Chicken bald back

[Ophelia]

Hi

 

I have just been out to let my girls our of their run to FR around the garden. I noticed the more dominant hen peck the least confident hen on the shoulder. I inspected closer and saw a small hole with a speck of blood.

 

Do I need to remove this hen from the others or is there something I can put on the hole to stop the others pecking at her?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

If they can see blood they may well peck at the wound . Can you get some purple spray (often sold in horsey shop)? That disguises the blood and I think is a disinfectant for the wound too (I've never used it though so this is just from memory!)

 

If you see them pecking her it may be an idea to keep her separate if you can until you can treat the wound.

 

If it's bleeding visibly you could put a bit of cornflour on the wound in the meantime - stops the bleeding and disguises the red blood too.

[Ophelia]

I will put some cornflower on her now and try and find where I can get the purple spray today.

 

Thanks for the help.

[Carol U]

If the bullying continues, you could try putting a bumper bit on the bully. You can get them from Wernlas by post if you send an s.a.e. I also find that using a water pistol on the bully each time they peck can be quite effective. You only have to do it for a short time and they generally get the message. Good luck!

[Chucky1]

I also find that using a water pistol on the bully each time they peck can be quite effective.

 

This can be quite fun too I only ever had to use ours once - though do get a decent one like a pump up thing from star wars.

 

We tried it with a plant mister first and whilst the chickens didn't exactly laugh, there was a definite snigger in the air.

 

Also make sure the bullied one is not being prevented from eating, perhaps an extra food and water station.

 

I think omlet do the purple disinfectant or:

 

http://www.ascott.biz/

 

Good luck

[Ophelia]

Thanks everyone. My bullied chicken tends to try and run past the other 3 chickens but she isn't afraid to come and get her share of the food. This morning I gave them some brocolli and she grabbed a chunk before running off with it. She tends to run away from me too. I sprayed her with anti pecking spray and so far there hasn't been any fresh blood but the hole in her feathers looks a little bigger to me. I have ordered some purple sray too. I also heard that stockholm tar can stop the pecking???? I also look forward to trying out the water pistols.

 

I tend to only get three eggs a day so I assume it's the bullied one that isn't laying. Could this be due to stress?

[Chucky1]

I tend to only get three eggs a day so I assume it's the bullied one that isn't laying. Could this be due to stress?

 

Hi Ophelia. I think thats a good guess. We noticed the same thing. Our bullied one didn't look as big as the others, her comb was smaller and not as red. She was also very shy and timid and a devil to get hold of.

 

We cured it by getting hold of her and bringing her up to the house and feeding her with Tuna. Now she is hard to spot and holds her own with the rest. We did this for about 5 or 6 days and towards the end she would let herself be caught easily.. The laying improved and for the first time we got 13 eggs from 13 chucks. Bingo

[wiganchooks]

I agree as well. We got 3 ex-batts, 2 settled to each other, the routine and to laying very quickly, but one was being bullied and didn't lay. She was stressed and it came to a head after about a fortnight when she got very under the weather with a soft-egg (and I suspect a vicious circle of her being bullied more as she felt ill, which stressed her more, making her more ill with the soft eggs).

 

A couple of nights in the warm, extra treats, building her up and she went back out much happier to stand up for herself, and they in turn started to leave her alone. Sandy on here suggested lots of obstacles in the run to stop chasing, which really worked.

 

They all get on really well now and the only clue 2 months on is the traces of purple spray which are now just on the tips of the lovely new fluffy white feathers on her bum! (Be careful with it, it stains everything...)

[sandyhas3chucks]

the best thing apart from the WIR and bale of controvercial straw to hide behind in th WIR is the squared trelliss I put diagonally across my garden 4ft tall run. I think you might be able to use it in an eglu run. The squares are big enough to get through, but it seemed to serve more as a mental barrier than physical.

I think I posted a photo .

If you can't find it let me know I will dig it out.or find