How many chickens in Eglu Cube

[Fourbecameeight]

Twinkletoes has chosen now to have a major moult, it was all going well even in the cold weather and the feathers are coming through. I have been giving her sardines as an extra source of protein. The last few days the rest of the flock has turned on her and haven’t even let her out of the cube. No blood has been drawn but they will not let her near the food or water. She will come out when free ranging but they continually go for her. Yesterday I let her out by herself with extra bowls of food and water and today because it is wet my OH has fenced of an area within the WIR with food and water. They can still see her through the wire, I thought this would be best. I will put her in the cube to sleep with the others.

 

How long do you think I will need to do this for?

 

And does anyone have any ideas why it happened, I have had other chicken moult with no troubles.

[Egluntyne]

If she has stopped laying, which is associated with moulting she will go down in the pecking order. This could be the cause of the problem.

[Fourbecameeight]

Thank you for the reply.

 

I will just weather the storm. I hope it isn’t too much longer as we are having to plan our days to be back before dusk to let her out of the little pen. But that is better than an injured girl.

[dancing cloud]

Poor little chicken! Bad enough being without feathers in this cold weather without all your mates picking on you as well

 

If you can keep them together at night, at least she will smell the same as the others and re-integration should be easier when she's ready. Other than that, it sounds like you are doing all you can and will just have to wait it out. Wishing you and Twinkletoes all the very best for a swift outbreak of peace and harmony!

[Fourbecameeight]

I feel so sorry for her

 

I came back from my mum’s early to let her out of the pen ready for bed. The others mobbed her, she ran out of the WIR got caught up in the netting with them all pecking her. I was trying to release her and getting the other off her.

 

It was very traumatic for all. She has a small cut on the comb that i have treated with purple spray. My OH will have to help tomorrow. She only wants to be with the others its not fair.

 

This is worse than when we first got the ex-bat because at least then it was four against four and the intros went very smoothly.

[dancing cloud]

Sounds horrible and lots of ((hugs)) to you all.

 

Keep hanging on in there, it will get better.

[Plum]

She'll get more feisty when she comes back into lay and be able to hold her own better. Poor you it must be horrid seeing her being pecked. I would do the same as you and keep her in the area within the WIR so she is safe but near.

[Fourbecameeight]

Thank you for all the replies

 

I hope she will get feistier. Today I let them out to FR with twinkletoes on the other side of the netting. She kept hiding behind the bins very scared and wouldn’t touch the food and water I put out for her because it was too close to the others. I was out for ages in the cold sitting with her by the netting giving both sides treats trying to get them to eat near each other. I do feel progress has been made.

 

I will give it a few more days before I try to put them all together. She is sleeping with the others but it a right pain. We had to come home from a party early because we had to put the chicken to bed. Other people just don’t understand.

[Fourbecameeight]

I think we are over the worse of it. We had things to do in the garden today so they have all been out FR together because we were there to split them up if needed. But she has found a friend, Princess has been roaming around with her they look very sweet. Princess even had a go at bluebell to protect twinkletoes. I will keep her separate in the WIR for a few more days if I’m not in just to be sure but

[dancing cloud]

Glad to hear there is progress because mine have now started to misbehave too !

 

Sky, who is now the bottom of the pecking order since Moon's death, has stopped laying as she is moulting and yes, the big girl monsters have started picking on her and physically shoved her out of the cube tonight when she tried to go to bed with them, having accepted her without quibble for the last couple of weeks. Last night both Sky and Sun went to bed in their , but tonight Sun was allowed in the with the big girls, after they'd pushed Sky out. It's far too cold to let Sky sleep on her own, so I had to wait till they'd settled and then put her in just before I closed the door.

 

Poor Sky, I couldn't believe it when they pushed her out - hope she comes back into lay soon. I wouldn't mind, but she's only just stopped laying in the last few days and none of the big girls has laid a thing in about a month cheeky madams!

[Fourbecameeight]

Sorry yours are being so horrid. I hope it doesn’t last long.

 

I have found it upsetting because it was mostly her fellow ex-bats that were so horrid. You just want your animals to get on. I suppose we have to start thinking like chickens if we want to understand. I expect them to act like humans and look after anyone who is poorly and maybe find them something nice to eat, not stop them getting to food and water!

[dancing cloud]

Mine are all ex-batts and they can certainly be horrid (and lovely too ) and yes, I would have hoped they would have made room for a little Sky-hen who needed somewhere warm to sleep but no, out she was shoved . I'm sure it will stop as soon as she starts laying again. Monsters!