2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[rabbitfluff]

The pecking has been a lot better lately with little Ava's feathers growing back really well, but when I got home from work yesterday the poor thing had a massive bald patch on her back and a matching one on her neck.

 

I gave her a good old spray with Ukadex, but the trouble is I'm away on holiday from tomorrow for a week and I don't want to impose on my neighbour any more than I have to by getting him to spray her as well as watering and feeding the girls etc.

 

There's only 1 girl - Pecky Peckerson - doing the bullying and I bought a couple of bumper bits when I ordered the Ukadex. Unfortunately the only person I'll have to help me put one on tonight is my house-mate who daren't even step foot in the run never mind handle a chicken ( )!

 

So my question is: How easy is it to get a bumper bit on by yourself, as I've been trying to work out the logistics of it and by my reckoning I need to grow a third arm. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Tim

[earthmam1]

Hi

 

I am sure someone will be along to tell you soon. All I can say is that it is easier if you warm them.

 

There is a section about bumper bits in the locked "about chickens". I would get it up for you but I am a computer twerp and I dont know how.

 

Good hunting

 

sue

[Gallina]

I've done it on my own. You have to hold the hen under your weaker arm, put the bit in the mouth, hold the hen's head in your hand, and then push the rest down from the top of the beak with two fingers of the other hand so that the prongs slide down and push themselves into the nostrils.

 

But it is much easier with someone to hold the hen.

 

Either way you have to be grimly determined, and think about the damage the hen has been doing. Otherwise you will be too gentle, and won't get it on properly.

[Egluntyne]

Some top tips here from ARG.

 

(1) Although others have had success doing it on their own, it's really a two person operation (less stressful for all concerned). One person should hold the hen (good idea to wrap them in a towel) and hold its neck steady.

 

(2) You need the right type of circlip pliers. They don't look like pliers, by the way, but straight round prongs. Get the ones where the ends are straight not reflex (bent over). The ends of the pliers must spread out when you squeeze the handles together. My son got the right kind at Halfords (after getting the reflex ones which require two hands and merely shoot the bits across the room). With the right tool you can widen the bit out using only one hand.

 

(3) To widen the bumper bit, insert the plier prongs into the holes on either side of the wide end of the black plastic bit.

 

(4) With one hand, open the hen's beak and insert the widened bumper bit so it fits inside her mouth, narrow end to the front. Then fit the hooks at the wider end into the hen's nostrils. Check to see if it's a secure fit (one of mine managed to get hers off, but the others were fine). It should only take a minute or two: mission accomplished!

 

You should end up with chickens which somewhat resemble ducks (only if you look closely, they are not easily detected on a chicken with a darkish beak) as instead of a pointy beak, there is a wider, rounded surround.

 

Mine don't like being held but they were very good. My son and I waited until they were well dozy on the roosting bars and took them out one at a time.

[hilda-and-evadne]

So my question is: How easy is it to get a bumper bit on by yourself, as I've been trying to work out the logistics of it and by my reckoning I need to grow a third arm. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

I've done it on my own twice, now. It is much easier if you put the bumper bit in just-boiled water in a mug for a while, first, and then throw the water away and refill the mug with the hot water. Then take mug of hot water with bumper bit in it out to the hen.

 

I sat on a step/upturned bucket, with the hen wrapped in a towel between my knees facing away from me.