Unsecure chicken perches

[chickinboy]

While my corn and pea pecking block is in the oven, I've been thinking. If I was to, say, get two more birds for my existing four...do you think the pecking order might re-adjust, and maybe sort out my feather pulling problem? Or am I just providing more victims for my violent white star?? Don't want to make more girls suffer....I have a feeling I'm inventing reasons to give my OH for getting more.....!

[CluckyBucks]

It may provoke the situation, but maybe if one of the girls you get is more dominant than your white star, it may sort itself out. I really dont know

 

xx xx

[Redwing]

You'll almost certainly just produce more unrest sadly

[chickinboy]

hmmm, thought that might be the case. Certainly don't want to make it worse. Tried bumper bits, which didn't work, anti-peck spray, worked for a while, but they always seemed to just find a patch underneath that wasn't covered, and just targeted that. Their run is like chicken alton towers, so hate to think that boredom is the problem. I hang up treats in different corners, but the white star patrols the perimiter and manages to guard the whole lot! She also monopolises the perches, logs etc, and shoves anyone off if they're sitting where she wants to. little madam.

[Lewis]

What about Ukadex or the Net-tex anti-pecking spray? Which one did you try before?

 

Never used them myself, but a few people on here have

[Egluntyne]

I'd isolate her for a good long while, so that she hopefully forgets her unpleasant behaviour, and so that she loses her place in the pecking order.

[chickinboy]

using the netex one at the moment - so perhaps a switch to Ukadex is in order. maybe they've done what I did when I was little and my mum put stuff on my finger nails to stop me biting them...i loved the stuff!

 

Will have another go at isolation - I've tried it a couple of times with netting, including tent pegs to keep it down under the bottom, but I've put so much wood chip in to try and keep them amused that she managed to dig a hole under it and was back in bed with the others by the morning...time to invest in something a little more effective I think.

 

thanks for the help!

[iandjsmum]

Is this a white star specific problem? My white star does this too and it's been awful for her victim (the other white star). My only solution after trying everything else has been to let the 2 white stars free range most of the time. It's the only thing that's stopped the problem. Not what I had in mind but they are happy now.

[Space Chick]

Well I can only speak from my experience, but my White Star is an absolute angel. She is always the one that takes newbies under her wing. She's 2nd in command in the pecking order, but is so gentle natured, she only asserts hers authority when others below her demonstrate negative behaviour on girls below them if you catch my drift.

[tom123]

Sorry to hear that your White Star is being a pain

 

If I was you I would keep her in a rabbit hutch or dog crate etc. inside the run if possible and leave her in there for a good week maybe 2. When feeding treats I would feed the others first and then when they have finished give her some, also when/if you let the others out in the garden don't let her out. She needs to know that she is bottom of the pecking order and least important. When you want to let her out into the garden, let her out on her own. Don't be too worried about leaving her away from the flock for too long as this is what she needs to learn that what she was doing is wrong and hopefully she will be seen as a new hen and they will have to rearrange the pecking order.

 

Good luck

Tom

[Eggasperated]

Hope you don't mind me butting in but I'm still having trouble with one of my Black Rocks being a terrible feather puller.

I've had her seperate for a month and she has a bumper bit and I've tried anti-peck spray (including Ukadex).

Having now spent £300+ on 50m of electric fencing and all the necessary bits, as I understood that free-ranging was going to be the only way to stop the problem, I let all three hens out together. Within two hours Pippa was managing to corner the other two and start feather pulling again - obviously the separation didn't do anything to change her mindset.

So she is now back on her own again, is there anymore advice for this situation or I am stuck with one hen that will have to live virtually alone? Actually she doesn't seem to care but the logistics of keeping her separate can be a nightmare especially if the weather is bad.