Eggasperated Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I have posted several times here re lice followed by feather plucking, bumper bits and anti-peck spray but I'm still no closer getting my 3 girls to live happily together again. Pippa (the neck plucker) is still spending her days on her own, I tried to put her in with the others again today but she immediately went for Carols neck and despite the bumper bit made her skin red and sore looking again. Alice has started trying to hog all the food and keeps chasing Carol off - I have put in extra feed stations but they both seem to want to eat from the same place at the same time. Carol has retaliated by pulling Alices knicker feathers out and eating them (again this is despite the bumper bit). They have a large run with lots of logs etc, I give them hanging greens, pecka block and other treats. I've tried extra protein and virtually everything else suggested on this site and am beginning to wonder if I've got the only hens who would prefer to be on their own all day . At least they all happily go to bed together. They were happy together when I first got them but since October it has been one thing after another . Have I got any chance of sorting this out or shall I just assume they all want their own space? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 ok, back to basics, deep breath I can see you have had them for a while so not introduction problems... first question - has it always been like this or is this a recent thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggasperated Posted January 27, 2010 Author Share Posted January 27, 2010 It started after Carol had lice at the end of October which I unfortunately didn't recognise until I asked on this forum in December and Carol had got to the stage of pulling out her own feathers and getting a bloody tail which the others pecked. Everyone was treated for lice and Carol was kept separate for a while so that her tail healed. Carol, who had been the boss, lost her place in the pecking order and Pippa (who was always stroppy) took over; then two weeks ago I came home to find Carols neck feathers stripped out (I had only been out just over an hour) so Pippa was separated. Now the other problems have started as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gelbel Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Poor you Eggasperated - and your girls too. Mine have had two bouts of feather biting/pulling and being nasty since I got them in August. Both time it's been Grace just intent on being a little madam. She is bumper bited at the moment (has been for a week). Both times it has coinsided with hormonal changes in the other 2 - ie when the both started laying. Joy has been laying 2 weeks now so she was 'sensing' the build up to it. She can also be a bit of a mare when the weather changes - when it suddenly went cold at the beginning of November and just before the snow in December. With the bumper bit in she has to stop feather biting/pulling she goes down the pecking order, starts to behave, I take the bumper bit out then all is OK for a while. I hope the next bout of good behaviour will last long time as spring is on the way and I should not have any hormonal girls for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggasperated Posted January 27, 2010 Author Share Posted January 27, 2010 Mine have been laying all winter but have recently started eating loads more so I did wonder whether some of it is hormones / age related. But I feel as if I will never get through this especially as they still seem to be able to pull feathers even with the bumper bits on . Pippa has now been fitted with a larger size bumper so maybe I will have to do the same with Carol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
