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

[i_want_the_good_life]

We have had our hens for almost a week now. They all came from the same breeder and lived together since very young. When we brought them home 'Marmalade' was top of the pecking order and was fairly bossy. in recent days she has been knocked off top spot by 'Fluffy' who is much worse than Marmalade.

 

She does not let 'Dusty' into the Eglu at night and when she has the other two in there she pecks them constantly... still keeping dusty out. Eventually Dusty sneaks in and gets pecked and bokked at! Poor girl!

 

Marmalade has the sniffles and tomorrow I'm taking her to the vet. Will she ever regain top spot? Will Fluffy ever calm?

 

The joys of hen keeping I suppose?

Edited May 7, 2009 by Guest

[Space Chick]

I can appreciate what you are going through. Sarah-Jane has always been top chook, but was followed by Martha. However, Martha has been feeling under the weather after laying a few softies, and now Rose has overtaken her, and is asserting her authority over Martha, I really feel for her.

 

Hope it works out for you and your girls,

[Abbey Road Girl]

I would recommend without any reservations fitting them with bumper bits. My four displayed no aggression that I could see--and therefore I had no idea of what the pecking order might be.

 

However, one (or more) hens got a taste for feather pecking. Interestingly, the one hen who was the worst affected (Toffee) was the only one I saw doing it to herself and others. I think that the one who was least affected was Sweetie because she has been least plucked and most observed hiding from the rest.

 

It's taken me quite a while to fit bumper bits because (1) I got the wrong kind of circuit pliers; and (2) it helps a lot to have some help on hand.

 

Three out of four hens were successfully fitted with the bumper bits two nights ago. It was quite easy to do given the right kind of tool (the pliers need to widen the bit while you squeeze the pliers together). I think that the only thing that went wrong with Biccie was that there was a problem in fitting the bit properly and she was able to shake it off.

 

With hindsight, I would have got hold of (from Wernlas) and fitted the bumper bits as soon as there was a problem with feather pecking.

 

Fingers crossed that even after a year of pouncing on each other (non-fatally) they will learn to live without eating each other's feathers.

 

Fitting bumper bits may not stop the pecking order, but at least you will not have to worry about them doing real damage to each other. I am SO relieved even that only three of my four can do real damage to the others.