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

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I can leave Maisie with Poppy while they're freeranging - she still has a go at her but Poppy can escape. I'm still separating them while I'm at work.

 

We're away for a few days soon and I can't decide what to do. I have non-chicken keeping friends doing the first couple of days and an inexperienced chicken keeping friend doing the other four days. I don't want them to have to deal with anything unpleasant .

 

Should I leave Maisie in the sin bin on her own or would it be fairer to put one of the other girls in with her? They won't be freeranging for 6 days.

 

I have rigged up the broody cage with a cover and roosting bars which will be comfy enough for her (and another girl) to sleep in.

 

Would 6 days total isolation (visual contact only) perhaps help to curb the bullying instinct?

[Groovychook]

Oh dear... sorry to hear she's still being naughty

Did you try fitting her with a bumpa bit in the end?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

No, because the bullying was mostly under control using separation but I'm still considering fitting it after we come back if she's no better. I'd really like them to all be together 24/7 .

[Patricia W]

ANH, I don't know if this experience will help, but I'm having to separate Phillip from the rest of the flock for 7 days because he has to have Baytril in his water and it's the only way I can be sure he's getting it. I've put him in an eglu and run where he can see everyone but he obviously can't get out. I was really worried about doing it.

 

The first day he wasn't very well so was quiet, but we had a bit of rampaging and calling part of the second day, then he settled down. The others come and stand by him quite a lot, but he seems to have adapted to being alone quite well.

 

So Maisie may be the same.

 

I'm hoping by the time he comes out the two newbies will be more accepted by the oldies (they all have to sleep together now, liberally sprinked with red mite powder so they smell the same). Then I hope he forgets how many wives he had in the first place - or thinks he's seeing double!

 

I would try separating her if I were you.

 

Tricia

[Redwing]

I'd leave her in the sin bin, it will be less stress for your chook sitter and will take her down a peg or two (Maisie not the sitter )

[keyhole kate]

Votes for sin bin

[Egluntyne]

I'd go for the bumper bit option.

[sparkysmum]

I have no experience of this, but I would be worried that if I separated them & put Maisie in the sin bin for more than a day or two, she might be picked on when you put them back together. It's a hard call, ANH, but I think I would be inclined to try the bumper bit.

[sparkysmum]

PS enjoy your few days

[Ain't Nobody Here]

So, Allison and Egluntyne, you think the bumper bit and leave them all together? I'm worried about the bit coming off, to be honest . I thought I'd stop the separation when we get back and put the bit on then.

 

Allison, that's why I wondered about putting one other girl in with Maisie, so she's not totally alone.

 

I'm still undecided .

 

Maybe I'll try the bit from tomorrow and see how that goes. If all's well and it stays on, then perhaps that would work.

[Patricia W]

Could you do that then you'll see if the bit works - and then leave the sitters with simple instructions on how to put her in the sin bin if necessary?

 

Wish I was closer to help as I know how awful it is to go away and worry about them!

 

Tricia

[sparkysmum]

Just a thought - could you sin bin Maisie before you go & see if that sorts her out. Maybe you could tell quite quickly when you put her back with the others if she will be OK. Fingers crossed for a happy solution for you

[JS1]

Maybe you could tell quite quickly when you put her back with the others if she will be OK.

 

I misread that as 'maybe you could tell her you'll put her back with the others if she's ok'.

 

I think I'm going mad

[TAJ]

I'd vote for getting bumper bit, sin bin whilst you are away and bumper bit as soon as you get back before reinto to others. My bully still trys to have a go, but the bumper bit stops her drawing blood.

 

Tracy

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Just a thought - could you sin bin Maisie before you go & see if that sorts her out. Maybe you could tell quite quickly when you put her back with the others if she will be OK. Fingers crossed for a happy solution for you

 

Allison, she's been in the sin bin on the days I work (Mon-Wed) for a couple of weeks now . I let her out of it when I get back but pop her back in if I'm away for a while.

 

Tracy, I think that's the option I'll go for. There's no point in risking bloodshed for my sitters.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

All 5 girls were absolutely fine on our return .

 

They had 3 bedrooms - an eglu, a pet carrier and a puppy crate - between 5 of them .

 

I've now removed all bedrooms except the eglu . The hope is that the little ones will go to bed there too and Maisie will leave Poppy alone . She doesn't seem to have been bothering Poppy too much but still runs at her occasionally. If there's any nonsense tonight, it's the bumper bit for Maisie .

[Space Chick]

Thats good news, good luck for tonight.

 

Oldies running at Newbies is fine, as long as thats all it is. We've had that today with an ex batt and our new silkie, as long as they can escape its fine

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Honestly, you just can never tell what a chicken will do next .

 

Just popped out to see if they'd managed to find their "new" bedroom. Penny (who isn't bullied) was hunkered down on the table top where the pet carrier used to be. Poppy was happy as Larry in the eglu nestbox with Maisie right beside her .

 

Put Penny into the eglu and there was a bit of shuffling about but fingers crossed the peace will continue .

[atsw]

Hi ANH, glad to hear things seem to have settled while you were away. I had a lot of Fifi running at the chicks when their adopted Mum had to be put down. They were only eight weeks at the time, but already quite independent. I could do little else but leave the newbies and the old girls to sort things out. I did worry at the time, but now, a month or so on, and they are all best friends for the most part. Just the occasional charge, sometimes by Anna, the other old girl, in a 'copycat' move that she obviously watched Fifi do in the past . However there's no actual pecking any more, just a reminder of who is where in the overall order of things.

 

Andrew