MedusA Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Congratulations to you all on your ex-batt girls. Your's look lovely Bexibex. The pecking order does usually settle down in a few days. Parsley was my baldy and was really picked on by the other 3 at first. Now she's 2nd top chook of all my 9 chickens. You should see the way the little ex-batts rule the run over even my huge Suffolk Noir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Generally any bullying at this stage is just down to them establishing a pecking order and not really having any idea how to go about it Make sure that they all get food - mash is good to keep them busy, or feed them a wet porridge. Avoid the temptation to spoil them with treats - it isn't necessary and they will see it as a main food source and not get the nutrients they need to keep them healthy. In some cases, I'd recommend taking them off layers feed to stop them laying so much, and to build them up on growers feed which will help them to get back to full health. Their lack of feathers will be as much down to bullying as to using all their protein reserves to make eggs rather than new feathers - the intensive light they get in battery farming means that they will lay eggs more frequently than their bodies can cope with. Make sure that they get extra nutrients by adding a good quality poultry tonic to their water and feeding them mealworms or dried Gammarus shrimps. I understand that there will soon be a new moulting rescue type of product of the market, but my friend tells me that it is still at the testing stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 It all seems a long time ago now (I have had my ex batts 9 months) but I seem to remember the pecking order took about a week or so to settle down. For the first few days nothing much happened apart from my top hen Bella guarding all the food and water like crazy. I dashed straight out on day 2 to buy more food and water containers so that she couldn't guard them all. She was also an obsessive pecker - clearly a habit she had brought with her from the battery. It wasn't pulling feathers or drawing blood but an incessant pecking of the others. After about 3 days the rest of them got braver and started challenging each other. There were a few instances where they were flapping up at each other in the air like fighting cockerels. Then all of a sudden it seemed to calm down and all has been well ever since (and I haven't seen Bella peck any of the others since then). Be patient, it's not pleasant to watch but as long as they have plenty of food and water stations and no blood is drawn, it WILL all settle down very quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bexibex Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 It is such a relief to hear that it will settle down soon. We have started to let the girls out into the garden when we are here and that seems to be giving Minnie a reprieve - they still get her but not as often. It is also good to know I am doing the right things - I have the girls on ex-bat crumbs which are recommended by the BHWT, I have also been adding the poultry tonic to the water religiously every day and feeding meal worms to Minnie in particular by hand, although all of the girls get mealworms in the afternoon. I assume dry meal worms are ok as that is what I have? Should I be concerned that Blanche laid a tiny deformed egg on the first day, another tiny egg that had only a blood spot inside on the second day, nothing yesterday and then today, spent ages in the nesting box making all of the noises but laid nothing? Also, is it normal for them to eat their bedding? My girls are eating theirs and eating the soil in their dust bath, although for the first time today, Abby had a proper dust bath and adored it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
