstairs window you will see them settle down to scratching the ground contendedly

 

They like to play us, little madams!

 

The finger pecking was something we had for a few weeks but when they realised that fingers are not food they stopped it - shiny things like rings and bracelets may cause them to peck out of curiosity

 

Don't intervene in the pecking between hens unless blood is drawn

 

Mine became less skittish when they started laying too and settled better

[katieadams]

Thanks - they definitely do try and play me, whenever they see me at the door they start running around and diving towards the run door! I've been watching out of the window upstairs though and they are still agitated then, it's different to when they can see me when they're much more dramatic about it. Hope they settle down soon they look like a cross between lions prowling and meerkats nebbing!!